SURF LIFE-SAVING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 91, 13 January 1944, Page 3

SURF LIFE-SAVING

National Championships Present indications are that swimmers from all over the Dominion will be competing at the national surf life-saving championships, to be held at Lyall Bay beach on Saturday and Sunday next. With the greater majority of senior surfmen in the armed forces, -the surf lifesaving movement has for the past few years looked more and more to the development of women’s and junior teams, and the competitions over the weekend will tend to show just bow far New Zealand has advanced in this particular sphere. Teams from Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, Christchurch and Otago will compete, and, though the names of competitors will not be as familiar to the general public as perhaps would have been, the case in normal times with senior teams in action, there is every indication that the public will witness some spectacular and colourful events.' i'/; -

The Wellington women gave a sample of their capabilities over the weekend in a competition for the Durrant Shield, when they tied with the Maranui club with 21 points each. The Lyall Bay Surf Club, with only one team in one event, won the four-man alarm with ease, thanks to the fine swimming of D. O'Neill and J. Blakely as patient and beltman respectively. Unfortunately, however, it does not appear to be possible for Lyall Bay to furnish a team for the championships this year, a matter for regret, seeing that they are the oldest established surf life-saving club in New Zealand.

The Governor-General will perform the opening ceremony on Saturday afternoon, and the Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, will also be present. An added attraction will be the appearance on both days of the pipe and drum band of the Wellington Regiment,