Life guard races are a unique South Jersey Tradition

[Art Haberland]

I had no idea. I thought any time you had several beach towns nearby, you would get races.

https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/south-jersey-lifeguard-races-are-a-unique-south-jersey-tradition/article_5d7bc6f6-1808-11ed-b776-67ba50dbffa8.html

[Jim Bow]

I always associated Lifeguard Competitions with Australia.

[Breakaway]

Well, our lifeguards compete, too.



Kevin

[Joe (SoCal)]

Living in SoCal I’ve never seen more professional, athletic, intensely serious lifeguards. They never walk ANYWHERE they run. They don’t whistle they run and yell. I’ve personally seen them rescue, kids, old people, tourists, locals, even surfers caught in riptides and heavy surf.

[gypsie]

Run and yell hey? Sounds like panic to me, not something we'd do when calm is called for.

we're a surf rescue family, two volunteers with their recently acquired 100% patrol attendances (not me).
the training is exhilarating; driving RIB's in the breaking surf. ATV's on the beach, jet skis. Swimming out through rips and getting back in. Coalcliff is our beach, effing stupidly dangerous. By the time son #1 was 12 he'd already plucked a near drowned person from their .... distress. Man to man, in the water. He never yells, ever. Always quiet, understated and stupidly fit. Exactly the kind of person you want to pop up next to you while your being pounded insensibly by a medium you don't understand.

he doesn't compete but most everyone else does.

[Mcjim]

Pretty common in NZ as well
There are at least six active surf life saving clubs around Christchurch, which is fairly surprising given the temperature of the water.