SURF TRIALS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 48, 25 January 1938, Page 2

SURF TRIALS.

FOR SELECTION OF TEAM. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 24. The pick of New Zealand’s surf talent assembled at New Brighton to-day to go through exhaustive trials for the selection of the Dominion representative team to visit Australia. There were 29 nominees from five provinces, who were divided into five teams for trial purposes, and their performances were watched by the selectors, Alessrs H. S. Feast, of Christchurch, who will manage the team, P. D. Edwards and V. Allen. The first of tho ’trials consisted of a belt swim to, a buoy, each man living to make such a swim while the other members of the team took the positions of the linesmen and reel men. In these swims, which were divided into five heats, some of the local nominees performed very creditably. A. T. Dalton, of North Beach, won his heat comfortably and A. T. F. Stokes, of Brighton, put uxi a very fine performance to secure first place in his heat and the fastest time of the trials —3min. ssec. Though conditions were more pleasant than yesterday, it was still on the chilly side for the belt swim. The distance to the buoys was about 200 yards. There was a light surf, but the competitors had to contend with a northerly drift. Later, the land drill trials were held. The New Zealand surf life-saving team for Australia was announced as follows this afternoon: —J. C. Blakeley (Wellington), J. T. Clark (Wellington), A. T. Dalton (Canterbury), D. K. Evans (Wellington), R. Pelham (Wellington), A. T F. Stokes (Canterbury), E. J. Stevens (Auckland), D. H. Symes (Canterbury), J. A. A r oung (Canterbury), J. Williams (Wellington).