Trials To Select Dominion Surf Team For Australia

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30533, 31 August 1964, Page 16

Trials To Select Dominion Surf Team For Australia

(From. Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 30. A programme of trials for the selection of a New Zealand representative. surf life-saving team to visit Australia next December-January was approved at the annual conference today of the Surf Life-saving Association. This will be the first New Zealand surf team to go overseas since 1956.

The selectors, Messrs K. W.Mitchell (Wellington), J. Ferguson. (Auckland), and S. D. Tarrant (Canterbury) will hold a series of district trials, with a final trial in Wellington on November 14-15, to determine the best 10 out of more than 70 nominees. Mr Mitchell said each trial will include some candidates from other districts, so that a general level of ability can be determined. There will also be several competitors at each trial swimming at the invitation of the selectors. Four Trials The trials will be held as follows: At Auckland (at Muriwai or an alternative beach) on October 10 and 11. This will include nine Auckland and three Taranaki nominees, also C. Blakeley and P. Fitzsimmons, of Wellington, plus two Gisborne nominees, and four others "by Invitation."

At Napier (at Westshore) on October 17 and 18. The competitors will include five Hawke’s Bay and six Gisborne nominees, plus P. Griffin, M. Haxton, K. O'Malley, C. Billing and K. Mark (all Wellington) and two “by invitation.” At Wellington (at any available surf beach) on October 24 and 25. The competitors will include all Wellington nominees, plus two Aucklanders to be determined, and the following Canterbury nominees: R. Gaskill, G. Dann, L. Mclntosh, A. Lee and A. Harrow. ■ At Christchurch (at Taylor’s Mistake or New Brighton) on October 31 and November 1. The competitors will Include 11 Canterbury and two Otago nominees, plus trialists to be selected after the Wellington trials. The selectors are asking nominees to keep the week-end of November 7-8 free in case

another trial is needed. The final trial will then be held in Wellington. Each trial will consist of gaddle-board, surf-ski, belt and each races, surf races, and a rescue and resuscitation trial. It is expected that all candidates will take part in all events.

Mr Ferguson and Mr Mitchell will attend the Auckland and Napier trials, and Mr Mitchell and Mr Tarrant those at Wellington and Christchurch. The team is scheduled to arrive in Brisbane on December 16, and to compete on December 19-20 It will travel to Sydney on December 23, with competitions scheduled for December 26-27, and will move on to Adelaide on December 30. After competitions on Adelaide beaches on January 2 and 3, the team will travel to Melbourne on January 6 and compete on January 9-10. It will return to New Zealand on January 11. Trophy Declined The annual conference today declined a trophy presented several years ago by the president of the Royal Life-Saving Society (Mr G. D. Griffiths) for competition between "surf provinces.” The trophy, known as the Griffiths trophy, has been competed for several years by representative teams from Wellington and Canterbury. It was also stated to be the main trophy at the Royal Interprovincial Carnival held at Mount Maunganul before Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in February, 1963. The meeting ruled that the trophy for all future interprovincial surf contests conducted by the Surf Life-saving Association will be the Norrie trophy, presented by the former Governor-General (Sir Willoughby Norrie). A report by a sub-committee of the Surf Council referred to the inadvisability of accepting trophies bearing person's names for New Zealand competition. In this report reference

was made to the Griffiths Trophy. Mr S. D. Tarrant (Canterbury) objected. He said that the trophy was called the interprovincial trophy. This name was plainly marked on the back, together with the fact that it had been presented by Mr Griffiths.

The secretary (Mr C. T. Jones) said that the trophy had never been offered to the surf council. “It is a back-door job,” he said. “When and if it is offered, that would be the time to discuss it.” Mr C. O’Neill (Auckland) then moved that the Norrie Trophy be awarded for the inter-dis-trict contest. As Intended

Mr Tarrant: Then what happens to the Inter-prqvlncial trophy? Do I take it back to Mr Griffiths and tell him it is unacceptable? Mr J. D. Hunter (chairman of the Surf Council): There is no obstacle to its being used as it was originally intended to be used —as an interprovincial trophy to be competed for by Canterbury and Wellington teams. The meeting decided to allocate to Wellington next year’s inter-district surf carnival. Taranaki was allocated the 1966 national championships.