SKATING CARNIVAL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 105, 9 June 1914, Page 9

SKATING CARNIVAL.

GAIETY AT THE OLYMPIA. There was a true carnival atmosphere about the Olympia Skating Rink last night. The gliders turned up in their dozens and scores and hundreds, garbed in all manner of variegated attire, graceful and grotesque, but mostly grotesque. Everyone was there —Robinson Crusoe, the, Fairy Queen (several of them), the pantomime policeman, the hero, of the Wild West "movie" stories, Punchinello, the inevitable curate, pierettes, trainps, Red Riding Hood- —in fact, pretty nearly everyone was there, including Bibendum, whose pneumatic suit probably suggested possibilities to those beginners who had to be content to look on at this glittering assemblage of experts. There was a great crowd of spectators present, and the antics of the grotesques, combined with the gracefulness of the skating and the kaledoscopic variety of colour made an entertainment altogether worth while. And these people could skate —every competitor in the two-step competition was worthy, and it is a distinction, indeed, that was gained by the place-winners in this contest. The waltzing, too, was good' to watch, for there was all the gracefulness of the waltz combined with the easy glide of the rollers, and the mingling of burlesque and daintiness in a riot of colour made a carnival not less enjoyed by the onlookers than by the gliders. There was much ingenuity displayed in the costunes, some being very effective, and, as often happens, some of the simplest were the best. The man who appeared as a registered parcel was only exceeded by the brown paper parcel labelled 'excess luggage," the grotesque figure mounted on a well-developed specimen of the male barndoor fowl- created as much fun as the clowns and comic policemen. It was called a "poster carnival," but poster costumes were few m comparison with fancy dresses not aiming at advertisement, and though most of the fancy dresses were ingenious, the same ingenuity was not apparent in those whose costumes were designed to advertise.

At intervals between ordinary skating several interesting competitions were held. The first was the Two-step competition, in which much grace and agility were displayed by the eouples swinging round to the blare of the band, and the judges must have had some difficulty in placing the winning pair, but after selecting two couples and trying them again, the announcement went out that the competition had been won by Miss Hill and Mr J. Milner. The Half-mile Ladies' Handicap was won by Miss Dyer; Mr S. Power won the One-mile Handicap; and Messrs Power and Piercy made a dead-heat in the Obstacle, Race. The best fancy dress and poster costumes were judged by a ballot of the audience, and were awarded as follow: —Best fancy dress, lady, Miss G. Hill, '' Honeysuckle and Bee''; best poster, lady, Miss M. King, "Amber Tips Tea";' best poster, gentlemen, F. Kiddle, '' Dunlop Tyres''; best fancy dress, gentlemen, A. Higgs, "Court Page"; most comical character, J. Milner, "P.O. XXXX." The carnival was a most enjoyable affair, and excellently managed. It was the best attraction the Olympia Rink could have, and now that the skating season is in full swing the ordinary sessions should be crowded, while no doubt there will be many learners, inspired to emulation by the gracefulness displayed last night.