LIFE SAVING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22719, 4 November 1935, Page 5

LIFE SAVING

ST. CLAIR CLUB DEMONSTRATION AND COMPETITIONS. The St. Clair Surf Life Saving Club held its first beach day of the season on Saturday afternoon under ideal conditions. There was a large attendance, and considerable interest was taken in the afternoon’s activities. The season was opened by Mr F. Jones, M.P., and this ceremony was followed by an exhibition of ‘life-saving by a six-man team under the captain (Mr M. .Rodgersou). Then followed a canoe race, in which four competed, and which was won by Avalon, children’s beach races, a treasure hunt, and a bun and treacle race for children. The two last-named events caused considerable amusement among the small folk and spectators. In declaring the season open, Mr Jones congratulated the club on attaining its silver jubilee. Twenty-five years ago, he said, surfing was not so popular as it was to-day. There were many who frowned when the question of mixed bathing was mentioned, but those days were gone, and very few now questioned the healthy sport of surf bathing. He congratulated the club on the calibre of its members. They had amongst them as members Walter Jarvis, New Zealand swimming champion and recordholder for various distances, P. Mathieson, jun., New Zealand champion for back stroke swimming, and Mr C. Saxton, who was not only a first-class exponent of surf work, but also an Otago representative in cricket and football. Last season the club sent a team to the New Zealand surf championships, held at New Plymouth, and put up an excellent performance against the more experienced teams of the North island. St. Clair succeeded in winning the New Zealand Beltman’s Championship which was annexed by Walter Jarvis. This season the New Zealand championship would be held at St. Clair beach, and the St. Clair Club would undoubtedly do its best to beat the North Island teams. The St. Clair Club was tendering good service to the community in safeguarding the beach for surf bathers by marking it with flags, and the members had on numerous occasions rescued bathers from drowning. One- of the members (Mr H. Devlin) had acted as patrolman for many years during the height of the season, and• had effected many rescues. The club was a live body. It had no drones, and every member had to pass the tests to prove his efficiency as a life saver in the surf. Members had built canoes and were experts at canoeing in the heavy surf. This was a thrilling sport. To-day the annual competitions between tire surf life-saving clubs of New Zealand had reached a high standard of efficiency. The public probably failed to recognise the good work carried out by the St. Clair Club, but it was only reasonable to expect the community to appreciate the work done during the summer months. He wished the club a pleasant and successful season, and hoped the members would ho successful in all the events at the New Zealand championships to be held at St. Clair in February.