SURFING TITLES Belt Champion Eliminated

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30680, 20 February 1965, Page 11

SURFING TITLES Belt Champion Eliminated

The holder of the New Zealand senior belt title for the last two years, B. Crowder (Maranui, Wellington), has failed to qualify for the final of this year’s championship. His defeat by the 35-year-old Canterbury representative, J. A. Lee (South Brighton), was one of the major upsets on the opening day of the national surf life-saving championships at New Brighton yesterday.

For the second year, one of the Dominion’s finest beltmen will be absent when the final is decided. R. Harker (Red Beach) was surprisingly eliminated In the heats of the belt championship last season in similar fashion. Yesterday, however, he won his heat easily and is now a firm favourite to take the title today. Last season, Crowder and Harker met in the heats and the Red Beach swimmer was beaten. Yesterday they avoided a clash in the heats, Harker swimming in the first and Crowder in the last, but nobody took into consideration the possibility of Lee producing such devastating form. As only the first in each heat was eligible for the final, Crowder was eliminated. Lee led the field for most of the distance in his heat. At the three-quarter mark, Crowder had moved about a yard in front but with 10 yards remaining Lee regained the front, and found himself almost in direct line with his buoy. Crowder had drifted several yards to the south and lost valuable seconds swimming two buoys up the line. The timekeepers officially recorded Lee as 2ihin 13.4 sec and Crowder as 2min 13.8 sec

but many reliable eye wiV nesses claimed that Lee was first by four or five seconds. Lee later said he had time to look up and down the line of buoys before Crowder arrived. With about 10 yards to go he had looked across at Crowder and felt that “I had him beaten.”

Taking Into account the receding tide, Lee’s time was by far the fastest. The fact that Crowder set the second fastest time of the day was to no avail. The second fastest Suallfier was C. Billing (Worser ay) in 2min 17.2 sec. Harker, whose swim was the furthest, recorded 2min 44sec.

Canterbury's big hope before Lee's shattering performance was G. Dann (New Brighton). However, he was not up to his usual form and could only manage third in his heat in a relatively slow time. A former Canterbury champion, T. Gaskell (Waimairl), swam well to finish second in his heat.

Seven Finalists The. finalists for the senior belt title are: N. Penwarden (Maranui), M. Harvey (Lyall Bay), C. Billing (Worser Bay), J. A, Lee (South Brighton), P. Jack (PihaL B. Harker (Red Beach), D. Ritchie (Eastern United).

Another upset was the disqualification of all seven teams in the fifth heat of the senior six-man rescue and resuscitation championship for swimming to the wrong set of buoys. Among those disqualified was the current holder of the Nelson Shield for the championship, Eastern United A, and another leading contender, Maranui A.