The gym shower gang jack was actually a fairly frequent tradition at my old Y, a WWII era dorm and gym with a huge locker room and a “wet area” off that with steam, sauna, and a spacious open community shower with like six shower heads down each side; downstairs off the pool was another gang shower as open and even longer. The deal was sort of an unspoken ritual: several guys would be showering and a few more would come in; two or three of us would turn our backs toward the wall to shower facing out to show off our equipment, and then relax and get about half-hard. And yes, I learned to be one of the ring leaders in this game. Then another guy would join us in the half-hard show, and then another, as each saw what was going on and got comfortable with it and got into it. Then there was sort of a dare to see who had the balls to actually throw a rod first. Once that started then everyone got full boners, waving them around casually but proudly. One or two might then strut off with that hard-on to the steam or sauna. Some of us would lend a friendly hand to the next guy for a stroke or two. Another one or two more might head out at that point to towel off, and leave – or just hang around and watch nonchalantly. The rest of us just kept on stroking our boners on and off at an easygoing pace while continuing to shower. Eventually most of us stroked off and shot a load, openly and freely.

The whole thing had a spirit that was both super-cool casual and yet balls-out open and raw. It was really a very friendly, fraternal thing that felt like just another kind of good sportsmanship, and a great way on an afternoon or Saturday to finish a ‘complete’ work-out.

Sadly, that Y was torn down in the early 1990s. I’m still a Y member in a suburban “family” Y where that kind of thing would be out of place. But I’m really glad I got to be part of the “old club” for decades, and sure wish that more of us could share in that today.