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Community Corner

CSLSA Lifeguard Competition Tests Fitness and Endurance

By Michael A. Beuerlein

On Friday and Saturday, lifeguards from beaches up and down the California coast will gather in Huntington Beach to compete in the 32nd annual California Surf Lifesaving Championships and California Junior Lifeguard Championships.

The CSLA Regional Lifeguard Championships is a unique event which showcases, in a competitive environment, the lifesaving techniques used daily by lifeguards. Recent events have served as powerful reminders of how important fitness and endurance are in the aquatic environment. The events in this competition test those skills.

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The two-day event will feature competition from the top Junior Lifeguards on Friday, while on Saturday, the adult ocean lifeguards will compete for bragging rights to be crowned California’s Best Lifeguards. The competition will be held at Huntington State Beach at Newland Street between lifeguard towers 13 and 14.

From surf swims to beach runs, paddleboard and surf boat races, as well as the grueling multi-discipline Ironman and Ironwoman events, lifeguards from nearly 30 agencies such as Los Angeles County, California State Parks, Huntington Beach, San Diego, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Long Beach and Santa Cruz, among many others will participate.

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The Junior Lifeguards are particularly inspiring to watch. Some as young as 9 years-old show tremendous enthusiasm, and even considerable acumen while competing. They are part of nationwide programs where thousands of youths participate as Junior Lifeguards. They are the future of lifesaving, and you can’t help but be impressed at how talented these youngsters are.

Our oceans and lakes can be a wonderful recreational resource.  Lifeguards serve our communities in an effort to reduce the number of accidents at our beaches.  In the past 50 years, more than 1.5 million lives have been saved by CSLSA-affiliated lifeguards.

In areas without lifeguard protection, drowning is a serious problem.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every day about ten people die from unintentional drowning. This year, headlines have been filled with several instances of multiple drowning deaths in rip currents in different areas of the country.

It’s a propitious time for the CSLSA.  As we celebrate our 50th anniversary and embark on a summer celebrating the profession of lifesaving, we also want beachgoers to have a memorable summer.

There are some things beachgoers can do to protect themselves and their children. (For a complete list, consult our website at www.cslsa.org).

·      Swim Near A Lifeguard

·      Never Swim Alone

·      Swim Sober

·      Don’t Dive Head First, Protect Your Neck

·      Leash Your Board

·      Don’t Fight The Current – “Break The Grip of the Rip!” – Swim parallel to the shore.

Following these suggestions can help ensure that it will be a safe day at the beach.

Michael A. Beuerlein is the President of the CSLSA, a non-profit organization based in Huntington Beach whose mission is to promote beach safety awareness and professional open-water lifesaving standards.

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