The United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships will be held in Daytona Beach, Fla., with more than 1,000 lifeguards and junior lifeguards from across the country competing for individual and team honors, Wednesday, Aug. 9 through Saturday, Aug. 12.
Professional Lifeguards ranging in age from 16 to 80 and Junior Lifeguards from ages nine to 15 will compete in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills in a myriad of events from surf swims to beach runs; paddleboards to surf boats. A few of the highlights include the Landline Rescue Relay, Ironman and Ironwoman events, Beach Flags and the 4×100 relay, a shuttle-run-style competition that is called “the fastest event on sand.”
“The USLA is proud to bring together the best of the best in lifesaving for what promises to be an exciting National Championship event in Daytona Beach,” said Ed Zebrowski, Lifesaving Sport Chair for the USLA. “It’s an action packed four days where beach visitors and lifeguards alike can enjoy a wide range of expert skills – skills that save lives year-round in our waters nationwide. These lifeguards are dedicated in their training, not just for the competition but to also be able to protect and serve their fellow beach-goers.”
Competitors at Nationals will be chasing the 2016 defending champions from LA County. The LA County Surf Life Saving Association captured the overall title last August in Hermosa Beach, Calif. LA County has won 28 titles over the past 29 years.
Admission is free for the annual competition, which will take place in front of the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Village (100 N. Atlantic Ave.). The USLA and the Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association in conjunction with the Volusia County’s Beach Safety Division are coordinating the competition.
The men and women will compete over three days from Thursday, Aug. 10 to Saturday, Aug. 12 in various events. The Junior Guards are participants in programs conducted by local lifeguard agencies affiliated with the USLA and represent the future lifeguards for cities and counties. The Junior Lifeguard competition as well as the Under-19 competition will take place onWednesday, Aug. 9.
The Junior Lifeguard competition will involve three divisions – A Division for 14 and 15 year-olds, B Division for 12 and 13 year-olds and the C Division for 9 through 11 years of age. The Under-19 competition will be comprised of both junior and professional lifeguards ages 16 through 18.
The 2017 USLA National Lifeguard Championships will be livestreamed onwww.usla.org.
About USLA
The United States Lifesaving Association is America’s nonprofit professional association of beach lifeguards and open water rescuers. 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. Lifeguard competition in the U.S. owes its heritage to the Surf Lifesaving competitions in Australia. The first National Lifeguard Competition under the USLA banner was held in San Diego in August of 1980, bringing members of the various chapters from around the nation to compete. There are now more than 100 chapters of USLA, each affiliated with local lifesaving services and beach patrols, and composed of employees of these organizations. For more information, please visit www.uslanationals.org.
Press Release courtesy of USLA.
The National championship is wide open, in my opinion, this year. If L.A. County wins, it will be a big, huge upset.