Gilpin observer., 1913-12-11

water If you splashed and kicked up
noise at its approach.
But the great sight in the way of
sea bathing in Australia is the sum-
mer surfing carnival at Sydney. 1t is
a remarkable spectacle. II ever you
go to Sydney do not miss a visit to
Manly or Bondi or Coogee-the three
places all within an hours access of
Sydney-where the surfers hold high
revel and make the seascape glad
with their merriment. l have seen
people bathe from various lands in
many tides, but l have never seen
anything that resembled the joyous
abandon, grace and gayety Of Sydney
surf bathing.
Young people of both sexes-a doz-
en- or more together-go down to the
water hand in hand to swim out to
meet the breakers. Mother Grundy is
banished from these sea revels, which
are conducted with a harmless uncon-
vention and innocent freedom from
artificial sex restraint charming to see
and good to participate in. Every
body is welcome to the open sea, and
If you bump into your lady neighbor
as you are swept back to shore on the
breakers she accepts your apologies
as laughingly as you tender them.
Nor are introductions necessary II
you wish to enter into conversation.
Something of the freedom of the sea
takes possession of you for the mo-
ment.
The sport has more than a spark of
danger. but that seems to add to its
attractiveness for Sydney people. In
surf bathing you swim out to the
advancing biliow and dive into 1t
just as 1t breaks-to be swept ashore
with bewildering ecstatic rush amid
the boom of the surf. But If you are
caught in the powerful retreating un-
dertow you will be swept out to sea,
no matter how strong a swimmer you
may be. II that happens as it fire.
quently does, the only thing is to lie
still and try and float. and wait till
member OF the life saving club
there are always several on duty-is
paid out to you on life line.
Often the victim of the undercur-
rent is carried away too fast to be
rescued and the Sydney evening pa
pers dismiss the tragedy in a few
lines headed Another Fatality at
Surf Bathing" But the appalling list
of deaths every season is no deter
rent to the devotees of surf bathing.
They go joyously on with their surf.
in no wise checked by the thought
that they are playing with death.
From their point Of view the sport is
worth the risk.
Sydney surfing is marked by some
peculiar features of its own. There
is the cult OF getting brown. for in
| stance. The surfer who can display
a skin OF dark golden brown is a king
of his kind. Young men put in lot
of time lying about in the scantiest
bathing attire letting the svn dye. or
tan, their bodies the requisite tint.
They deplore the slowness Of the
process. and greatly envy the fortu-
nate youth who has a night Job of
some sort which permits him to lie
about the beach all day-getting
brown. They bewail the golden hours
they have to waste in work. and the
moment they are free from the cares
of office they dart by tram out to
their beloved Bondi to get a little
Drowned before the sun sets.
Sharks do not bother the surfer
much. The shark in the open sea
prefers to let the deadly undertow
sweep his evening meal out to him.
Inside the harbor he has to fend for
himself That is why there are SO
many more shark accidents inside
the harbor than in the surf.