4 __ Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 12 lune '85

School Board Reluctant / A Letter for Surfing?

By JACK SMYTH ERMA*— Varsily surfing'' A number of students at Lower Cape May Regional who spend many of their out of school hours riding the waves on plastic boards want it But school authorities are reluctant because of the need for insurance and a fear of injuries. The high school has agreed to make surfing a club activity, and has assigned a teacher to provide guidance And as a club, the school will provide bus transportation to surfing-matches. But the 15 students who are members of the club and some of their parents want the opportunity to earn school letters like other athletes do. and relish the thought of official competition with other area high schools Sandy Miller, co-proprietor with her husband. < hven. of the Windward House, a guest house in Cape May. sees another reason why the sport should have official recognition. "I THINK it would serve to help keep their grades up. said Miller ' The school could drop them from the team if their grades fell " Miller's son. Owen, 15. is a club member who has been surfing for two years and has qualified for regional finals sponsored by the Eastern Surfing Association. •■I'm really not sure why." said young Miller when asked why school officials have refused varsity status "If it's dangerous, it's just as dangerous to play football You can hurl your back playing football." he said MILLER SAID the issue "has been taken to the school board < Lower Cape May Regional i . and the school board doesn't like it." School Principal Stanley B Kotzen said varsity recognition can Ik* conferred only by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association < NJSIAA > "We don't have a team because we don't » have a coach or certified officials." said Kotzen. "It scares the hell out of me when vou see some of those high waves." said Kotzen "It could Ik* dangerous if there are no sanctioned officials " KOTZEN SAID there are other sports that he would like the school to start on a team basis besides surfing, such as crew and swimming. "I would love to see a girls' lacrosse team, but the problem is. nobody plays the game down here." he said. The surfers and their supporters have enlisted the assistance of Charles "Chuck" Allison, surfing coach at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon. and Northeastern vice president of the National Scholastic Surfing Association <NSSA>. Holy Spirit surf teams dominate competition along the Eastern Seaboard like the New York Yankees of old "We are what passes for state cham pions," said Allison last week. "We have 29 consecutive wins against high school and college competition " HOLY SPIRIT is the only school in the area that awards letters for surfing, said Allison, although three others "probably will go to letters this fall." Allison said area schools can never oxpect the NJSIAA recognition for surfing that Kotzen refers to. "There aren't 24 schools in New Jersey within driving distance of the shore, which is what they require." said Allison Replying to Kotzen's concern about in juries. Allison quoted a study of high schools in California wnich found an incidence of 1 .3 injuries incurred from surfing per 1.000 hours compared to 9 6 injuries per 1.000 hours for football players. , "That's the second lowest injury rate in I California." said Allison. "The only sport | lower was golf." HIS TEAM at Holy Spirit follows NJSIAA I rules although it is not part of the organiza- I

tion Allison said. "Our matches are all run by qualified, competent officials and judges." Allison said. Next year. Holy Spirit plans to petition for permission to compete in the Cape Atlantic League. Allison said It is standard procedure, Allison and some of the others said, for surfers to waive their rights for compensation for injuries wherever they compete Allison saida study done by New Jersey insurance companies has found that injuries from surfing occur at the same rate as they do in California. PART OF THE PROBLEM facing surfers who are seeking greater recognition. Allison believes, stems from the association of the sport with long-haired, drug-using hippies that came out of the 1960s when surfing first got national attention. "It's a non-traditional sport." said Allison. "These kids are not scummy kids, and they're not bums "I told my kids five years ago ( when Holy Spirit formed a team ) that you got to be better than anybody." he said Allison. 39. and a native of Ocean City, emphasizes the need for NSSA members to keep up their scholastic marks to remain eligible to compete in • NSSA-sponsored events. "To be an NSSA member you have to be a full-time student, you have to pass a physical examination, and you have to have parental persmission." said Allison. Allison told 13 of the local surfers who are NSSA members last week that unless they maintained a 1.7 academic average, they could not compete in the NSSA-sponsored national championships. "IE YOU ARE NOT there (at 1.7 1 . you are gone." said Allison "It 's the same for every other sport at Holy Spirit " Allison likes to point to many of his friends who are surfers who have become successful in the business world. "There's Art Ford, who's a successful lawyer in Atlantic City, and Harvey "Bob" Adams who runs a prestigious public accounting firm in Ocean City," he said. NSSA awards scholarship money including $200 that Cape May resident Mike Kuzma. a freshman ai Lehigh University, won. "That 's money that he wouldn't have had but for his grades and his involvement with NSSA." said Allison. NSSA WAS FOUNDED in 1979 by seven California teachers to "improve the sport of surfing image-wise and technique-wise." Allison said. As part of his missionary work on behalf of surfing. Allison showed a 20-minute slide presentation on the sport last week at Lower Cape May Regional High School Principal Kotzen. after viewing the slides and talking with Allison, said. "We are go ing to look into schools that have programs and see if we can adapt it as part of the interscholastic program " But Kotzen pointed out that Allison sees just one side of the situation "You only need one accident in the water." said Kotzen "It's not like pulling a muscle in track." w SCHOOL BOARD member Edward Hut chinson. who runs a surf shop in Cape May, said he doesn't expect a fchange in the board s position "for a while "We're more or less letting it ride." said Hutchinson. Allison said he thinks the high school is at about the same stage as were Mainland and Ocean City high schools a year ago Both schools are considering awarding letters to surfers. What happens. Allison said, "will depend on what the kids (surfers) do Hbw they handle themselves and how they organize their events "The better they do. the better the school and the principal will Wok at them." said.

