LAGUNA BEACH : 6 Residents Compete in Gay Games

When clinical psychologist Richard Ammon joins 7,300 other gay athletes in Canada this week, he hopes to relive what he calls a “liberating and validating” episode in his life.

The 49-year-old swimmer from Laguna Beach will participate in Celebration ‘90: Gay Games III and Cultural Festival, an international competition that began Saturday in Vancouver.

Ammon, who competed in the games in San Francisco in 1986, said: “While the experience is happening, it is one of validation, one of celebration. You feel like who you essentially are is not being questioned or judged.”

Ammon, who snagged four gold medals in his age category during the competition four years ago, is one of at least six Laguna Beach residents competing this year. The four swimmers and two tennis players have dubbed themselves Team Laguna.

Organizers say that more than 2,000 Californians, the largest contingent from the United States, have registered to participate in the amateur athletic competition, which continues through Saturday. About 43% of the participants will be women, said spokeswoman Sarah Temple.

Participants describe the games as a paradox: an environment where competitors can relax, a gay event where sexual preference dissipates as an issue. They say athletes from around the world are drawn to the competition because they are gay; once they arrive, it no longer matters.

“I am pushing myself, because I’m going to do the best I can do,” said Robert Mastroberti, a 25-year-old Laguna Beach resident, who will compete in five swim events. “But it’s so much more of a relaxed state of mind, because I’m with people I have so much in common with. And that commonality is what makes the games so unique.”

The games and festival include music, theater and films. While some describe the occasion as more of a cultural event than an athletic competition, individuals and teams will compete in 29 sports, from power lifting and triathlons to badminton and darts.

Myke Ydigoras, 31, of Laguna Beach said he has been training 4 1/2 to five hours a day to prepare for the games. Still, the value of such an event is that it gives athletes a chance to enjoy “the incredible lightness of being,” he said, taking liberties with the title of Milan Kundera’s popular book. It’s a time, he said, to get past being gay and “just be.”

“That’s sort of the spirit of the games,” said Ydigoras, who will represent Laguna Beach in the triathlon and will also swim with a West Hollywood team. The athletes “are not there to prove anything.”

The games also provide a positive setting for a community that has been menaced by a deadly disease for almost a decade. “In the age we live in, with AIDS always over us, it’s refreshing to see gays that are healthy and vibrant and affirming life,” Ydigoras said. “It sends a good message to people.”