Fewer Entries For Surf Titles

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32219, 11 February 1970, Page 15

Fewer Entries For Surf Titles

Z Press Association! AUCKLAND.; Entries at the 1970 New Zealand surf lifesaving championships to be held at Piha on February 27 and 28 and March 1 are smaller than in recent years. The hardest hit have been the march past events The; senior event will have 32 teams—one less than last! season—but the junior event! has attracted only nine teams asains 17 last season and the women’s event eight! teams against 15. Other traditional events;

with smaller entries are the; j senior, junior and women's ! six-man and four-man rescue i and resuscitation championI ships. ! In the glamour event the '! senior six-man rescue and rei suscitation for the Nelson | Shield, 25 teams will face the . starter, three fewer than last season and 16 fewer than when the New Zealand chaini pionships were last held in >! Auckland in 1964 > The contest between the ( holder. Waikanae (Gisborne). (Muriwai (Auckland). Fitzroy :| (Taranaki). Worser Ray (Wei-; I lington). and South Brightiton should be close. The junior six-man event; swill have 25 teams, compared

with 41 at Muriwai in 1964, and 31 last year at Gisborne. Eastern United (Auckland), Fitzroy and Paekakariki (Wellington) are early favourites for this title. Among the individual events, 46 entries have been received for the senior beltman’s race. On performances at the recent inter-district championships, the veteran, R. Harker (Red Beach, Auckland). and the first-year senior, B. Ward (South Brighton). will be th ■ ones to beat. The nresent holder of this title. W Clow (Fitzroy), will be in Australia with the touring New Zealand team and will therefore not defend his title.

< The junior belt title event has drawn an increased entrv. ,; 58, against 51 last year. In ■f this event, D. Knapman (Fitz-! i roy), P. Ryan (Mount Maungauni), D. Dunlop (Paekaka-i I riki), and last season’s run-, i ner-up, D. Hopkins (Eastern ! ■ United), will be early fav-l ; ouries. : Twenty-three crews have! , entered for the surf boat, - events. Last year’s champion,; - Titahi Bay, will be out to re-1 ■ tain its title, but it will be' . meeting one of the most im-j > proved crews in the country,! lithe Muriwai A, which, rep- • I resenting Auckland, made a l! clean sweep of the boat race > series at the inter-district I championships.