Courtesy: United States Lifesaving Association
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The 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, American Ironwoman, American Ironman and Beach Flags events. Preliminary and semifinal rounds were also run for a variety of Open events, and the Women’s Open surf boat race champion was also crowned.
At the Jersey Mike’s 2019 USLA National Lifeguard Championships, professional lifeguards from more than 50 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, Monmouth County (N.J.) leads all competitors with 155 team points. LA County Surf Life Saving Association (Calif.) currently ranks second with 89 points and Outer Banks (N.C.) follows in third with 46. Boca Raton (Fla.) leads the B Division (chapters with 100 lifeguards or less) with 45 points.
Age group champions for each of Thursday’s 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.
Women’s Open
Sherry Griffith & Shelley Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.
Lesley Shahan & Stephanie Eisenring – Pompano Beach/Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Tiffany LaCasse-Johnson & Jillian Kenney – Palm Beach County/Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Men’s 30-34
Danny Repass & Kevin Jones – Boca Raton, Fla.
Women’s 30-34
1. Alexandre O’Connor & Brittany Austin – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue/Miami Beach, Fla.
Men’s 35-39
Boki Corsovic & Jose Bolivar – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Men’s 40-44
1. Jack Green & Mike Barrows – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 40-44
Denise Blair & Jennifer Noonam – Monmouth County, N.J./LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Men’s 45-49
1. Shaun Gibson & Wade Rickerson – Deerfield Beach/Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
Women’s 45-49
1. Sherri Griffith & Shelley Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.
Men’s 50-54
William George & Dan George – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 55-59
Mark Racioppi & Tom Greenwald – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 60-64
John Kenny & Mark Myhre – Outer Banks, N.C./Town of Palm Beach, Fla.
Men’s 65-69
Bert Soden & Dale Adama – Miami Beach, Fla./California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Men’s 70+
James F. Simonelli & Rick Stimpson – 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 – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Women’s 30-34
Kim Robertson – Palm Beach County, Fla.
Men’s 35-39
AJ Miller – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Women’s 35-39
Tandis Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Men’s 40-44
Phill Lloyd – Outer Banks, N.C.
Women’s 40-44
Jennifer Noonan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Men’s 45-49
Javier Mayor – Miami Beach, Fla.
Women’s 45-49
1. Michelle Davidson – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 50-54
Bruce Wilkie – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Men’s 55-59
1. Patrick Hemmens – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Women’s 55-59
1. Ann Finley – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Men’s 60-64
Daniel Berube – Canada (International Competitor)
Women’s 65-69
1. Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.
Men’s 65-69
Dale Adama – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Men’s 70+
Joel Gitelson – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
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
Alex Triani – Smith Point, N.Y.
Women’s 30-34
Kristen DiTommaso – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 35-39
Matthew Lynskey – Palm Beach County, Fla.
Women’s 35-39
Tandis Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Men’s 40-44
Shaub Buen – Outer Banks, N.C.
Women’s 40-44
Sylvia Wolff – Outer Banks, N.C.
Men’s 45-49
Bryon Iveson – Jax Beach, Fla.
Women’s 45-49
Robyn Skove – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Men’s 50-54
Thomas Wright – Jax Beach, Fla.
Women’s 50-54
Caryn Kaub – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 55-59
Mark Racioppi – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 55-59
Ann Finley – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Men’s 60-64
John Kenny – Outer Banks, N.C.
Women’s 60-64
1. Vanessa Edwardes – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Men’s 65-69
Jim Emery – Jax Beach, Fla.
Women’s 65-69
1. Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.
Men’s 70+
Rick Stimpson – Monmouth County, N.J.
AMERICAN IRONMAN: Competitors cover a 1400 m (approx.) course that includes a swim leg, a board leg, a solo surfboat leg, and a beach sprint finish. Conditions of racing each leg are as generally required for the individual conditions of that discipline including the rules governing the component disciplines: surfboats, board races, surf races, beach sprints. The sequence of legs shall be determined by draw at the commencement of each competition at least one hour prior to the race. The same ballot shall determine the order of legs for the Ironman and Taplin Relay. If the surf boat leg is first, competitors will start with a typical Surfboat start with a handler.
Men’s 30-34
Jeff Noell – Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Men’s 35-39
Boki Corsovic – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Men’s 40-44
Todd Subol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 45-49
Wade Rickerson – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
Men’s 50-54
Mel Solberg – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Men’s 55-59
David Griffith – Sussex County, Del.
Men’s 60-64
John Skudin – Long Beach, N.Y.
Men’s 65-69
Mark Myhre – Town of Palm Beach, Fla.
Men’s 70+
1. Joel Gitelson – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
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 course 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
1. Alexandre O’Connor – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
Women’s 40-44
Jennifer Noonan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Women’s 45-49
1. Michelle Davidson – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 60-64
Janet Carbin – Monmouth County, N.J.
Hosted by the Virginia Beach Lifeguard Association in conjunction with the city of Virginia Beach, the Jersey Mike’s USLA National Lifeguard Championships continue Friday at 8 a.m. ET between 27th and 30th street on the Virginia Beach oceanfront
The week’s marquee event, Beach Flags, will be contested under the lights on the beach on 24th street tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Four United States Marines will be honored by the USLA with Heroic Act Awards for their involvement in the rescue of Ali Joy and her two daughters last year after they were caught in a rip current.
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 USLA National Lifeguard Championships in Virginia Beach is free of charge.
For more information on the USLA National Lifeguard Championships and full results from today’s National Lifeguard Championships, visit www.usla.org/nationals.
