Surf board titles

Press, 6 February 1986, Page 6

Surf board titles

If the excellent surf that has been pounding on to New Brighton beach this week continues for the next four days, there will be some spectacular riding at the Canterbury surf board championships which start today and end on Sunday. The organisers of the championships, the New Brighton Board Riders Club, expects about 100 entries and there will be a minimum of $2OOO in prizes and prizemoney. Providing the surf remains good the events will be run at New Brighton. Alternative beaches are Scarborough, Taylors Mistake, Gore Bay and Magnet Bay. These will be used only if the surf flattens out at New Brighton. First rounds will be held today. There will be a rest day tomorrow and the remainder of the champion-

ships will be on Saturday and Sunday. Among the favourites to win the title is Steve Francis, of Sumner, who has been a finalist for the last three years, and won the championship in 1983. Richard Allen, of South Brighton, and Chris Fenton, of Sumner, are other leading riders expected to make strong bids for the title. The schoolboys’ events should be dominated by two sets of brothers — Andrew and David Christensen, and Brad and Aaron Smith. It will be a long day for contestants tomorrow. Events start at 7.30 a.m. and will continue until dusk. The same hours will apply on the other two days. One disappointment for the organisers is that among all the entries they have received, there is not one from a woman board rider.