Sea Games

Until around the 1960s, thousands of people would throng Clifford Pier, trying to watch the New Year Sea Sports event on the first day of the year.

The annual regatta was organised into two separate European and local leagues, and involved a string of races between different types of boats. They include the traditional "koleh" boat, whose sails were shaped like a nacho chip, the sampan, yacht, canoe, and "tub boat". The "tub boat" was a barrel that floated in water, large enough for a grown adult to sit in it while he paddled. In photos, competitors look like they're maneuvering life-sized bottle caps. One Busu Bin Awang was the "tub boat champion" and reportedly won every "tub boat" race for eleven years.

There was also a non-boat-related activity where participants would climb frantically onto a slippery, greased beam. Raised horizontally above the water, whoever reached the end of the beam without falling into the sea would win the competition.