Canterbury Surfers Get Last Chance

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32233, 27 February 1970, Page 14

Canterbury Surfers Get Last Chance

Canterbury’s nine-man team for the New Zealand surfing championships at Gisborne in Easter will be decided at Scarborough Beach tomorrow.

' The last of three contests held to decide the team will start at the beach at 7.30 a.m. Indications are for a good [surf, as there is a medium; [ swell running that is unlikely: to drop significantly by to- | morrow. On Thursday, at New [ (Brighton, waves were run-; ! ning at an average of between four and six feet. [ This will give surfers a [ chance to show their true I form, as the two previous congests have been, dogged by 'poor surf. The first was run in waves of only a few feet; [and very slow; the second, [at New Brighton, held bigger, [ waves but these were of low quality. Tomorrow's contest was to

s i have been held last week, but 1. the conditions were such that j it was postponed. New System Operating j The system of determining r the team has been altered as J two of the province’s top .[surfers, I. Sturroch and A. , Stewart, are not available. .‘The new system, which will , also be a more accurate indication of the quality of the competitors, will involve * more work, however, and the - team will not be announced ’on the day. ■ An average score for absent ’[surfers will be taken and ’ added to the total of their ■ previous performances, and r an average taken on this ' figure. An average figure will also be taken for those who ’ have competed in all three. So far, a New Brighton junior, K. Fawcett, is leading with 201 points. The firstday leader, R. Strahl, gave a poor performance in the second contest and has fallen back to sixth place. Fawcett’s :toughest rival might be C. Pitman, who, with 200 points, should shine if the surf is ; fast and powerful. • The nine leading surfers . are: Fawcett 201, Pitman 200. L. Wilkes 188, A. Trotter 186, ’ I. Sturroch 182. R. Strahl 181, ’ R. Comfort 170, G. Basset 165, r K. Moore 159. r