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The Star 3
News
Latest Christchurch news at www.
.kiwi
Thursday March 16 2017
In Brief
• By Sarla Donovan
CAMARADERIE and humour.
That’s what keeps 67-year-old
New Brighton surfer Ron Carter
out in the waves.
That, and the thrill of it.
Mr Carter started out on the
waves at seven-years-old with an
old-fashioned body board. At 10,
he got his first surfboard made
of plywood.
“It filled up with water and
had to have a bung.”
Any wetsuits back in the 60s?
“God, no. We wore our high
school jerseys with the sleeves
cut out.”
Mr Carter will be both a
competitor and a judge at the
Ray White New Brighton Duke
Festival of Surfing which starts
on Friday.
Now in its second year,
the festival celebrates the
introduction of surfing to
New Zealand by the legendary
Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku,
who rode a wooden surfboard in
front of a crowded New Brighton
beach in 1915.
Although his 68th birthday is
coming up this year, after more
than half a century riding a
board, Mr Carter’s not giving it
up any time soon.
He’s lucky. Long-time surfing
buddy Kiery Bennett’s knees
have packed up with arthritis.
They’ve known each other since
kindy, went to Brighton Primary
School then Aranui High
together and had a lot of fun
over the years.
“I’m pretty good; got a stiff
back but that’s pretty common
for surfers. Surfing keeps me fit,
but I keep fit for surfing. Do a lot
of stretching, do gym two days a
week and go out when the surf’s
good.”
He’s surfed the Pacific Islands
and Indonesia, with Lombok a
favourite.
“It’s similar to Uluwatu but
there’s no end to the waves at
Lombok. You’ve got to get out at
the right time or you end up on
the reef.”
Having a supportive wife is a
big help, he said.
“She eggs me on, keeps me
going. She comes out stand-up
paddling. My boys surf, the
grandkids have taken it up –
we’re beach people. When we
go on holiday, it’s to a beach –
surfing, fishing.”
He rates Gisborne and New
HANG LOOSE: New Brighton jeweller and
surfer Ron Carter carving up the waves off
Brighton Pier.
Life’s a beach for ageing surfer
Festival to
honour
legend
LEGEND: Duke Kahanamoku
helped introduce surfing to
New Zealand.
Plymouth for surfing in New
Zealand, but reckons the
weather is better in Gisborne.
He said it was great to see
women being encouraged to
surf and schools putting it in the
sporting curriculum.
His advice for wanna-be
surfers is to just go and do it,
maybe take a lesson to “get you
up and going.”
For Mr Carter, surfing is a way
of life.
“Everything revolves around
it. I love the thrill. I get it the
same as I did when I was a
kid.”
Events at the Duke Festival
of Surfing include exhibitions
of surf-related art and
memorabilia, along with movies
and music by the beach.
THere are free surf lessons for
beachside schools, a children’s
art competition and a three-day
surfing competition which kicks
off next week.
One of the organisers from
the New Brighton Pier and
Foreshore Society, Warren
Hawke, said the festival was
about celebrating surfing culture
and beach life in the New
Brighton area.
•For more information,
check out the Facebook
page, www.facebook.com/
dukesfestival/
MEMBERSHIPS COULD RISE
A gym membership at any of the
city council’s recreation centres
could rise by 8.8 per cent. As part
of the draft annual plan, the city
council is looking at increasing a
12-month prepaid membership
from $720.12 to $783.36. The
plan will go through public
consultation before being adopted
in June. The monthly, fortnightly
and three monthly fees would
remain the same under the plan.
GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE
Dora Langsbury will stand in the
Christchurch Central electorate
for the Green Party. She will
go up against National’s Nicky
Wagner, who has held the seat
since 2011, and the Labour Party’s
Duncan Webb. Ms Langsbury
usually stands in the Te Tai Tonga
electorate, however, Green Party
co-leader Metira Turia is standing
for that seat in September’s general
election. Ms Langsbury stood
unsuccessfully for the Christchurch
Central Ward for the city council in
October.
CAR PARK IN SIX MONTHS
THe new Lichfield St car park is
on track to open in six months.
The $28 million building, between
Lichfield and Cashel Sts, will
replace the former Lichfield St car
park, which badly damaged in the
February 22, 2011, earthquake,
and later demolished. Project
director Lee Butcher said strong
winds in January caused some
delays, but the build is back on
schedule and is running to budget.
ARMED ROBBERY
A staff member was threatened
with a shotgun in the robbery
of a Cashmere bar on Tuesday.
The lone offender entered The
Brickworks on Centaurus Rd
at about 10.45pm armed with a
double-barrelled shotgun. The
offender demanded cash from the
woman working behind the bar.
She said “thousands” was taken
from the till. Police want anyone
who may have information to
phone 363 7400 or anonymously
through Crimestoppers on 0800
555 111.
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