Junior Lifeguard Olympics frenzy in the froth, insanity in the sand

A rolling swell and a gentle wind welcomed a summer school of junior lifeguards Aug. 8 on the beach at Baltimore Avenue for the annual Junior Lifeguard Olympics competitions.

Scores of young juniors, both girls and boys, competed under the banner of their beach patrol. Age began at 8 and under and went all the way up to 15.

Rehoboth Beach easily had the most junior guards with Dewey, the state parks, Bethany and Fenwick also represented.

The summer swimming, running and safety skills program, culminating in the Olympics competition extravaganza, has become very popular with athletes, their parents and the young adult lifeguards who provide the teaching and leadership. They benefit by giving back to kids who really look up to them.

Organized chaos was how some parents described the competitions that last three hours, and digitized results were not available a day later as apparently they do not exist. But placement was important in real time, as the athletes really got after it.

The competition began with age-group distance runs, which were closer to soft sand sprints with a 180-degree turn halfway into it. And that was followed by a swim out to a chain of lifeguards and then a return to the beach. The number of competitors was counted off prior to the race to make sure they all came back. There were also lifeguards on boards in the water as a double safety check.   

The last hour of the competition was under the refracted lights of the Boardwalk and included sprint relays and the always-popular beach flags.