Swimming & Surfing

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 45, 24 January 1949, Page 5

Swimming & Surfing

Whakatane Training For Champs (By “Splash”) Members of the Whakatane Surf Club have been in strict training for the last few weeks for the surf championships to be held at Mt. Maunganui on January 30. The club plans to send a six-man team of both men and women, four-man teams and march past, teams. Being comparatively new to surf work this will be the first time many of the members will have had a chance of taking part in competitive surf work, but it should provide valuable experience for future competitions. The chances of the teams are, of course, not possible to forecast at present. But according to an Auckland observer, who was very impressed with the standard of drill set by the teams, they are .as good

as some of the Auckland city clubs. Mf Maunganui will be a dress rehearsal for the Dominion Championships at Waihi next month, in which the club hopes to take part. COACHING FOR ALL The big programme set by the Whakatane Swimming Club at the beginning of the year in holding swimming classes at the school baths has been a great success. Every Saturday afternoon a large number of people who desire to learn to swim, adults as well as children, have been flocking to the baths for the classes and a great number have been taught the rudiments of swimming. The club aims at teaching each pupil to swim but if it cannot do that in one season it does promise to make him confident in the water. Thus overcoming the first big hurdle. These classes are not only for the younger children but are available for children up to 60, if they want to learn to swim.