Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Beach buddies
Teens compete in lifesaving skills.
About 150 teenagers who had been awake since dawn were alert and full of energy as they put their lifesaving skills to the test Saturday.
Teens competing in the James P. “Mac” McCarthy Memorial Regional Lifesaving Championships in Delray Beach participated in races on foot or on a surfboard in the ocean.
They also demonstrated their ability to spot a riptide or perform CPR, said Phil Wotton, division chief for Delray Beach Ocean Rescue.
“It gives kids their first taste of what it takes to be a lifeguard, and builds a lot of enthusiasm,” he said of the yearly competition, which a different city hosts each year.
Competitors demonstrate lifesaving skills in each event, from running to paddling to swimming, he said.
The regional championship is the culmination of an entire season of lifeguard competitions hosted by the United States Lifesaving Association’s Southeast Region.
Saturday’s event was the junior competition, which allows contestants ages 9 to 19 to join teams during the summer and compete in various matches.
Those who qualified Saturday will go on to the national competition in Daytona Beach next month, said Lieutenant Heather Posta, of Delray Beach Ocean Rescue.
Her 12-year-old daughter, Leah Irurzun, won first place in the Beach Flag event, which uses sticks on the sand in a similar fashion to musical chairs.
One less stick is placed on the ground than the number of competitors in the group, and participants must grab a flag
while lying facedown and balancing on their elbows.
Her victory qualified her for the national championships.
She also won third place in a relay race.
Irurzun said she wants to be a lifeguard when she’s older.
The competition is a fun learning experience, she said.