Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Steve Furniss

Olympic medalist Steve Furniss competed for the United States at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and also in Montreal four years later. A resident of Huntington Beach, California, he is a co-founder of the swimwear line TYR (http://www.tyr.com), which earned a place in pop culture by designing the iconic red swimsuits worn by the cast of "Baywatch." At the Munich Games, Furniss was 19 and excited to be competing in Germany, but horrified to learn about the massacre of the members of the Israeli wrestling team. Now 63, he shares some of his memories of those Games and more.

Q. What was it like to experience all those different emotions at the 1972 Olympics at Munich?

A. My most vivid memories are of winning a medal for U.S. juxtaposed against what proved to be the first major high-profile global terrorist attack when the Israeli wrestling team was taken hostage by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September. I was fortunate enough to win a bronze medal in the 200-meter individual medley. I had several friends come to the Games. After my race, we went out and celebrated, arriving back in the late-morning hours. The next morning, I ran into a friend who was in an absolute panic as he explained that terrorists had taken the Israeli delegation hostage during the early-morning hours.

Q. What was security like back then in the Olympic Village?

A. When I came back the previous night, I had scaled the fence and there were no security guards or officials that I could see. The next day, I ran into a police barricade. I returned to my room and was confronted by two uniformed paramilitary police officers in the hallway, who shouted at me to halt. One had a rifle pointed at my head as they proceeded to frisk me. Fortunately, Mark Spitz stuck his head out and told the officers, "Nein, nein, American okay!" Mark was the athlete of the 1972 Games and was Jewish. The German authorities had placed significant security on him, given the gravity of the terrorists and general paranoia that was overtaking the Olympic Village, due to the ongoing negotiations for the hostages.

Q. What other Olympic moments stand out for you?

A. I have had the good fortune to attend several Olympic Games since competing in Munich and Montreal: Los Angeles (1984), Atlanta (1996), Beijing (2008); London (2012). I have also had the honor of running the Olympic Torch Relay twice in 1984 and 2000. But competing on the 1976 Montreal Olympic team with my brother, Bruce, who is a double gold medalist, was probably the most memorable experience. In terms of attending as a spectator, I would rate Beijing as the most interesting overall. The facilities were incredible. I was in the swim stadium to witness Michael Phelps' historic achievements. I probably enjoyed Atlanta more, though. I have the special memory of attending it with my son, Matt, who was just 13 at the time. I will never forget going to the beach volleyball women's match where the Americans were playing against the Brazilians, who were the eventual gold medalists. We ended up as the only two in red-white-and-blue shirts in a virtual sea of yellow, since the Brazilian fans gave out free yellow Brazilian T-shirts, as long as you wore it during the match in support of their athletes. Needless to say, there were many takers for free T-shirts.

Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?

A. Hands down, West Maui. When you travel a lot for business, it is the ideal place for an ex-waterman to park it and enjoy its beaches and aquatic culture.

Q. To someone who was going there for the first time, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?

A. Other than take in some great meals from the sea that are caught daily, I would encourage those capable to do some snorkeling in Honolua Bay on Maui's northwest shore. If you are not a water person, then I suggest taking the dual views of Lanai and Molokai (both islands seem so close from there) over lunch at the Gazebo in Napili. Bike ride down Haleakala Crater. Zip line in West Maui.

Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?

A. Family car trip with my three brothers from our home north of Seattle over to the Olympic Peninsula. The rain forest was so thick and mysterious to a 10-year-old kid. What's not to love when you get to go somewhere you have not been before with adventure at every new turn?

Q. What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?

A. An appreciation for the world and its culture. Travel as an athlete provided me opportunities that I could not have afforded or have experienced otherwise. To have gone behind the Iron Curtain to Moscow in 1973 for the World Student Games changed my thinking politically, based on what I saw and experienced there. Americans, at that time, could not travel to Eastern Europe or Russia due to the Cold War.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)