SWIMMERS AND SURFERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 58, 10 March 1937, Page 4

SWIMMERS AND SURFERS

LESSONS FROM AUSTRALIANS

The end of March will mark the official conclusion of the swimming and surfing season so far as Wanganui is concerned, and perhaps the outstanding features to be recorded are the visit of the Australian surfers and the successful West Coast surf championships at Castlecliff.

Highly-instructive displays of surf life-saving were provided throughout their North Island tour by the Australian touring team, and not the least appreciated of these displays were those given at Wanganui.

Evidence of the interest taken in the tour by Wanganui enthusiasts is furnished when a comparison is made with the attendances at other centres. At Castlecliff and Gonville it was estimated that close on 4000 people saw the Australians in action. Save for the week-end displays at Napier and Auckland these figures were far ahead of those in other centres.

That the Australians’ visit to Wanganui was well organised by the local officials may be gathered from the fact that, in spite of the large guarantee required to cover expenses, Wanganui showed a small profit over the visit. The visitors expressed themselves as delighted with the hospitality shown them here, and one feature with which they were especially pleased was the provision of a brazier and dry towels at the Gonville swimming carnival, all the more acceptable on a rather chilly night.

In practically every respect the Australians were superior to their opponents. Their discipline was excellent. they acted in unison, and they performed the various exercises with an ease and simplicity that contrasted with the stiff and unnecessarily precise manner of the New 'Zealand teams.

At swimming, too, the Australians possessed far greater speed and stamina. Their superiority in this respect was shown by their victory in the surf teams race at Milford and again at Piha. In the contest at Piha all four members of the Australian team reached the finishing point before any of the Auckland surfmen. The visitors’ success was mainly duto to their amazing adeptness in shooting the breakers. They were able to catch a wave far out from the shore and glide right up to the beach on top of it. Takapuna was second and Piha third.

“I am astounded by the keenness shown by life-saving clubs in New Zealand,” said Mr. J. Cameron, manager of the Australian team of surf life-savers, prior to the departure for Sydney by the Awatea after making a demonstration tour of the North Island. “Taking into consideration the fact that the beaches here are not as good as those in Sydney, and that swimming conditions are comparatively cold, I regard New Zealand teams as being far keener than Sydney teams,” he continued. “The difficulties here are much greater.”

Mr. Cameron said the progress of the movement in the Dominion had been amazing. Improvement, he believed, could be effected by adopting the constitution of the Surf Life-sav-ing Association of Australia, whereby the council would consist of the president and two delegates from each club. Mr. Cameron remarked that more harmony should exist between the New Zealand Council and the district associations.

New Zealand teams, Mr. Cameron realised, must spend hours in training. The efficiency of the ladies’ clubs had both surprised and pleased him. They undoubtedly had a place in the Dominion, but in Australia surf conditions were to severe for ladies.

Mr. Cameron said he was surprised there was not more beach control in New Zealand. It was not generally as necessary as on Sydney beaches, but it was certainly essential at Piha. This was the finest surf beach he and the team had seen on their tour. For most of the time, however, it was dangerous, so that swimmers should be shepherded into one section and not allowed out of it. He could not understand why surf clubs were unable to obtain permission to enclose beaches for competition to benefit financially from this practice. .. Only the work of the association in Sydney had turned desolate sandy wastes into populous areas. The Government was realising this fact.

The in conducting surf competitions was commented on by the Australian team’s manager, Mr. Cameron, who said that they should be speeded up a great deal. If Mr. Cameron had been at Castlecliff on Sunday he would certainly have appreciated the difficulties under which local committees labour, but he would certainly have suggested that the authorities could well make some alteration in the direction of saving time in the resuscitation work.

Wellington teams took every event at the West Coast (North Island) surf championships at Castlecliff. The most outstanding club in the contests was Maranui, which achieved the unique distinction of placing one of ts I teams first in every heat of the two main events, the six-man and the four-man championships. Maranui’s list of placings is*remarkable in that, in eleven starts in water events, the club achieved eight first placings. The other three were seconds. Lyall Bay also showed up well with wins in the junior rescue and resuscitation and beltman’s events. Island Bay won the march past, and found it unnecessary to defend the land-drill title, which the club holds.

The distance of the buoys from the beach at Castlecliff and the strong and confused nature of the surf made the watermark test the most severe which Wellington teams have encountered in many years. A strong and increasing southerly drift did not improve matters. The buoys were over 300 yards from the shore, a swim more than twice the distance normally 7 provided. This was due to the fact that they were placed by launch on the morning of the competitions. The breaking surf prevented the launch venturing too close. In the afternoon, a crowd of several thousand was present. Owing to the distance to the buoys, the junior six-man event was swum to men acting as markers about 100 yards from the shore. Five teams went off at once, and immediately there was confusion as to which teams were to bring in whicn patient. Lyall Bay put up a splendid show, and hauled in first, with Island Bay second. The Maranui patient had been out at the buoy for some time before he was seen. Island Bay lost its patient, and after hauling its beltman in, sent out another member of the team.

The decision of the Wanganui Central Swimming Club, which controls the bridge-to-bridge race, to abandon the event for the 1936-37 season, was not altogether unexpected. Conditions have been far from favourable during the season, and it was felt that no good purpose could be served in endeavouring to carry on with the event this season. Perhaps next season’s event may be better favoured.

The Boy Scouts’ Association are to be commended on their decision to carry on with the annual swimming sports, which are to be held at the Gonville baths next Saturday. The Scouts will miss the services of the custodian, Mr. T. Anderson, who is at present undergoing treatment at the Wanganui Public Hospital. He has always been on hand in the past to furnish assistance.

| One of the outstanding performers in the Wanganui district championships last week was Miss P. Watts, who established a fresh record for the 100 yards, covering the distance in 69sec., two seconds faster than Miss Natalie Stratton some years ago. As she swam unopposed Miss Watts was responsible for a sterling effort. In the intermediate 220 yards event Miss Watts clipped over 6sec. off the existing record, establishing figures which may not be broken until she herself contests this event next year. As Miss Watts is only 15 years of age she promises to retain her championship titles for the next two seasons, all going well. The indications are that N. Dowsett's record for 50yds. would have gone by the board had K. Welsh had opposition in the championships. Welsh is still susceptible to improvement, and provided he trains in earnest next season he should rise to greater heights.