ICE SKATING

Evening Star, Issue 23326, 24 July 1939, Page 13

ICE SKATING

DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIPS BIG DAY AT ALEXANDRA OTAGO'S WINTER PLAYGROUND Mild winter weather has made the ice skating season in Central Otago \ late this year, while there is not nearly the same thickness of ice as in previous seasons. This, however, was no . ' deterrent to the successful conduct ofthe first New Zealand ice skating championships on Saturday afternoon, when a crowd of more than 1,000 gathered at the Lower Manorburn Dam, some three miles from Alexandra, to witness the events. Following a heavy frost on Friday night, conditions were ideal. ■ Ice formed to a thickness of about 2Jin in the exposed portions of the dam, and to a much greater thickness ■’ in the sheltered bays. A considerable area of good ice was obtainable, ranging from a few yards to ‘about three chains in width and about two miles in length. This was thronged with skaters, making a Picturesque sight, with the many-hued costumes of the ladies as_ they glided over the glassy surface with effortless ease. An even greater number of people watched the proceedings from the many rocks, which provided ample vantage points along the dam, while at least 400 motor cars were parked in close proximity. The invigorating air of the high country and spirit of friendship shown on all sides, combined with the favourable weather conditions, were reflected in the harmonious manner in which the championships were carried out. . This was the first occasion on whicii the skating championships have been held, and the Central Otago Winter Sports Club is to be complimented on its conduct of the fixture.. It was also a fine gesture on the part of the New Zealand Ice gkating Association to award Otago the honour of holding the first championship meeting. It is intended to hold next year’s fixture on Canterbury ice, and thereafter it will alternate between the. two provinces. Central Otago is ideal for this form of sport, the many irrigation dams providing large areas of ice, in a unrulier of cases so overshadowed by overhanging cliffs and huge rocks that the sun -never reaches the surface. When the winter really sets in these are converted into vast frozen stretches, the ice in some cases being four and five inches deep. Each year a bonspiel is held, at which followers of the roarin’ game ” from all over Central Otago, and some from Dunedin, meet. Skating, however, attracts the majority. The ice on Saturday began to thaw towards the end of the afternoon, and the last two events had to be run off on a more sheltered stretch of the dam. Even here an ominous crack ap- : pea red in the ice. DOMINION’S BEST ICE. The Lower Manorburn Dam provides one of the finest stretches of ice in the Dominion, and during the -six years , it" has been built thousands of ice-akat-v-ing enthusiasts from north and south Kafe made use of .it for their sport. Undoubtedly Alexandra is rapidly becoming the leading ice-skating centre of the Dominion. 'Tne rather bleak surhave “Been 'improved “by the local Winter Sports Club by the pro-: • vision of a large parking area tor cars, improved approaches, and _ electric . lighting for night skating,_ it is unfortunate that the return trip cannot be made by rail .in the one day, otherwise the Railway Department would have crowded excursion trains during the week-ends. "S Although ice skating has come, to the fore in Alexandra only in recent years it has been carried out by a few enthusiasts since the early ’eighties. •Two Norwegians, the Magnus.brothers, • 'introduced ice skating 'to the district, and a year or'two later Dr Hyde’and his daughter, who had been in Canada, assisted them. :Of present-day skaters Mrs J. J. O’Kane is probably the best known. . She has been skating for the last half--century, but still retains her enthusiasm and is a well-known figure on the ice. ' Later other residents of the district took up this invigorating sport. These pioneers of skating had originally to depend chiefly on small lagoons and ponds for their rinks-the two dams at that, time on the Manorburn providing only a short season. Some winters there was only half a day’s ■ skating, while it seldom extended over ,rilopth.. For" the remainder of the winter* the skaters were compelled to fall back on the lagoons and ponds . which abound in the old diggings. There is no comparison with the conditions of to-day. The shady valley through which the Manorburn passes makes the water so cold that it is claimed'that only its motion prevents it from freezing. Tests 'which have s hcenmade of the water flowing into the dam show it to be about freezing point. , No date has yet been set down for the holding of the Winter Sports Club’s annual ice carnival, but it is expected to be within a week or two. HIGH STANDARD ATTAINED. The championships attracted entrants froaVall over Central Otago and a few from’ Canterbury. The figure skating events attracted good entries, and considering the fact that the majority of the competitors were beginners in this branch of the sport the judges—Messrs W. Saurelius (Christchurch) and W. Rutherford (Banfurly)—-stated that a good standard had been set. “Wo are all beginners, and have much to learn,” said the former, who intimated that they had both worked independently ana when their placings of the competitors were compared they were identical. Before the commencement of the competitions Mr Saurelius demonstrated the various figures to the competitors, his co-judge explaining the different points to be considered by means of a public address system.' A series of figures was selected for competition from the English tests and modified for New Zealand conditions. The speed events provided many thrills for the spectators. In this K. Synion (Alexandra) easily won the mile and a-hajf event, and was unfortunate in falling near the end of the 440yds. He was content to follow the field for the first few laps of the larger race, and then lengthened his stride to romp home. In the ladies’ events Mrs Gilkison (Dunedin) finished first in the threequarter mile, after the leader fell near the finish, and was second in the 440yds. She also just missed a place in the figure skating. Results of events: — LADIES’ EVENTS. Three-quarter Mile Championship.— Mrs Gilkison 1. Miss N. E. Jones 2. Time. 4min 20soc. 440 Yards Championship.—Miss Jones I. Mrs Gilkison 2. Miss H. Weir 3. Time, 45scc. Figure Skating Championship.—Miss Cameron (282 points) 1, Miss OTvane

<2Blt) 2, Bliss Hall (24) 3, Blrs Gilkison ■(221) 4. MEN'S EVENTS. Mile and a-half Championship.— First heat: K. Symon 1, E. Allen 2, B. Hjelmstrom 3. Time, Cmin 6sec. Second heat; C. Lott 1, E. Jones 2, H. Wilson 3. Time, 6min Slsec. Final: Symon 1 ; Hjelmstrom 2, Lott 3. Time, 6mm 55sec. 440 Yards Championship.—First heat: E. Jones 1, B. Hjelmstrom 2, J. C. Noone 3. Time, 35 2-osec. Second heat: R. Weir 1, C. Lott 2, E. Allen 3. Time, 35 3-ssec. Final: Jones 1, Hjelmstrom 2, Noone 3. Time, 36 3-ssec. Figure Skating Championship.— Robertson (303 points) 1, B. Hielmstrom (28) 2, G. Rivers (24)) 3, Govern (23}) 4.