BOATING GOSSIP.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1871, 21 February 1880, Page 3

BOATING GOSSIP.

By Sampan. It is a long while since I have had the pleasure of watching the crews at work on the Avon. There was a time when the annual interprovincial four-oared race brought out crews from the various clubs whose practice afforded during the boating season abundant occupation for the pen of an aquatic correspondent. But the contests were given over, and though the clubs still kept up their numbers, the interest in the sport fell gradually away. There are few amongst the present generation of boating men who can even remember the first interproyincial four-oared race, when the heavy weight Lyttelton crew rowed home in such grand stylo in front of their opponents, amongst whom were representatives of Wellington and Otago. Few of those now boating on the Avon were present when the sturdy West Coasters, performing in an outrigger for almost the first time, rowed their field almost to a standstill in the big race at Kaiapoi, while the victory of the Canterbury representatives at the Wellington Champion Bace, where a former popular captain of the Canterbury Bowing Club brought his crew home ahead of everything, is buried almost in oblivion. There are some of what Mr T. Hughes would call the old " thranitai" knocking about. If Igo to Port I meet Mr Cameron or Mr Cuff. In Ohristchurch Messrs Boper, Dan Beese, Dawson, Frank Favitt, H. Thomson, and one or two more. At Kaiapoi Charlie Dudley—if he will forgive the familiar old boating title—is still about, but none of them look like going for champion races now. A new generation has arisen who don't know Joseph or rather who are unknown to Joseph, and amongst it are several who can row in very tidy style. I judge so from a little visit I paid to the river on a recent occasion, when I had an opportunity of seeing a lot of rowing of various styles. I may say very various styles. I went down hearing that the crew of the Canterbury Bowing Club was doing strong work in view of the shortly forthcoming match with the Otago four, which, by the way, has been on the carpet for a good time. With two old friends who have seen some boating in their time, I took up my station in a coign of vantage which had served my purpose in other years. Many boats passed us, and what pleased me greatly was the increased number of scullers. When I was about the river formerly there were scarcely three scullers in the Avon, nor were there boats for their accommodation. Now scullers seem quite common, and several of those I saw showed fair form, though clearly only sculling for recreation. "You may row easily and gently all day," says the " Autocrat of the Breakfast Table " in a very delicious discourse on rowing, " and you can row yourself blind and black in the face in ten minutes, just as you like." The scullers who passed me seemed of the former kind mostly, but, as I said above, many rowed fairly. Several pair oars also passed, some rowing in tidy form, some quite the reverse. With regard to these, the majority struck me as being—whether from accident or otherwise—ill paired, badly matched. In many of the pair oars one man rowed well, the other—well —not like an artist. But my business is more with the representative crew, * which after half-an-hour's patient waiting on our parts swept round the oorner. They came down the stretch pulling nicely together at about thirty-nine, and both going and returning I had a very fair opportunity of seeing their form. From what I saw of them I should say they were originally four oarsmen of utterly different styles, but from working together and the csaching they have had from Mr Lingard they have now got to row fairly well together. Stroke, who is an old oarsman, rows a nice lively stroke, and rows it in good form, but I take leave to say that it would be all the better if it were just a bit longer throughout. No. 3 is, judging from appearance, perhaps a little short of weight for that position, but he is a good timist, and backs up stroke well. Two is the least finished oar of the crew, or appeared bo at any rate the night I saw them ; but I say this without disparagement to the occupant of that thwart, who will with very little more practice make a finished oarsman. Bow has been before the public, so to speak, for a very long time. Always a stalwart oar, he has, if he will pardon the remark, got a lot more style since I saw him last. The whole crew are evidently very fit. They came home rowing 42, a bit quick perhaps, but all well together, and every man doing his work. The Otago men arrive this week, I believe, and take up their quarters at Sumner. What they may be like I cannot of course say till they put in an appearance, but I really think that they will have all their work to do to slate our men. Whichever way victory may incline, I only hope that the present contest may be the commencement of a series of pleasant annual matches between the two provinces.