Rock of Ages

Another day at the office for Midway Surf Life Saving Club president and instructor Rocky Hall as he trains future lifesavers for the rescue service and sport. Picture by Paul Rickard

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The name Rocky Hall is synonymous with surf lifesaving in these parts. The story of the surf ski specialist’s life is the story of his life in surf lifesaving. Mark Peters splashes after him for his story.

The name Rocky Hall is synonymous with surf lifesaving in these parts. The story of the surf ski specialist’s life is the story of his life in surf lifesaving. Mark Peters splashes after him for his story.

A handwritten note in a Midway Surf Life Saving Club window says “This is Rocky Hall’s car park”.

As if anyone didn’t know. The club president’s blue ute is almost a permanent feature in the same slot outside the building.

This is because if anyone epitomises the surf lifesaving New Zealand creed “In it for life” it is Dennis “Rocky” Hall.

The story of his life is the story of his life in surf lifesaving and how he has seen the rescue service and sport evolve in this country.

This year marks the surf ski specialist and bronze medallion instructor’s 60th year in surf lifesaving but like all lifeguards he still has to undertake annual written and practical refresher training to continue as an active guard.

“At 73 years of age it hasn’t got any easier,” he says.

“We have to do a full tube rescue and full run-swim-run. I’ll continue to do it until I decide the refresher is getting a bit difficult.”

Rocky was inspired to become a surf lifesaver during his family’s many trips to the beach when he was a boy.

“As a kid, our parents were great. My mum came to Gisborne from South Canterbury to train in nursing. She saw the beaches and was enchanted. We were brought up with every opportunity to go to the beach. Every Saturday Dad would come back from work at midday. Other men would go to the pub but our dad took us to the beach — the ‘big river’, Makorori, Tolaga Bay town — all the beaches.

“I saw lifeguards training and thought ‘I want to do that.’”

When he turned 14, he did.

In 1959, Rocky signed up with Midway because his mates were members. He and a lot of his friends swam for the Olympic Swim Club and trained at the McRae Baths, where the Marina Restaurant is now.

“Fister Foote was our coach. He walked alongside the pool with a fag in his mouth, shouting ‘reach out further.’ The McRae

Baths were so murky you couldn’t see the bottom, but so much chlorine was dumped in you couldn’t see before 10 o’clock and your hair turned green before Christmas.”

Swimming in the ocean was a much more attractive proposition.

When 14-year-old Rocky joined Midway no Nipper or junior programmes were in place. That was part of the “wonderful evolution” of surf lifesaving, he says.

“Olivia Corrin, Cory Taylor and Chris Dawson — all these kids went through Midway and are having magnificent careers.”

Professional pathways for surf lifesavers have not reached New Zealand yet, though.

“We recognise this is one of the ways we have to go now. That is one thing we must accommodate. We’re doing a good thing for kids to prepare them for careers in their sport. We can’t stop them from going away but we can encourage them to further a career in competitions and lifeguarding.”

Among other huge changes Rocky has seen in surf lifesaving in the past 60 years is the regular fine tuning of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), an essential skill in every lifesaver’s toolkit.

“Looking back to when I joined in 1959, the movement and the way we did things then is barely recognisable from what’s happening now. Having said that, the more it’s changed the more it’s stayed the same. It’s still about the recruitment and training of young lifeguards.”

The competitive side of surf lifesaving plays a vital role in this, he says.

One significant advancement is the integration of women into surf lifesaving, he says. Midway now has more female than male lifeguards.

“That’s not uncommon in clubs around New Zealand now.”

Equipment has evolved radically as well. In the 1960s, equipment was basic: reel and line, big plywood, stand-up surf skis and a shark siren.

“There was a lot more emphasis in competition to develop teamwork in rescues and to develop good, fit strong swimmer lifeguards. Most rescues then were done with two or three guards with no equipment. Neoprene tubes weren’t invented until the late 1960s, early 1970s.”

Six or four man (or women) rescue and resuscitation, reel and line teams in which a lifeguard in a canvas belt dragged a rope fed from a reel on the beach swam out to make a rescue. The team-based technique was not practicable outside patrol hours when most lifesavers had gone home. Reel and line teams were largely a formalised rescue race and pageant at carnivals until they were phased out of surf lifesaving completely.

In the early ‘60s shorter fibreglass boards began to evolve, says Rocky.

“There was what we called a Hawaiian board that was as long as a ski. It took two blokes to carry a board down to the water. That was the beginning of the evolution into the 10-foot fibreglass boards we surfed on and soon discovered they were good for rescue and patrol purposes.”

He found he enjoyed surf lifesaving competitions and by the mid 1960s was drawn to Australia, “the mecca for competitions”.

“I learned a lot about competing and more about lifeguarding on beaches with different conditions and thousands of people on the beach. You knew every time you went on patrol you would do a rescue or three. It made you very aware.”

He teamed up and competed with top swimmers and Olympic medal winners. Overall, the experience illustrated for him the degree of discipline and professionalism in Australian surf lifesaving. When he returned to Midway in 1970 he promoted some of that in his own club.

The 1970s was the decade he saw the biggest changes in surf lifesaving. Equipment evolved: the red neoprene tube was revolutionary even though its arrival signalled the demise of reel and line technology.

“Very quickly we learned to use the tube with swim fins which made it even better.”

Before the advent of mobile inflatable craft known as IRBs, there was a flirtation with the rescue jet boat. Midway was the only club in New Zealand to have one. With no coastguard in our waters at that time the boat was a powerful and effective rescue craft. A particular shortfall was the expense of its upkeep and that it needed a tractor and trailer for launch and retrieval.

The IRB was the next revolution.

“In some ways it’s changed the face of surf lifesaving. About 50 percent of all rescues in New Zealand are with an IRB.”

In 1972, Rocky smashed his shoulder while playing rugby. He thought surf ski paddling would be good for rehabilitation and discovered a love for it.

“I began to succeed in competitions beyond my wildest dreams. I rehabilitated myself through paddling and it became my obsession.”

He won the New Zealand double-ski finals in 1978 and won second and third places in single ski events at surf lifesaving nationals. People he paddled with encouraged him to take up kayaking.

He represented New Zealand at the world championships in 1978.

His proudest moments were when he competed in the surf ski leg of taplin relays at various nationals.

“Midway had outstanding taplin teams in this blue riband event.”

Although his old injuries make themselves felt if he trains like he used to, Rocky still takes his ski out most days.

You’ll see his ute parked in its usual spot outside the surf club.