Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

An unlikely connection, between the late Queen Elizabeth II and the sport of surf lifesaving, was provided at Mount Maunganui during early 1963.

The occasion was the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's second visit to Aotearoa, a decade after their first trip to our wonderful country.

On Saturday 9th February 1963, the Royal Yacht Britannia, slipped between Mauoa and Matakana Island, berthing at the Mount wharf.

In what would be today described as a 'lightning' visit, the royal party traveled by launch to Coronation Pier in Tauranga. The official welcome was held at the Sound Shell in Memorial Park.

After the return leg over the harbour, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, were the guests of honour at a surf lifesaving carnival hosted by the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Association, on the main beach at Mount Maunganui.

One can only wonder at how long the royal couple spent at the surf carnival, as they were only in the Western Bay of Plenty for five hours, before the Royal vessel departed for Napier.

A Highland band piped the royal couple on to the main beach to view the Royal Inter-Districts Surf Carnival.

Surf Lifesaving competition in the sixties, was a far-cry from today's frenetic multi action races, on sand and water.

Surf rescue in the 1960's, was delivered by the rescue belt and reel, with competition mirroring the days rescue techniques.

The big prize at the SLSANZ National Championships was the Nelson Shield awarded to the winner of the R&R (Rescue and Resuscitation) Six-Man competition.

The objective in R&R competition, was to retrieve one member of the team who swam out as the patient, with the rescuer attached to the reel by belt and rope. The other members of the team would pay out and retrieve the line.

This was all carried out with military precision, with the slightest step out of time or wrong movement, attracting penalty points.

The Nelson Shield, was initially presented at the first National Surf Lifesaving contets held at Napier in 1915.

The other events that the Queen likely watched on the main beach in 1963, evolved from R&R competition, and included belt races, individual and team surf races, along with beach sprints to test the athlete ability to quickly respond.

Rare film footage of the day showed the Royal couple watching the highlight of surf carnivals, in the carnival climax March-Past, before departing to the Royal yacht

Today, R&R competition is like the Dodo - extinct. The advent of the neoprene rescue tube, saw the demise of the belt and reel as a rescue tool, and the eventual lack of interest in R&R competition.

One thing that has never changed in surf lifesaving, is the reflection of the skills of surf rescue, in the competition arena. R&R events have been superseded, by tube rescue, rescue board and surf ski events, along with standalone IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boats) Championships.

Surf Lifesaving competition, is today, still a major tool in the SLSNZ aim of the prevention of drowning on the beaches of the country.