Lifeguards Battle For National Championship, Bragging Rights At The Beach

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The battle on the beach is heating up — and winners earn big bragging rights on the sand and in the surf.

The Jersey Mike’s United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships kicked off on Thursday, Aug. 11 and wraps up Aug. 13, bringing hundreds of lifesavers from around the country for a competition in Hermosa Beach that showcases their skills during intense relays on land and in the sea.

The three-day national championship tournament, like most other events, was canceled during the pandemic and held last year in South Padre Island, Texas, where LA County Surf Life Saving Association earned its 45th title and the coveted Howard Lee Trophy.

The powerhouse from Los Angeles County has won the overall team championship 31 out of the past 33 years the competition has taken place and is a favorite to take home the title again this year, especially with the event on home turf and surf.

Manhattan Beach’s Maiken Pardon, a lifeguard in Huntington Beach, competes in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Tyler Morga and Jeff Lombardo, with the South Bay LA County team, compete in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Competitors from across the country compete in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Matt Fisher and Justin Kattan, with the Cal State team, compete in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Chris Hoch and Kevin Jones, with the Deerfield Beach team from Florida, win their heat in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Henry, 8, and Duke, 6, help their dad Nick Milward push his surf boat after competing in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Alexandra Santer and Kelsey Cummings lead their paddle board race during the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Eric Bloom and Brian Kummer, with the Cal State team, compete in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Matt Gallagher officiates the surf boat races during the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Twins Dane and Dick DeBoer, with the Cal State team, compete in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Brothers Dan and Bill George, with the Long Branch Monmouth County team from New Jersey, celebrate winning in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Tom Seth and Mel Solberg, with the South Bay LA County team, compete for first place against brothers Dan and Bill George, with the Monmouth New Jersey team, during the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Tom Seth and Mel Solberg, with the South Bay LA County team, compete in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Athletes compete in the Run Swim Run during the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Lifeguard Kelsey Cummings, part of the defending champion team, spent Thursday participating in a series of competitions, including the board race, a run-swim-run, rescue relay, and board rescue.

The El Segundo resident, 29, first competed in the national championships when it was in Hermosa Bach in 2016 and has been one of the stand-out female competitors since.

“There’s a lot of competitors. We’re having a lot of big turnouts,” she said, estimating her team had at least 65 competitors in various races. “We’re excited. Nationals is always a lot of fun; it’s a really fun team competition. We’re hoping to win the overall national title.”

Competing on home turf helps, with competitors able to sleep in their own beds and have nearby family and friends supporting the athletes.

“It feels great, it’s nice being just down the road,” Cummings said.

While the wind started picking up on the first day of the event and the surf was small, it was a “typical summer day” for competitors, she said.

The USLA National Championships has taken place since 1980, and the only other years Hermosa Beach hosted were in 1993 and 2016.

“It’s so nice to be on the West Coast. We haven’t been here a long time,” said USLA President Peter Davis, who came from Texas for the event.

A day before the main event kicked off, 300 junior lifeguards from around the country gathered for the National Junior Lifeguard Championships on Aug. 10. Future lifeguarding hopefuls, ages 9-15, competed in various events in three age categories for individual titles — many from Los Angeles County earning wins.

The junior lifeguards who came from Texas with Davis’ team had a tough time adjusting to the 68-degree water — balmy by Southern California standards, but a frigid temperature compared to the 88-degree water they are used to at home.

“When they got here, it took a while to get used to,” Davis said. “It’s a huge difference.”

Waves forecasted for the remaining days of the event, in the 2-to 3-foot range, are perfect for the competitions — not too big for lifeguards used to calmer waters but enough push from the ocean to test their skills.

“Just enough to make it interesting,” Davis said. “You couldn’t ask for better conditions.”

For the lifeguards from near and far, it’s not just about bragging rights, but also a way to exchange information on the latest lifesaving techniques and tools.

Of all the public safety careers, lifeguards have to be the most proactive and, with little equipment, rely mostly on their physical abilities to do their job, Davis said.

“We think of every rescue as a race against time. Every lifeguard is an athlete,” Davis said. “This is a great way to motivate the troops to keep their physical fitness and stay in tune with the skills they use on a daily basis.”

Lifeguards range from ages 16-70, with various fast-paced events that test speed, skill, and endurance using two different ocean courses. Events include sprint paddleboard and rescue races, ocean swims, beach flags, Ironman events, Taplin Relay, surf ski, and the surf boat — also known as a dory, races that are always a crowd favorite to watch.

Most events take place between towers 13 and 16. The fan-favorite Beach Flags event will happen Friday evening at the Hermosa Beach Pier.

For the public who want to come down and watch, it’s a way to see just how physical the job can be — and for those who have had a lifeguard save them from ocean dangers, it’s a way to say thanks.

“It’s a great opportunity to support their local lifeguards,” Davis said. “It’s kind of cool when people come out; there’s so much support for lifeguards.”

The event will also determine who will represent the U.S. in the World Lifesaving Championships in Riccione, Italy, in September. More info: usla.org.

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Lifeguards battle for national championship, bragging rights at the beach – Orange County Register

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