The United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships have made a long-awaited return to Huntington State Beach, marking the event’s first occurrence here since 2010.
The ocean was buzzing with energy on Thursday, as sizable waves rolled in, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity to the competitors from across the nation.
Skip Prosser, the USLA scoring director and a seasoned lifeguard from Long Beach, expressed mixed sentiments about the conditions, stating, “The conditions are pretty rough. I mean, the waves are probably 5 to 6 foot… There were a lot of wide open eyes and jaws dropping from the East Coast people. They’re not used to this at all.”
Despite the challenging surf, the competition proceeded at its designated location between Beach Boulevard and Newland Street.
The event kicked off with the National Junior Lifeguard Championships on Wednesday, drawing around 300 young participants who showcased their skills in various events.
As for the National Lifeguard Championships, which feature between 450 to 500 competitors, the action began on Thursday and is set to continue through Sunday.
Among the competitors, Bailey Noel from Delaware made a splash, taking first place in his men’s surf race heat on Thursday morning.
Reflecting on the surf conditions, Noel, 38, acknowledged, “This surf is a little bit bigger, for sure, than what we’re used to in Delaware. But we all love the sport of surf lifesaving, and we train all year. This is just a little bit of fun.
“It does put things into perspective. If a person is out there and they need help, we have to be ready at a moment’s notice, just go out there and help them. But we train for it all year, so we’re ready.”
Due to safety concerns, the surfboat races have been postponed by a day, as officials prioritized the well-being of competitors.
Montana George, a Huntington State Beach lifeguard and 22-year-old from Carson, expressed her excitement about competing at a home venue.
Representing the California State Lifeguard Association, George highlighted the significant presence of over 80 California competitors at the national level.
“From what I was told from some of the older guys, we’ve never had surf this big at nationals before,” she noted, adding that this was her third national championships and she previously competed in the Lifesaving World Championships in Australia.
“Having it at Huntington just makes everyone excited, I think. It’s been a big summer in Huntington, but last week we had like half-a-foot waves. As much as I’ve had the advantage of being here all summer, training last week I had no surf to train in. It’s super fun to see how fast the conditions can change. I think today or [Friday] is going to be the biggest day, and it’s going to be a little bit smaller on Saturday.”
As the national championships unfold, events will include beach course races on the sand, along with challenging water courses and boat and ski race events.
Prosser emphasized the spirit of the championships as a culmination of the lifeguards’ dedication and hard work throughout the year.
“It’s good, it’s a time to see old friends,” he remarked.
“Every year I get to see people that I don’t see for a year, I don’t talk to for a year. I have people from my own chapter that are meeting friends here, and they’re going to team up on events that you can team up. It’s just the camaraderie. There’s a lot of friendships that go back a long, long time.”
image source from：latimes
