Surf venue in doubt

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33790, 12 March 1975, Page 36

Surf venue in doubt

( Prom

RAY CAIRNS)

HASTINGS. The greatest interest hinging on the national surf life-saving championships which start tomorrow is not whether Canterbury can retain its inter-districts title, or which club will emerge triumphant — but which beach will be the venue.

The championships are scheduled for Waimarama, 37km south of Hastings. But the tides and rips are reported to be so dangerous at present that consideration is being given to making a late change to Westshore in Napier.

So bad were the conditions at the northern regional championships, also at Waimarama, that lines were becoming entangled too hopelessly even for the beltman in rescue and resuscitation teams to handle by himself.

Tomorrow is the interdistricts contest, won for the last two years by Canterbury because of the excellence, mainly, of the Taylors Mistake six-man R. and R. team. This concentration on, and ability in drill and discipline events, is expected to give Canterbury a third successive victory.

The main opposition to Canterbury will come from Auckland, which has the best boat crews as a rule, and Wellington, which is usually strong in six and four-man crews and has a good crop of swimmers.

Wellington won the women’s contest last year by the narrowest of margins, and Canterbury looks well equipped to reverse this result.

The Canterbury men, and two “outsiders” who have been prominent in Christchurch swimming scenes, appear the best in the swimming events at the club championships, which start on Friday. John Symon (New Brighton), Stephen Johnston (Wairnairi), and Gordon Dinnison (Sumner) will be hard pressed by John Coutts (Kiwi, Hawke’s Bay) and Alan Kindred (Muriwai, Auckland) in the surf race. Both the latter two won national swimming titles as Wharenui competitors, and Coutts is fresh from success at the championships a week ago. NEW BOAT The most interesting feature of the surfboat race will be the showing of the New Brighton fibreglass boat, which has not yet been approved by the New Zealand association, but no doubt will

be at the championships. South Brighton holds the Canterbury championship, but the Auckland clubs and Titahi Bay (Wellington) look the strongest. The Taylors Mistake sixman team will be aiming to win its fifth successive championship with virtually the same team each year. The junior hopes from the Canterbury clubs rest on Mark Trembath (South Brighton) in the swimming events, and Kevin Baker (Waimairi) in the craft events. But Roman Novak (Otago) looks the best choice for the swimming titles.

Jenny Mills (New Brighton) and Patricia Home (South Brighton), in the swimming events, and Jan Pinkerton (New Brighton) in the belt event as well, are Canterbury girls expected to be in the running for medals. New Brighton Ladies won both the Canterbury and southern regional six-man and four-man events, as well as the march past—an omen, perhaps, for greater deeds. And the most exciting news for New Brighton is that Lvnne Rowe, apparently a little disillusioned at missing selection for the four-strong New Zealand swimming team, will swim in the surf race and compete in the tube rescue event.