No Surf Board Problem At Canterbury Beaches

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30453, 29 May 1964, Page 7

No Surf Board Problem At Canterbury Beaches

The surf board problem, as it was known in the North Island and Australia, did not exist in Canterbury and there was no need to seek authority to deal with board riders creating a danger to swimmers between the flags, the Canterbury Surf Life-saving Association agreed after a brief discussion. Board riders who were not members of surf clubs mostly kept to themselves . and usually did their surfing in isolated areas or between the various club houses where there were few persons bathing. They were described by one delegate as “quite a good bunch of fellows.” The convener of the board control sub-committee (Mr A. N. Staples) reported that the sub-committee had not had a proper meeting but that each member had been contacted for his views on the matter. The majority supported the original recommendation that clubs use their influence to keep board riders out of the patrolled area rather than the introduction of wider control.

However, there was a minority on the committee which thought that positive "action should be taken. One member was in favour of the introduction of a council by-law giving the clubs authority to deal with offenders and another was in favour of some slightly milder form of action, Mr Staples said. “If we get some regulation brought in we will have to police it,” Mr Staples said. He would hate to see a junior surf club member trying to tell a mature man what to do. Mr Staples said that as the situation stood at present, board riders were perfectly entitled to ride their boards between the flags in spite of the danger to swimmers and a fisherman could even go surf casting between them if he so desired.

Severe criticism of the present regulations regarding the size of surf skis used in rescue work was made by members. A remit from the Sumner Club, intended for the annual meeting of the national body, that surf ski rescue events at the New Zealand championships be open only to skis of regulation size, received little support. Mr M. J. Stevens (Waimairi) said that 36in was far too wide for a rescue ski. A width of 28in would be more suitable. Most of the skis in Canterbury at present were only 25in wide, less than a foot wider than the regulation skis, he said. A remit from the Sumner club that a junior and senior canoe race be held at the New Zealand championships instead of just an open event was approved. A similar remit from the Waimairi club that junior and senior events be held in surf ski and paddle board. championships instead of the present open events was lost by eight votes to seven. It was reported that bells were to be used as official shark warnings since they were not affected by weather. Carnival Dates The following carnival dates for the 1964-65 season were approved:— December 6, first Canterbury championship carnival at Waimairi; January 24, second championship carnival at New Brighton; February 7, third Canterbury championship carnival at New Brighton; February 19, 20, and 21,. New Zealand championships at New Brighton; March 7, final Canterbury championship carnival.

Tuberculosis, far from being on the way out as was predicted 10 years ago, is steadily increasing in West Berlin.— (Reuter).