DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 6, 2015) — The Nautica United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships kicked off the first day of professional competition on Thursday. The USLA crowned age group champions in the Surf Boat Race, Surf Ski Race, Ironperson and Beach Flags events. Preliminary and semifinal rounds were also run for a variety of Open events.
At the 2015 Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships, professional lifeguards from 55 USLA chapters around the country are competing for individual and team honors in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills. After day one of competition, LA County Surf Life Saving Association leads all competitors with 106.50 team points. Monmouth County (N.J.) currently ranks second with 96.50 points and Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association follows in third with 24. Wrightsville Beach (N.C.) leads the B Division (chapters with 100 lifeguards or less) with eight points.
Age group champions for each of Thursday’s Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships events follow:
SURF BOAT RACE: Two person surf boat teams row around the three outside buoy courses returning to shore where one member disembarks from the boat and runs up to touch the line. Once across the touchline, the member can return to their surf boat for a second lap, repeating the touch line run. At the finish of the third lap, one member must leave the boat and run up and across the finish line. Three lap races are approximately 2,000 meters with each lap approximately 665 meters.
Men’s 30-34
- Boki Corsovic & Jose Bolivar – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Women’s 30-34
- Crystal Haire & Jennifer Noonan – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue & Delray Beach Ocean Rescue, Fla.
Men’s 35-39
- Danny Repass & Todd Rapp – Delray Beach Ocean Rescue & Vero Beach, Fla.
Women’s 35-39
- Cindy Fajardo & Aline Paterson –Sussex County, Del. & Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Men’s 40-44
- Chris Hoch & Mitchell McCrady – Ft. Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
Women’s 40-44
- Shelley Griffith & Sherry Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.
Men’s 45-49
- Tim Fry & Mike Clark – Boca Raton, Fla.
Women’s 45-49
- Janet Carbin & Michelle Davidson – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 50-54
- William George Sr. & Danny George – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 50-54
- Ann Finley & Deirdre Fisher – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 55-59
- Mitch Kahn & Mike O’Donnell – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 60-64
- John McEntee & Robert Asay – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 65-69
- Rick Stimpson & James Simonelli – Monmouth County, N.J
Men’s 70+
- David Bew & James Somers –Atlantic Beach, Fla. & Monmouth County, N.J.
SURF SKI: Competitors steady their skis in line in knee-deep water about 1.5 meters apart. Competitors must obey directions from the starter or check starter concerning ski alignment at the start. On the starting signal, competitors paddle their skis around the apex course marked by three red buoys in a clockwise direction and return to finish when any part of the ski crosses the in-water finish line – ridden, gripped or carried by the competitor. Competitors may lose contact with their ski without necessarily being disqualified.
Men’s 30-34
- Hunter Hay – Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
Women’s 30-34
- Tandis Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 35-39
- Phill Lloyd – Destin, Fla.
Women’s 35-39
- Maria Bird – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 40-44
- Javier Mayor – Miami Beach, Fla.
Women’s 40-44
- Jennifer Noonan – Delray Beach Ocean Rescue, Fla.
Men’s 45-49
- Rob Pelkey – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Women’s 45-49
- Michelle Davidson – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 50-54
- Patrick Hemmens – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.
Women’s 50-54
- Deirdre Fisher – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 55-59
- Mitch Kahn -– LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Women’s 55-59
- Shari Latta – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 60-64
- Mark Myhre – Town of Palm Beach, Fla.
Women’s 60-64
- Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.
Men’s 65-69
- Rob Wallace – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Men’s 70+
- John Sink – Monmouth County, N.J.
BEACH FLAGS: From a prone starting position on the beach, competitors rise, turn and race to obtain a baton (beach flag) buried upright in the sand approximately 20 meters away. Since there are always fewer batons than competitors, those who fail to obtain a baton are eliminated.
Men’s 30-34
- Patrick Jacobson – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Women’s 30-34
- Kristen DiTommaso – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 35-39
- Jose Rene Abasolo – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Women’s 35-39
- Noami Greca – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 40-44
- Bryon Iveson – Jax Beach, Fla.
Women’s 40-44
- Tamra Morris – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Men’s 45-49
- Rian Klenke – Boca Raton, Fla.
Women’s 45-49
- Chris Linkletter – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 50-54
- Tim Ferry – Sussex County, Del.
Women’s 50-54
- Ann Finley – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 55-59
- John Gepp – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 55-59
- Janet Carbin – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 60-64
- Mark Myhre – Town of Palm Beach, Fla.
Women’s 60-64
- Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.
Men’s 65-69
- Rob Wallace – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Men’s 70+
- Timothy O’Donnell – Monmouth County, N.J.
AMERICAN IRONWOMAN: Competitors cover a 950 meter (approx.) course that includes a swim leg, a board leg, and a beach sprint finish. SWIM clockwise around the two center swim flag buoys (red to green/yellow). Competitors will BOARD paddle clockwise around the swim flag buoys and the black/white buoys. The start will be at the left end of the coarse facing down the beach. The competitors will RUN down the beach 100 meters to a flag in the middle of the course. After rounding the center flag, the competitors enter the water for the swim.
Women’s 30-34
- Mallory Kennedy – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Women’s 35-39
- Emily Hagen – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.
Women’s 40-44
- Cindy Fajardo – Sussex County, Del.
Women’s 45-49
- Michelle Davidson – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 50-54
- Deirdre Fisher – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Women’s 55-59
- Janet Carbin – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 60-64
- Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.
Hosted by the Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association in conjunction with the Volusia County’s Beach Safety Division, the USLA National Lifeguard Championships continue Friday at 8 a.m. ET on Daytona Beach in front of the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Village (100 N. Atlantic Ave.).
From Thursday to Saturday, professional lifeguards from a number of USLA chapters across the country will compete for individual and team honors in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills including surf swims, beach runs, paddleboard races, landline rescue relays, a taplin relay, board rescue races, beach flags, and Ironman and Ironwoman races.
Admission to the Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships in Daytona Beach is free of charge.
For more information on the Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships and full results from today’s National Lifeguard Championships, visit www.nationalresults.usla.org. The event is livestreamed on www.usla.org.
Swimming news courtesy of USLA.
