Walker still going strong

Press, 18 March 1988, Page 25

Walker still going strong

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Geoff Walker;is one of those rare sportsmen on whom advancing years seem to rest easily. ' JI. Walker, at 35, will be competing for New Zealand at the Australian and world surf championships in Australia during the next week, and; it’s a fair bet he will be right up with the leaders in his specialist - event — the surf ski.

A triple New Zealand representative,; Walker has also represented New Zealand at swimming and kayaking. In 1980 he was tine of the {four New Zealanders who competed in the Moscow Olympics.

This week-end the New Zealand surf life-saving team will meet Australia’s best in the Australian championships in Sydney. Next week they will 'compete in the world championships in Southport. The competition in the surf ski in Sydney will be arguably the strongest Walker could meet' anywhere in the world, 1 Included in the{ field will be Grant Kenny, an Australian kayaking representative, but his presence does not] faze Walker. He revealed this week before he left for Sydney that he has beaten Kenny previously. {Walker has had fre-

quent success this season. He won j the Canterbury and South Island surf ski titles, and at the national championships in . Auckland two weeks ago won his sixth national title in the event. He first won the face in 1974 i and has; now equalled the record of wins in {the event,set by another [Christchurch paddler, Rex Dalton. j Walker would like to better that record next year {but the competition is likely to be stronger. Paul {MacDonald and lan Ferguson, New Zealand’s top two kayak paddlers, who i learned their paddling, skills in surf life-

saving, did not attend the surf J championships this yean Alan Thompson and Grant Bramwell, two other members of the national kayaking team, did { attend, and Walker had! the satisfaction of relegating them to [ the minor placings. %{alker’s deeds { this season have been recognised by a sponsor. While, he is in Australia he| will take delivery of a j new $lOOO surf ski, courtesy of the; House of Pagani, a clothing manufacturer in Auckland. Walker hopes the; ski will help him win a record seventh surf ski title next year. |