Deforrest "Moe" Most, RIP
That's Moe Most, standing on that guy doing a complete backbend and holding four guys (including Jack LaLanne, above Most).
Most, who performed gymnastics a half-century ago before curious crowds at famed Muscle Beach, has died.
He was 89.
Most, whose first name was Deforrest, died of heart failure on Sept. 2. at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center, said his son, Steven, of Carmel Valley.
From the 1930s through the 1950s, Most joined other amateur acrobats and strongmen who worked out on the stretch of sand south of the Santa Monica Pier. They swung on high bars and formed human pyramids.
From 1947 to 1958, Most was in charge of staging Mr. and Miss Muscle Beach contests.
LaLanne, the pioneer physical fitness guru, said Most was one of the greatest athletes he had ever known.
The city shut down the original Muscle Beach in 1958. Bodybuilders moved south to a new area near the Venice Boardwalk. The original site was resurrected more than 40 years later.
For more background on the history of Most and Muscle Beach, check out Dave Draper's Website, where he discusses the book "Remembering Muscle Beach" by Harold Zinkin and Bonnie Hearn.