The Nautica United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships kicked off the first day of professional competition in Virginia Beach on Thursday. The USLA crowned age group champions in the Surf Boat Race, Surf Ski Race, American Ironwoman and Ironman and Beach Flags events. Preliminary and semifinal rounds were also run for a variety of Open events.

At these National Championships, professional lifeguards from 64 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, the Monmouth County leads all competitors with 133.5 team points. LA County Surf Life Saving Association currently ranks second with 115.5 points and California State Lifeguard Association follows in third with 23. Ft. Lauderdale Ocean Rescue leads the B Division (chapters with 100 lifeguards or less) with 25.5 points.

Age group champions for each of Thursday’s Nautica 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.

Men’s 30-34 – 1. Boki Corsovic & Jose Bolivar – Hollywood Beach, Calif.

Men’s 35-39 – 1. Victor Fox & Todd Rapp – Ft. Lauderdale Ocean Rescue & Vero Beach, Fla.
Women’s 35-39 – 1. Jennifer Noonan & Denise Blair – Ft. Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla. & Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 40-44 – 1. Chris Hoch & Brian Bencie – Ft. Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
Women’s 40-44 – 1. Shelley Griffith & Sherry Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.

Men’s 45-49 – 1. Warren Towns & Dan George – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 45-49 – 1. Chris Linkletter & Ann Finley – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 50-54 – 1. Tom Greenwald & William George – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 50-54 – 1. Janet Carbin & Anne Merrill – Monmouth County, N.J. & South Jersey, N.J.

Men’s 55-59 – 1. Eldin Onsgard & Mike O’Donnell – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 60-64 – 1. Tim Gleason & Dave Pierson – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 65-69 – 1. Rick Stimpson & James Simonelli – Monmouth County, N.J
Men’s 70+ – 1. Bob Burnside & Philip Rogers – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif. & South Jersey, 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 – 1. Rich Sprout – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.
Women’s 30-34 – 1. Tandis Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 35-39 – 1. Phillip Lloyd – Destin, Fla.
Women’s 35-39 – 1. Jennifer Noonan – Ft. Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Men’s 40-44 – 1. Christopher Esibill – Destin, Fla.
Women’s 40-44 – 1. Shelley Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.

Men’s 45-49 – 1. Bruce Wilkie – Hollywood Beach, Calif.
Women’s 45-49 – 1. Chris Linkletter – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 50-54 – 1. Tom Fink – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Women’s 50-54 – 1. Deirdre Fisher – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 55-59 – 1. Nathan Shoemaker – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Men’s 60-64 – 1. John Zirckel – Sussex County, Del.
Women’s 60-64 – 1. Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.

Men’s 65-69 – 1. Joel Gitelson – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 70+ – 1. Thomas Daly – Long Beach, N.Y.

AMERICAN IRONMAN: Competitors cover a 1400 meter (approx.) course that includes a swim leg, a board leg, a solo surf boat leg, and a beach sprint finish. The sequence of legs shall be determined by draw at the commencement of each competition, at least one hour prior to the race. SWIM clockwise around the two center swim flag buoys (red to green/yellow). BOARD paddle clockwise around all the swim flag buoys and the black/white buoys. ROW a surf boat clockwise around the three buoy apex course. Competitors must pass to the outside of all buoys.

Men’s 30-34 – 1. Boki Corsovic – Hollywood Beach, Calif.
Men’s 35-39 – 1. Todd Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 40-44 – 1. Mike Barrows – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 45-49 – 1. John Luka – Boca Raton, Fla.
Men’s 50-54 – 1. Jack Fuchs – Long Beach, N.Y.
Men’s 55-59 – 1. John Skudin – Long Beach, N.Y.

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 coarse 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. Jenna Parker – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 35-39 – 1. Kim Burnop – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.
Women’s 40-44 – 1. Kim Bencie – Ft. Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
Women’s 45-49 – 1. Katie McCully – Cape Cod, Mass.
Women’s 50-54 – 1. Deirdre Fisher – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Women’s 55-59 – 1. Janet Carbin – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 60-64 – 1. Shannon Sullivan – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, 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 – 1. Christian Sears – Sussex County, Del.
Women’s 30-34 – 1. Sara Kennedy – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Men’s 35-39 – 1. Chris Hoagland – Smith Point, N.Y.
Women’s 35-39 – 1. Noami Greca – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 40-44 – 1. Ross O’Neill – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 40-44 – 1. Malia Lloyd – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 45-49 – 1. Eugene Ancheta – Kauai, Hawaii
Women’s 45-49 – 1. Lisa George – Monmounth County, N.J.

Men’s 50-54 – 1. Tim Ferry – Sussex County, Del.
Women’s 50-54 – 1. Ann Finley – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 55-59 – 1. John Kenny – Nags Head, N.C.
Women’s 55-59 – 1. Janet Carbin – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 60-64 – 1. Eldin Onsgard – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Women’s 60-64 – 1. Shannon Sullivan – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 65-69 – 1. Tim O’Donnell – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 70+ – 1. James Somers – Monmouth County, N.J.

Hosted by the Virginia Beach Lifeguard Association (VBLA), the USLA National Lifeguard Championships continue Friday, Aug. 8, at 8 a.m. ET on Virginia Beach between 27th and 30th Streets. Open finals scheduled for Friday include: Beach Flags, Boat Race, Surf Boat, Surf Race, Ironman and Ironwoman.

Admission to the Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships in Virginia Beach is free of charge.

For more information on the 2014 Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships, and for full results from day one of Nationals, visit www.nationalresults.usla.org.

Image courtesy Nautica United States Lifesaving Association