Surfing rejects superior to N.Z. representatives

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

Surfing rejects superior to N.Z. representatives

(By

E. J. HOBBS)

/CANTERBURY’S effort in gaining third place in the inter-districts surf life-saving carnival at New Plymouth on Saturday did little to support the opinion held by the national selectors that there are no life-savers in the South Island worthy of selection in the New Zealand team. In fact, the selectors had the galling experience of seeing the two top contenders for the team who missed selection. R. Harker (Auckland) and Canterbury’s B. Ward, finish first and second ahead of the New Zealand team members. D. Cleverley and G. Dempsey in the belt race: and Ward and P. Goldsmith, also of Canterbury. finish ahead of three other members of the team in the surf race. Ward's main rival for the New Zealand team, B. Crowder, finished only eighth in the surf race. But Canterbury can only have been half satisfied with its performance. It went to the championships intent on winning the Norrie Trophy for the third successive time, but finished third. The team in the six-man event lost its advantage in

the march to finish third and was perhaps a little unlucky, but the team should have performed better in the march past. It was not placed in this event. There were surprises. P. Davies won the surf ski

rate after battling through the eight foot heavy surf to the buoys and then finished fifth in the surf ski rescue race. P. Goldsmith was second in the individual surf race rather against the predictions, but he works well in a strong surf. If the other Canterbury team members in that race, J. Moses and B. Mustchin, had been further up at the finish Canterbury’s placing in the team event would have been much higher. The performance of the juniors, R. Tweedie and P. Mulligan, was encouraging. Both have two more years of competition in the grade and Tweedie was second in the belt-race and Mulligan fifth in the surf race. Auckland’s superiority in the contest came from its wins in the three major events, the march past (worth 10 points), the four-man alarm (12) and the boat race (10). If Canterbury is to challenge Auckland next year it will have to concentrate on these events as well as the six-man. A win in each of these events almost assures the province concerned of the Norrie Trophy.