NO LETTERS — These are among Surfing Club members who want Lower Cape May Regional to make it a varsity spot. Kneeling, Sean Kelleher. IS. Standing, left. David Farina. 15. and Mark Kelleher. 16.

New Park Proposed

CAPE MAY — The city's Environmental Commission on Monday approved a proposal to create a park along the Cape May side of Cape Island Creek City Manager Fred Coldren told the commission that the idea to turn an undeveloped and unsightly quarter-mile stretch of creek hank into green park land came from Harry Lozour, chairman of the city's Shade Tree Commission. "Harry called me and told me he contacted three of the four owners of ground along the creek, and two are ready to help." Coldren told commission members. Swain's Hardware. National Associates. TMU Co.. Inc.. and the city own the land in question. COLDREN SAID he knows of an unnamed bank in Woodbury which gives grants to municipalities willing to place parks along waterways, creeks or ponds Coldren estimated the cost of creating the park at from $30,000 to $50,000 "I make a motion that we go after a grant to refurbish' the area between West Perry and Elmira Streets." said commission member Tom Hawkins after hearing Coldren The motion was seconded by commission member Joseph Sullivan, and passed unanimously Coldren agreed to take the reeommenda tion to City Council, and predicted it would be approved IN OTHER BUSINESS, Commission Chairman Charlotte Todd announced that the city's voluntary recycling program is succeeding in an "amazing, outstanding" way. Todd quoted figures from a report by the Jersey Cape Diagnostic. Training, ana Opportunity Center showing that the volume of recyclable materials picked up in twicemonthly collections has doubled since last year. Todd said four tons of materials were collected in the first monthly pickup this month compared to a total of four tons in two collections last June. In March. Todd said five tons of materials were collected. In May. Todd said workers from the center picked up eight tons compared to four tons for the same month last year. THE CENTER, which is the county's

sheltered workshop for retarded and handicapped persons, collects aluminum cans, glass bottles and newspapers under a $12,000 contract with the city. Monday night. Council approved a sixmonth extension of the contract. The collections are expected to continue under a $32,800 grant that the city anticipate receiving from the state Office of Recycling. With the grant in hand, the city will set up a permanent building where residents can take reclaimable items on a weekly, or even daily hasis Todd said the building may be a former railroad caboose. SHE INFORMED the commission that in a casual conversation with Bruce Wilson, a Conrail official. Wilson said he might be able to give the city a caboose that could be converted to receive recyclable items. Coldren said the caboose might be ideal since it could be stationed on abandoned tracks near the city's former Lafayette Street depot, and then moved about 500 yards to the city's Public Works garage where the materials could be transferred. But Coldren said the grant from the state may be delayed because of a request for more details on how the money will be used. With the commission's assistance. Coldren spent part of the meeting going over the grant application, and spelling out details in greater length. THE QUESTION of the city's water needs was brought up at the meeting by Todd who said she Telt the commission ought to en- - courage council to look for a long-range solution to the problem Todd said she was basing the proposal on a report from David Carrick, city water superintendent, that the supply of water from city wells is being depleted, and conservation measures are needed. Coldren. however, told the commission that the city and its officials are engaged in "terrific activity" to ease water news. One part of the solution, Coldren said, would be linking the city's water supply system with that of Lower Township. "The city and the township are applying for bond funds for the link-up, ' Coldren saitf "The day is coming when City Council will have to pass a large bond issue, and if the citizens are behind it. it will pay off," said Coldren. "If not. I would be fearful."

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