This nice silver medal (not marked) measures 23mm x 35mm and has a great image of a diver. Inscribed on the back is "Awarded to Clair Tait by Mrs. Berlo, Mr. Conroy, Empress Theater, 1912." This little medal has some interesting history behind it as it was awarded to a famous diver, Clair Tait, who was a trainer in the tour of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku in 1912. The date and place on this medal (Empress Theater was in N.Y.) all match up.
There is a connection to Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, the preeminent long board surfer from Hawaii; on his way back from the Olympics, in 1912, Duke stopped at the University of Pennsylvania, where he had trained for Stockholm. While there, he made a trip to the Jersey Shore and put on demonstrations of swimming and surfing at Atlantic City, and board and body surfing in Nassau County, Long Island, New York.
Clair Tait, a native of Portland, Oregon, was in the Navy and stationed at Pearl Harbor. Tait was a "particularly fine fancy diver," had held the Pacific Coast diving championship, and was now trainer for the tour. He reported to the press on Duke's board riding and their bodysurfing in the waters off Long Island's SouthShore:
"You should have seen us stage an exhibit at Castles by the Sea, the Long Island resort started by Vernon Castle. A big storm was on and the lifeguards kept everybody from going out except we fellows from Honolulu. Duke took a surfboard out to the last line of breakers, half a mile out, and rode all the way in at express-train speed. The waves were the best ever seen. We gave people something new in the line of body surfing when we rode the crest of the waves for 200 and 300 yards. The shore was lined with enthusiastic people and we were nearly mobbed when we started back for the dressing rooms. There were cameras by the hundreds, and Duke was photographed until he was blue in the face."
