Sport is sometimes derided as a mere trivial pastime, often misguidedly but occasionally with accuracy.
100 Years Of Surf Life Saving In New Zealand
ed. Bob Harvey
Surf Life Saving New Zealand
But you can't get away with any comment along those lines about surf life-saving. You don't see the bronzed heroes of the beach lampooned for their monosyllabic answers in interviews, and it has been a long time since a life-saver was criticised for not being able to win a trophy. As long as they keep rescuing people from the sea, little else matters.
Between The Flags is a remarkable book that aims to honour some remarkable people in the 100th year of the Surf Life Saving New Zealand organisation.
At 400 pages weighing more than the coffee table on which it is supposed to sit, it is clearly not designed to double as a water flotation device. But it's a beautifully presented look at the stories, the people, the drama and the tragedy that have flowed through the organisation over a century.
It is edited by former Waitakere mayor Bob Harvey, who was "captivated" by surf life-saving when he saw his first carnival aged 15. He says he wanted to tell some of the stories of the lifeguards who "are now part of our national identity".
With plenty of space to play with, he digs out all sorts of smashing yarns about the characters and the stalwarts of the beach, including Dunedin great Duke Gillies.
The words are complemented by an extraordinary range of photos. I'm not sure I've seen better in any history of a New Zealand sport. The images are a heady mix of the dramatic, the quirky and the fascinating.
Between The Flags has obviously been a labour of love. It's a worthy tribute to the men and women who make our beaches as safe as possible.
• Hayden Meikle is Sports Editor of the ODT.
