Will Rogers Beach hosts California Surf Lifesaving Championships

More than 800 junior lifeguards from across California competed Friday as the 46th Annual California Surf Lifesaving Championships get underway at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades.

The two-day competition, billed as the largest annual ocean lifeguard event on the West Coast, features junior lifeguards ages 9 to 17 on Friday and more than 250 professional ocean lifeguards on Saturday.

Competitors take part in events designed to test the speed, endurance and rescue skills used by ocean lifeguards, including sprint paddleboard races, rescue races, ocean swims, beach flags and surf boat competitions, according to organizers.

Lifeguards from nearly 30 agencies compete for California championship honors. Participants also strive for spots on the California Lifeguard Team, which will travel to Australia in January to compete against Life Saving Victoria in the 28th Wieland Shield Competition, organizers said.

“Fitness and endurance are required skills for ocean lifeguards,” Jay Butki, the California Surf Lifesaving Association’s lifesaving sport chair, said in a statement. “Our Lifesaving Championships are a unique event which showcases — in a competitive environment — the lifesaving techniques used daily by these lifeguards.”

The regional championships also serve as a qualifier ahead of the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships, scheduled for Aug. 4-7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The event is hosted by the Los Angeles County Surf Lifesaving Association.