CLIFFORD (CLIFF) CHRISTIE CAO
(ca. 1880 – May 21, 1941)
Vancouver Lacrosse Club (1902-1905)
Mount Pleasant Maple Leafs (1906; 1908-1909)
Although his playing career was a brief span of just seven or eight years, Cliff Cao was one of the more notable and talented players to suit up for the Vancouver-based teams during the first decade of the 20th Century.
Born in Liverpool, England, Clifford Cao was of mixed Italian and Scottish background. His father Angelo Cao was born in 1842 in Venice, Italy and passed away in 1888, while his mother Ada (Christie) Cao was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1846 and passed away in 1924. Young Cliff moved to Canada around the age of 9 or 10 with his mother and family in 1889.
His slight build did not seem to be a detriment although a newspaper article in August 1902 noted that his speed was not fast enough to be an effective midfield player. The following season saw him moving up to the attack line, slotted in at the inside home position, a move which clearly improved his performance. His 1904 and 1905 campaigns were described in the press as playing a ‘star game’.
During the fall of 1905 he was suspended by the British Columbia Amateur Lacrosse Association for being part of a Vancouver line-up that played against professionals, but he was reinstated in May 1906.
He had already retired from the game the previous month and it was during this down time in 1906 when Cliff Cao’s serious interest in yachting began – and once removed from lacrosse, sailing become his life passion which continued into the 1930s.
After his sailing commitments in the Bellingham regatta had come and gone, he was back out practising and playing three months later, when he signed with Mount Pleasant Maple Leafs in mid-July 1906.
When Cao made a return late in the 1906 season, the press noted that his “oldtime speed” and stick-handing ability was badly needed by the Maple Leafs, although confusingly noting that his speed was hampered by his size, compensated by his expert stickhandling and accurate shooting. While it does seem the newspapers were inconsistent and contradictory about the nature and deficiency of his running game, what was always consistently positive was his personal ability and skill with the lacrosse stick.
When 1907 came along, there was talk of him once again leaving lacrosse after becoming injured. Cao was listed on some suggested or potential rosters put into print that year for the Vancouver team, but it is unknown whether he actually suited up for any games due to a chronic absence of game reports and box scores during those years, which include his name. The nature of his injury is unknown, but he did recover to re-sign with Mount Pleasant Maple Leafs in July 1908.
During a meeting held in March 1909 looking into the contentious issue in of professionalism lacrosse, Cliff Cao spoke out how every amateur player was out looking for the money, but in the past there was unfairness between those who got paid and those who played for the love of the game and this created favouritism leading to demoralisation within some teams.
He signed once again with Mount Pleasant in the senior amateur league, so in the short term we can perhaps surmise where Cao may have stood in regards to the pro vs. amateur debate – however any dislike he may have had for the money game disappeared by the time he was invited out by Con Jones to try out for the Vancouver Lacrosse Club in May 1910. He gave it his all during pre-season practises and test matches, but Cliff Cao retired for good after his comeback attempt failed, at age 30 and already feeling the pace of the game to be a struggle.
He did suit up for an old-timers game played at Brockton Point on Empire Day (May 25) 1929 but otherwise his involvement in lacrosse would be relegated to name appearances in “20 years ago in sports today” recollection articles published by the newspapers.
Cliff Cao became a prominent member of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, with local fame won as the skipper of Spirit I and Swipe. Looking back over his life, his experience and achievements on the water impressively eclipsed his experience on the grass field.
He won races organised by the RVYC in July 1919, beating the second-place finisher by three hours. His boat, Spirit I, was considered to be one of the two best sailing crafts in the RVYC. When the Cao Brothers sold Sprit I in August 1924, the trusty racing yacht had won 46 trophies for the Cao family.
Cliff Cao never married – however both his brother Rico and his wife were also expert coxswains, with Mrs. Rico Cao winning the Julian Cup for women’s sailboat racing in 1912. His employment is reported as a tinsmith. At the time of his passing, Cliff Cao resided at 216 East 27th Avenue in Vancouver. He was survived by his two brothers Chris and Rico Cao, as well as three sisters.
(PHOTO SOURCES: CLHOF X994.204 excerpt; courtesy of Brian Vivian family collection)
Special thanks to Brian Vivian (Cao’s grand-nephew) for providing biographical information and photograph.
Old School Lacrosse 