14 Athletes Selected to Represent USA at International Surf Rescue Challenge

Courtesy: United States Lifesaving Association

The United States Lifesaving Association National Team staff will take eight women and six men to challenge Australia, Japan, New Zealand and host South Africa in the 2019 International Surf Rescue Challenge (ISRC). The international surf lifesaving invitational tournament consists of three days of surf lifesaving competition. Each event tests skills surf lifesavers use every day to help protect and rescue swimmers on coastlines around the world.

The event lineup includes surf swims, board races, surf ski races, beach sprints and combinations of the aforementioned disciplines in Ocean-man and Ocean-woman individual and relay championships. In addition the Rescue Tube Rescue, Beach Flags, Board Relay and Surf Ski Relays will be conducted on each of the three days of competition. Teams are only allowed to use six male and six female athletes on each day.

The men’s team will be led by National Team superstar Hayden Hemmens of Newport Beach; the recent high point award winner at the 2019 USLA National Championships and silver medalist at the 2018 Lifesaving World Championships (LWC) in the Surf Swim. Veteran National Team members Ryan Paroz (Hampton, NY) and Chase Robertson (Palm Beach, FL) will join three first time selections on the men’s team; Hunter Hay (LA County, CA), Josh McIntire (Sussex, DE) and Mo Peacock (Wrightsville Beach, NC) the recently crowned Beach Flag national champion.

Eight elite female athletes will take on the international field led by USLA Nationals High Point winner and multiple event gold medalist Kelsey Cummings (LA County, CA). Joining Cummings to create arguably Team USA’s strongest female squad ever assembled are Amanda Calabrese (Hampton, NY), Stephanie Eisenring (Deerfield Beach, FL), Casey Francis (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Hallie Petersohn (Palm Beach, FL), Emily Ruppert (Sussex, DE), Lexi Santer (Sussex, DE) and 2018 LWC Oceanwoman finalist Jenna Solberg (LA County, CA).

The team will be led by Team Manager Tom McGibney (Volusia Countey, FL) and Head Coach Luke Turner (Destin, FL).  Staff members April Denny (San Francisco, CA) and Joji Abasolo (LA County, CA) join the staff in South Africa to support the athletes as they take on the best surf lifesaving athletes from around the world.

About the United States Lifesaving Association

The United States Lifesaving Association is America’s nonprofit professional association of beach lifeguards and open water rescuers. The USLA works to reduce the incidence of death and injury in the aquatic environment through public education, national lifeguard standards, training programs, promotion of high levels of lifeguard readiness, and other means.