IN BATHS AND SURF

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1932, Page 11

IN BATHS AND SURF

CARNIVALS ARRANGED •' \ 9 ",, ■ ALLOTMENT OF CHAMPIONSHIPS. ! LIFE-SAVING AT OHAWE.

(By

“Beltman;”)

“Considerable public interest has been aroused on the Qhawe beach on recent week-ends by the practices of the newly formed life-saving section of the Hawera Swimming Club,” writes “Support” from South Taranaki. “About 8 or 9 swimmers have been turning up and a good deal of useful water-work has been put in. The club does not intend to participate in competition events this year. Polo at Hawera. “Polo, from all indications, will be popular in Hawera this year. Besides the men’s team the ladies and junior swimmers are enthusiastic.- Mr. O. V. Church, the secretary of the club, takes a keen interest in this department of the club’s activities. The main obstacles are the travelling and tire fact that New Plymouth matches are played on Saturday nights when a number of Hawera swimmers have to work. Getting into Training. “The club has no new blood to speak of this year, but all last year’s swimmers are available. G. S. Anderson, club captain last year, is unable to hold any office but will represent the club when required. With the Hawera carnival In December and the Taranaki championships earlier, than usual swimmers are already settling down to training. Ryan, Jobson and Spragg, Chadwick (a promising intermediate), Butchart (who specialises in breaststroke) and Oliver (the diving champion) are already putting plenty of work into their training. B. Smith, P. Robertson, J. Beamish, P. Murray and G. Bernard are among the girls who are swimming regularly. A Southern Complaint.

“Swimmers in South Taranaki are complaining that in addition to the championship • carnival being held in New Plymouth the mile is also being held there and the quarter mile at Waitara, all within a week. It is felt that either the mile or quarter mile might be swum at Hawera or Eltham to save some of the heavy travelling which the ■ present arrangements necessitates. The half mile, to be swum at Stratford, is the only event, not scheduled for North Taranaki.” Allotment of Championships.

The allotment of carnival dates and championships was made by the executive meeting of the swimming centre last Thursday and needed considerable ingenuity on the part of delegates. Carnival dates had to be considered before championships, and the secretary submitted a list of dates applied for. December 15 was asked for by both Eltham and Hawera, the applications having been received at the same time. Delegates could not see which dub was more entitled to the date and the matter was eventually put to the meeting in .the absence of any delegates from ' either Hawera or Eltham.

East End are to try the experiment of a carnival in Boxing night, January 7 having been claimed by the Amateur Athletic club. Stratford and Inglewood both applied for January 12 and Stratford were moved to January 5, earlier dates being necessary this year owing to'-the championship meeting falling

before February. January 14 is vacant, Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith being given pride of place. k On January 19 and 21 the Fitzroy Club will hold carnivals at Waitara and New Plymouth, the first being a benefit for the Waitara Club. Those allotments give swimmers a good chance of getting fit for the championships at New Plymouth on January 25, and the season then quietens, there being one carnival a week set down till February 18. There are still the surf dates to be decided, and the Flannegan Cup will this year be a knotty point. The Distance Championships. Once the carnivals had been arranged the. allottment of the championship could be proceeded with. Clubs are expected to apply for events if they want them, and no club was considered on, Thursday that had not an application in.

The mile was granted to Fitzroy, the only dub wanting it. The quarter-mile was asked for by Waitara, Inglewood and Stratford. The Inglewood delegate withdrew his application as Waitara and Stratford were both up against difficulties and more in need of a “draw card.” Delegates could not decide which club was the more deserving and on the spin of a coin Waitara won. For the half-mile Stratford were the applicants and the event was awarded to Stratford, with the proviso that if heats are’ necessary at Stratford the final will be allotted to some other carnival—possibly the Ladies’ Life-Saving night in February 18. Why the events were allotted thus was because the applications were all the executive had to guide them. The fact that the events come so close • was mentioned and it was pointed out that previously all events were decided on the one championship day, races being held on the the afternoon and evening. The championship meeting is at New Plymouth this season, as it is held in each end of the province in alternate years. Certainly the position is a difficult one for South' Ttranaki swimmers, but no other course than the one taken could be followed. The South Taranaki clubs were not represented at the meeting, no requests had been received and a telephone call to Hawera proved fruitless. Head Centre Delegate.

Mr. H. J. Ballin, Taranaki’s delegate to the head centre at Christchurch of the Royal Life-Saving Society paid a visit to New Plymouth last week-end. Mr. Ballin heartily agrees with the proposal to restrict inter-club surf competitions to only one dr two week-ends *nd favours the adoption of more surf competition among the members of each club. He also believes in the wheeled reel as being more efficient than the ordinary hand reel and is firmly of the opinion that the type should be adopted on the Taranaki beaches generally. As a result the wheels may be given a tryout shortly. Mr. Ballin does not anticipate that Taranaki will have any difficulty hi connection with its application for the 1935 swimming championships, but he thinks that application should be made for the surf championships at the same time, as most surf life-savers are also keen swimmers and could more likely obtain leave for a combined gathering than for two separate ones. Forthcoming Events. December 15.—Hawera Carnival.

December 22. —Eltham Carnival. December 26.—East End (N.P.) Carnival. January s.—Stratford Carnival (halfmile championship.) January 12.—Inglewood ' Carnival. January 19.—Waitara Carnival (quartermile championship.) January 21.—Fitzroy (N.P.) Carnival (One mile championship.) January 25.—Taranaki championships at

New Plymouth. January 28.—Opunake Carnival. January 29—West Coast Surf championships at Wanganui. February .4.—KsjU Plymouth Carnival. _

February 11.—Okato Carnival. '■ February 18.— N.P. Ladies’ Life-Saving and Y.W.C.A. Swimming Club Carnival.