Lifesaving Association of Australia’s national championship carnival at Newport Beach

On March 15, 1953, The Sun-Herald reported on the Lifesaving Association of Australia’s national championship carnival at Newport Beach.

The event attracted an estimated 10,000 spectators who gathered to watch 46 teams of lifesavers compete.

Almost 1,500 lifesavers from all over the Commonwealth participated in the event.

As early as 9 a.m., 3,000 people were already on the beach, and throughout the day, packed buses, cars, and trucks arrived at Newport Beach to witness the championship carnival.

When the event concluded at around 5 p.m., the narrow Pittwater Road was congested with vehicles heading back home, resulting in a traffic jam that extended from Newport to Mona Vale.

The Governor-General, Sir William McKell, was present at the event, and he presented the championship ribbon to the Freshwater Club for the march past.

Freshwater also won the senior rescue and resuscitation event, which was considered the blue ribbon of the beach.

The girls’ pipe band played as teams passed the saluting base, which was occupied by the Governor-General and the president of the S.L.S.A., Judge Adrian Curlewis.

An American lifesaver from Honolulu, Edwin “Buddy” Adolphson, made history by carrying the Stars and Stripes in an Australian championship carnival for the first time.

He was a member of the newly formed S.L.S.A. of Hawaii and said that he pawned his car to fly to Sydney for the lifesaving conference on training held the previous Wednesday.

In addition to the Newport Beach event, the article also reported on the main titles won by Sydney surfers at the Australian surf championships.

New South Wales won 15 of the 16 titles and also took home the five non-championship events held in conjunction.

Western Australian Don Morrison won the senior belt race, while Max Riddington from Manly and Bryan Mortensen from Clovelly won the senior and junior surf championships, respectively.

North Wollongong emerged victorious in the senior surf team championship, while North Bondi won the junior surf team race.

Overall, the performance by New South Wales was the best ever recorded by any state, as it won 14 of the 16 titles the previous year and retained five titles in this year’s event.

Despite the high turnout at Newport Beach, there were few people at other beaches, even though the weather was pleasant and the water warm.