SWIMMING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2416, 23 March 1915, Page 3

SWIMMING

KAHANAMOKU IN THE NORTH. (By "Paora.) A Wellington resident now quartered in Auckland sends the following account of a, surfing party on the Ocean Beach, south of Kaipara Harbour, in which Kahanamoku was the chief attraction. The.beach is about seven miles across country, west of the-Auck-land and Helensville railway line, and about seven , miles below Helensville. Two motor-lorries went, out from Helensville aud other residents drove or rode out to the Ocean Beach. The account says:—We were in luck's way, and no mistake, for about thirty of the Auckland swimming crowd motored out during the 1 day from toivn with Kahanamoku, who was to show them what surfing is like, for there are.no breakers near Auckland.on this side of the Island. There was a good big "break" on and the Aucklanders stayed in the water about up to their waists, while Kahanamoku set out through the surf with his board, and away out to "sea. I set out after the "Duke." It waa simply glorious cutting through the big breakers, and then, when through them, being alternately almost lifted up to the sky, as it seemed, and then dropped into some valley between the big rollers. We got about 500 yards out from the beach, and then Kahanamoku got on to his board, and set off for the beach. It then struck me that it would be mighty inconvenient if a shark were to heave in sight, so off I went after him for dry land, and perhaps it was as well that I did so, for someone told us afterwards on our way home that the sea in those parts is infested with■ sharks. No doubt that was one of the reasons why the others did not venture odt far. Still, it was most enjoyable. The coast and beach out there is very fine, and the trip was altogether most enjoyable. Kahanamoku's display here, at Lyall Bay, will never be forgotten. It waß a. magnificent sight to see him cleaving his path upwards over a big blue sea, the sunlight flashing on his brown arms and shoulders as he alternately lifted them clear of the water. Then to see him come riding in standing erect on a flimsy pineboard was something worth going a long way to see. In passing, it is worthy of mention that the board he used at Lyall Bay was not his own, and was three feet shorter than the one he is accustomed to, as well as being six inches -narrower. His own board measures eight feet long and twenty-two inches in breadth. It is three inches thick, and rounded off underneath like tiie bottom of a boat. The feat of the Hawaiian at Lyall Bay on March 7 last was all the more remarkable, then. '