Cheerleading enthusiast Alex reminded me today that although classes haven't started, the Arizona State cheerleading squad is already preparing for the coming season.

The cheerleaders practice twice a week in the gymnastics training facility, where, this week, the cooling is not working as it should. "They'll all lose about four pounds of water weight during today's practice," said coach Jess Brown Monday… 

Yes… they'll lose "water" weight.  At least if they want to stay on the squad they will.

"Most of our cheerleaders have some gymnastics background and they all have to be in terrific shape," she said. The ASU cheerleaders build human pyramids that stack three people high and climb to the height of a two-story building.

Speaking of stacks of three high people, this seems like a good time to remember the tale of the ASU cheerleader shown here — Courtney Simpson, a typically American story of pluck and business acumen.  She was raised Mormon, but clashed with her parents because of her partying lifestyle.  When they cut her off financially, she had to find work.  And work she did, as this extremely NSFW collection of links attests.  Oh, and she got kicked off the team for filming a porn scene in her ASU cheerleading outfit.  Since it's ASU, they would have been okay with porn, but wearing the cheerleading uniform was too much.