Encouraging surf entry

Press, 14 February 1986, Page 22

Encouraging surf entry

The future of surf lifesaving is secure, at least in the South Island, judging by the many entries for the South Island championships at North Beach tomorrow and Sunday.

Entries are especially heavy in the junior ranks and there is a fine crop of talented young surf lifesavers preparing to bolster the senior ranks in the next few years. Surf life-saving has been a nursery for the canoeists who have performed so remarkably at international level in the last five years, and canoeing could well benefit from an influx of juniors who have taken to surf paddling events in the last few years. The surf ski for instance has attracted 43 junior entries this weekend, but the event is just as popular with the open men. There will be 64 paddlers vying for the open title. Somewhere among that large group must be a budding Ferguson, MacDonald or Thompson.

Canoe events have also proved popular with the juniors. There are 15 crews in the junior surf canoe rescue, and 19 in the open event.

The traditional events are all well supported, except, perhaps, for the open surf belt. There are 28 entries including the titleholder, Lars Humer (Taylors Mistake). He will find it difficult to retain his title in the face of competent opponents of the calibre of his clubmate, Carl Immers, John Davie and Paul Tozer (New Brighton), Stefan Laing and Alistair Park (St Kilda). Entries in the junior event are also only average. David Baars (South Brighton), the titleholder, is still in the age-group. He will be strongly challenged by his clubmate, Paul Bethell, Michael Ford (New Brighton) and Brett Lyons (Brighton). Nicola Chambers (St Kilda) is the holder of the women’s belt title, but there is a group of Christchurch women all capable of snatching the title from her, including Jo Barry (South Brighton), the winner of the Canterbury title last week-end, her club-mate, Jane Bishop,

Lynnette Griffiths and Lisa Chamberlain (New Brighton) and Gillian Smith (Waimairi). As expected the individual surf races are well patronised. The juniors have the greatest number of entries (65); the women 61; and the open surf race has attracted 58. Dean Greenwood, the holder of the open title will not compete and his likely successor is Tozer. There are a number of others capable of winning though, among them Tozer’s clubmates, Duncan Doig and Grant Forbes who filled the minor places behind him in the Canterbury championships last week. Brett Marshall (St Clair), who has been making a name for himself in triathlon events this summer, is another competent swimmer who will not be lacking in fitness. Chamberlain, fresh from a tour to Victoria with the Canterbury team, should retain the women’s title, but Chambers, and a newcomer to surf, Tania Rahurahu (Taylors Mistake), a successful pool swimmer, are likely to extend Chamberlain.

Baars, Bethell, Ford and Phillip Savoury (Brighton) are the stronger swimmers in the junior field and should contest the first three places. Entries in the open four man rescue and resuscitation are disappointing with only 10 teams. The women’s event is more

popular with 19 teams and there are 13 junior teams, an encouraging sign. The iron man, the premier individual event these days, has 23 entries in the open grade. Geoff Walker is not defending his title, but the competition will still be interesting. Humer will be the favourite, but Marshall, Simon Davis (Taylors Mistake) and Barry Veenvliet (Brighton) must all be contenders.

In the junior event Bethell, Lyons, Luca Soluos (Waikuku) and Peter Walker (New Brighton) are the leading competitors. The first two will be competing at the end of a heavy week-end though, and that could count against them. KEVIN TUTTY