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Many of New Zealand’s top surf lifesavers will compete at Red Beach when it holds its annual Owen Chapman Cup on January 9 and, while that is nothing unusual for an event that has grown to become one of the largest surf carnivals in the country, this year has special significance.
This is the 60th year that the Owen Chapman Cup has been held, making it the longest running surf lifesaving club day in Australasia.
It was first held in 1957 as a picnic carnival for Auckland’s East Coast surf clubs. The cup was donated by the late Owen Chapman who owned a bach in Pinewoods Motor Park, adjacent to the beach. The purpose was to foster surf lifesaving competition amongst the four Auckland East Coast clubs of Red Beach, Orewa, Mairangi Bay and Eastern United who patrolled at Browns Bay.
Owen Chapman imagined the event to be a low-key beach day along the lines of a picnic carnival with competition not to be taken too seriously. The inaugural event was held in early January to entertain the holidaymakers and campers from Pinewoods Motor Park who strongly supported the fledgling club, founded just four years earlier in 1953.
Rescue and resuscitation were the prime events of the era, and the 4-Man Alarm and 6-Place R & R were key events on the programme. Also included were a surf race, a belt race, beach sprints, beach relays, a chariot race and a March Past. A Tug O’War for teams of eight offered a crate of beer for the winners.
The first winner of the cup was Eastern United from Browns Bay who won it on four consecutive occasions before Red Beach claimed it in 1961. In the early 1970s, the carnival expanded to include East and West coast surf clubs from the Auckland region and surfboat racing was introduced.
But it was still an all-male event. The Red Beach club did not introduce women members to its active ranks until 1974. Events for women competitors were introduced to the carnival programme soon after this.
Since the 1980s, visiting Australian teams have competed in the carnival although ineligible to win the cup – it can only be won by a surf club from the Surf Lifesaving Northern Region.
Carnival organiser, Ross Malyon, says that over the years the event has become a mecca for the region’s lifeguard competitors and big fields are the norm. Around 400 competitors are expected to take part in this summer’s event.
Along with Northern Region lifeguards there will be athletes from the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki and Wellington. Several South Island competitors are also expected to take part.
The Owen Chapman carnival ushers in the business end of the surf competition season as athletes begin the countdown to the Eastern Region, Northern Region and NZ Championships.
Red Beach is the defending champion, having won last summer.
Mr Malyon says the club has an added incentive to retain the cup in its 60th year.
“Owen Chapman would undoubtedly be impressed with the event which had such a humble beginning 60 years ago,” Mr Malyon says.
The 2016 Owen Chapman Carnival takes place on Saturday, January 9, 9am–3pm at Red Beach. Info: www.redbeachslsc.com
