SURF LIFE-SAVERS SHOW THEIR STYLE

Press, 18 March 1982, Page 31

SURF LIFE-SAVERS SHOW THEIR STYLE

Surf life-saving championships are the competitive side of a community service which, for 70 years, has been devoted to making the beaches around New Zealand safer to play on. Surf life-saving in New Zealand started in Canterbury when the New Brighton club was formed in 1910. The Sumner, Taylor’s Mistake and North Beach (originally North Brighton) clubs, and the Canterbury association, were formed a few years later. The only competitive events at the national championships for many years w'ere rescue and resuscitation — reel, line and belt swimmers, surf races and beltmen’s championships. New developments, however, brought surf ski, malibu and long boards, surf boats and canoes and now neoprene tubes. Many of the events in competitions are no longer used in rescues. Few are now saved by a rescue and resuscitation team, by surf boat, or by canoe. The greatest number of rescues are in fact single-handed accomplishments by a swimmer using a neoprene tube, a surf ski, or board paddler. Powered craft also play a major part in such events. Canterbury has a jet boat, Europa Jet Rescue I, pictured in action on this page, and four of the Canterbury clubs have, or are purchasing, “rubber duckies,” the invaluable inshore rescue boats — IRBs.

Even when a championship carnival is in progress, clubs are required to patrol the beaches they have accepted as their responsibility. Life-savers are distinguished by red and yellow hats, and the signal that a beach is patrolled is when the red and yellow flat is flown from the club-house. They are trained in swimming and craft skills, in first aid and in resuscitation. Championship carnivals, such as the one featured on this page for teams from Canterbury. Otago and Nelson, and photographed by "The Press" chief photographer, DES WOODS, provide an opportunity for life-savers to put into sporting practice the skills they have developed in their life-saving role. BOTTOM LEFT: When team work counts. BOTTOM RIGHT: Resuscitation. CENTRE LEFT: A surf canoe in competition. BELOW: The maid of all work, the jet rescue boat LEFT: Paying out the reel. BOTTOM CENTRE: Under the judge’s eye.