Taylors Mistake firm surf favourite

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 22

Taylors Mistake firm surf favourite

By

RAY CAIRNS

It is unusual for the Canterbury. surf lifesaving clubs to be of one mind, but they are unanimous in their conclusions that Taylors Mistake will face no real challenge for the championship pennant this season.

The championship programme starts with the Jim Beam carnival on Sunday at South Brighton, scheduled as a half-day affair, as usual, but as usual, it will certainly stretch on into the afternoon. And with Geoff Walker making his debut for Taylors Mistake, the southernmost club is obviously going to be extraordinarily difficult tp head off, with Walker sure to collect his customary five or six or more titles. Walker is Taylors Mistake's most significant gain, but not the only one. It also has the promising junior, Jamie Clark, from Spencer Park; Lindsay Jago back from Whangamata and back into sixman rescue and resuscitation; Peter Mahan from Paekakariki, a junior craft specialist; and Pip Wales from Waimairi. The only debits for Taylors, in fact, are that Graeme Romei will not be making his annual trip across the Tasman, and that the near-legendary six-man group may not compete. “All feeling a bit old,” was the comment of one. South Brighton has suffered more than most in its effort to retain the pennant. Russell McConnochie is now with Woi'ser Bay, and three experienced six-man men — John Moses (Marlborough Sounds), John Tillson (Europe) and Graham Beaumont (Waikuku Beach) — have departed. Also, Kelvin Bishop, its ■big-hearted top junior; is now a senior. ’ ' " So the club will prob-

ably concentrate on fielding one top-line sixman team in the senior grade, with its strength lying in the juniors and women. Also, it may not. be as strong in the boat races this year, and is looking at a new craft. Its near neighbour, New Brighton, has also suffered some important losses, the worst being Paul Rowe to Australia. However, it has another top-line junior in John Koens — the winner of five Canterbury titles last season — and a strong squad to back him. The women will play a leading part, too: they have been, given a new lease of life with the victory in the national women’s club championship last year. But senior points look unlikely with J6hn Symon missing the second carnival, and Mark Harding and Richard Clark being able to compete only at the first. In the junior grade,'one gain is Neil Copland, and a loss — particularly riding a board leg in the taplin — is Stephen Hatt, now in Australia. Waimairi, without its mainstay, Walker, faces severe rebuilding. Neither Mike Kersten nor Kevin Baker will be back from Australia this season, and Waimairi’s weakness in the taplin will, ironically, be in the ski legs. One handy new swimmer is Malcolm Pearce, and Waimairi will also field a senior six-man team for the first time in at least 10 years. The last of the Brighton beach clubs, North Beach, has had its main changes in official ranks. Charlie O’Neill is off to Australia, and Dave East has retired as club captain, being succeeded by Murray Kemp. As one club official said this week, North Beach

appears to be a more desirable club these days, with its bright new clubhouse, and it has made more substantial gains again in the women’s grade. Geoff Barry, of South Brighton, is coaching R and R in this grade, and it could be a surprising force.

The seniors will also field two boat crews, and

they have a new canoe to paddle. But where North Beach is something of an unknown quantity in junior competition, Sumner is gaining strength in the young group, and has had a busy winter, planning the new season. It will field entrants in all events, except perhaps six-man, and the senior ranks look a little brighter with Gary Parker and Murray Johnson moving up a grade, and Johnson is likely to pair with the former New Zealand junior champion. John Quilter, in the ski relay

and on the double-ski. Waikuku Beach has gained more new juniors than. anyone, and in surf races it will be a team to be feared with Chris Ellis and Brent and Gary Connor in its ranks. Waikuku will field a junior taplin team for the first time; and hopefully a senior march past team, if it gets the new costumes to go with the new club-house, new boat, and new inshore rescue boat. Again, it should be prominent in R and R, with Beaumont and Harley Turnbull the coaches, and the acquisition of a new boat means Waikuku will continue to be a force. ’ Though Spencer Park thought it would be without Francis Lawrence to dominate the beach events, he will be around for at least the first two carnivals. when those events will be decided. But the new promise of Spencer Park in junior beach events will not be realised at the local level. Tom von Biel and Dave Pool, two particularly sharp sprinters, have a prior commitment at thefirst carnival to the national secondary schools’ athletics championships. To help compensate for the loss of Clark to Taylors Mistake, Spencer Park has gained the experienced Brian Hayes to swim belt and tube, and to play a part in four-map. But the running events apart, Spencer Park's best chances again look to be in the canoes.