SWIMMING NOTES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 104, 27 January 1931, Page 16

SWIMMING NOTES

Hutt Valley Carnival

BIG-MARGIN WINS

(By

“Plunge.”)

Hutt Valley Carnival. Conditions for the opening carnival of tlib' Hutt Valley Amateur Swimming Club, held in the Hiddiford Baths re■cehtly were not of the most favourable. A cold wind and not too warm water showed its effect on the times of several performers. The handicapping..ought- to be considerably improved upon in the next carnival. Seldom did contestants finish in the order of their starting, and most of 1 the ! events were won by big margins. Miss I’. Sporle, of Feilding, is only fourteen years of age, but has the makings of a real champion. She swims with an effortless stroke and judgment much beyond her years. It is to be hoped that success in the future will leave her as unspoiled as she is to-day. z In my opinion the swimming of the girls was of a better standard, comparatively speaking, to the men, and in the manner of their swimming they were as strong and as free as most men. Miss M. House has a particularly strong stroke, though inclined to be more laboured than that of Miss Sporle. There is very little difference between her and Miss B. Price. In the 220 event the scratch men for this time of the season were asked to give handicaps altogether out of proportion to the distance, and the limit men had covered one and three-quarters of the baths before C. Claridge dived off. There should be some limit set to the start a scratch swimmer is called upon to give. A man who requires 38 seconds start in 220 yards ought not to enter for an open swimming event. Claridge swam strongly but hopelessly. He covers more’ground than is necessary because of a habit of pulling himself from side to side. Were he able to control his body more, he might even lower some of his best times. The breast-stroke swimming was disappointing, although the finish of the event showed the best handicapping of the evening. This fine stroke seems to be becoming a lost art among the generality, of the club swimmers, and it would not be at all harmful if an event of this kind were included in carnival programmes for juniofs as well as for seniors. . While the events showed the Hutt ' Valley to possess some strong swimmers, there were none among the men who seemed capable of swimming an important championship without considerably more zeal and strict training. Evefi in the sprint most of the men were labouring at the finish. B. Price, who won the 100 yards boys’ junior race, is a strongbuilt lad, aiid properly taken in hand ' should ' develop into a useful provincial representative and team's' man.

Worser Bay Club. Several)’ displays of life-saving were given recently by members of the Worser Bay Club, and were favourably commented-upon by the large number of people present on the, beach. ■ On Saturday afternoon the third distance of the Rowntree Cup was held (100 yards .free-style handicap). Much amusement was caused, as the condition for this race is that all competitors must be fully clothed. After an exciting race'the placings were as follow: —A. Hepburn, scr., 1; G. Bell, lusec., 2; J. Blakeney, 12see., 3. The result of this race gives Bell the cup. On Sunday afternoon a team of life-savers went up for their surf award at Seatoun beach. Conditions were very unpleasant. A heavy northerly sea was running, and the wind was very strong. Despite these handicaps, seven men were successful in passing the test. The fol-, lowing gained the award : J. W. Newport, T. Hull, A. Hepburn, J. Ames. A. Jones, K. Wilton, and K. Jenkins. Mr. J. Alexander, of the Royal Life-saving Society, was examiner. Junior BoyS’ Record Lowered. The times in the Auckland junior and intermediate championships were very good, N. Crump lowering R. Geddes’s 100 yards junior 'boys’ record of 64 4-ssec. by 4-ssec., while he did 2min. 49 3-ssec. for the 220 yards, which was a shade faster ■ than Geddes did last year. Mr. E. B. Hughes,, captain of the Marnnui Surf and Life-saving , Club.

Mr. Hughes was captain of the first Wellington team to win

Mllg LUll LUUIII LV/ VT £ll the New Zealand mirf and life-saving championship, and has been captain of the Maranui Club nsr the past five years. One of the most popular members of the club, he has closely identified himself with both the active and administrative side of its activities. He played a prominent part in the cam-

paign, which resulted in the fine, new building being erected bn the beach. Good Time. . , C. Hard,' of Christchurch, celebrated his return to competitive swimming re- ' cently by winning the 220 yards Canterbury) ■ breaststroke championship in the very good time of 3min. 11 2-ssec. He represented New Zealand at the Olympic ‘ Games in 1924, but he has been out of serious training now for about two years. ,

A New Zealander Abroad. J. P. Farrell, sou of Mr. John Farrell, New Zealand representative of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., who is touring abroad, created a surprise at the University Swimming Club’s point race meeting at Crawley, Western Australia, covering the 50 yards in the excellent time of 25 l-ssec. Farrell was twice 100 yards champion of New Zealand Universities and of Auckland.

Honouring An Obligation. Miss Edna Davey, the Australian champion and former Olympic swimmer, was married in Sydney recently to Mr. R. Easton, the inter-State cricketer. In an interview Mrs. Easton was emphatic on the point that, in view of the proposed visit to Australia of Miss Helene Madison, the American swimmer, she would not discontinue her swimming career, but would honour her obligation as the national distance champion.

Some Useful “Dont's.” A useful list of “dont's” has been adopted by the Takapuna Surf and Lifesaving Club, the members of which have been instructing many children during the, hot weather. Learners are told not to bathe for at least an hour after a meal, and are impressed with the necessity of remaining as calm as possible and not to struggle if caught in an undertow or current. Children readily understand when it is explained why they should not pretend they are drowning. There have actually been cases where persons have been thought to be just playing, and have been drowned in sight of numbers of other bathers. The universal signal, for'anyone in distress is to raise the right arm straight above the head. This will always bring a surf club team or boat out to help, and care should be taken not to. abuse the signal. In Australia abuse of the signal carries a penalty. “Pipi” diving, or the running plunge into shallqw water, is a practice which surf clubs'are endeavouring to curb and have stopped to a .marked degree. Few people can do a break fall, the essential of the plunge, and the result is a bjdly skinned nose and forehead. The temptation to dive off rocks should be avoided, as, apart from the liability of striking other rocks and causing an injury, there

may be kelp which would entangle the limbs, or, possibly a lurking octopus. Odd currents, apart from the swirling of the waves arc, perhaps, the greatest menace when swimming off rocks, and a swimmer .may be carried off shore very rapidly. In a case like that it is foolish to attempt to swim against the current. The swimmer should try crossing the current diagonally, as that will not exhaust, him read Uys,