Skiers were lucky

Press, 13 August 1986, Page 3

Skiers were lucky

A party of disabled skiers was booked in at the Tekapo Ski Club hut which was swept 544 metres down the slope and destroyed by an avalanche on Monday afternoon. However, the road to the hut had been blocked by two metres of snow which fell during the week-end and preventedthe party from reaching the ski-field. The hut was torn from its foundations by the avalanche and dumped on the ski-field’s access road with only twisted corrugated iron and lengths of timber re-

cognisable in the snow yesterday. Two custodians of the hut, Misses Kate Pattison and Penny Edlin, both of Christchurch, had been moved out on Sunday evening because of the avalanche danger. The club’s president, Mr Don Malcolm, said it was very lucky that nobody was in the hut at the time. Members who had used the hut on Friday had had difficulty getting off the ski-field because of snow on the road. Snow blocked the road until late on Friday before it was closed

again throughout the week-end. The hut, which had room to sleep 34 people, had been built about 24 years ago but had never been affected by avalanches, said Mr Malcolm. It was valued at about $184,444. The club’s committee would meet this evening to decide if it would be rebuilt, he said. The head of the ski patrol at Tekapo, Mr Roger Gould, said that although the ski-field had not been affected by the avalanche the risk was being constantly monitored. Staff had blasted snow packs on the field to remove the danger

Rata Cameron, aged 14, of Waitaha Valley in South Westland, made rugby history last Sunday when she stepped out for the West Coast under 11 team against Buller in a representative match at Greymouth.

She went on in the second half for her team, which had a 38-4 win.

Mr Tony Sullivan, a selector of the team, said that Rata had had a quiet game, but gave nothing away to the boys in skill or ability. “She gave a beautiful dive pass to the blind side at one stage to spark a move,” he said. “She can certainly match any others in her age-group.” In spite of her success,

Rata’s first representative rugby season is over because there are no further matches scheduled for the under 11 team. She said last evening she had enjoyed playing this season and would love to turn -out next year, especially if her team won its matches again so easily.