All photos courtesy of Volusia County Beach Safety | James P. “Mac” McCarthy Regional Surf Lifesaving Championships
Showcasing a sport is the best way to drive participation. It is, after all, how the term, “Olympic bounce,” was invented and why archery took off in the wake of the Hunger Games movies. Communities nationwide have had difficulty recruiting lifeguards so here’s a concept out of Volusia County, Florida: a lifeguard competition.
Volusia County Beach Safety and the Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association will host the 2025 James P. “Mac” McCarthy Regional Surf Lifesaving Championships on July 23 and 24. The event is described as “a high-energy, two-day competition spotlighting the skill, endurance and lifesaving expertise of Florida’s top lifeguards.”
“The event has been running since 1976,” says A.J. Miller, Deputy Chief of Volusia County Beach Safety, “and it rotates to a new beach each year in Florida.”
This is not small stuff, either. More than 200 lifeguards are expected to go head-to-head on the beach outside the Hard Rock Hotel in Daytona Beach.
Oh, and by the way, in addition to co-hosting the event, Volusia County Beach Safety will field its own team, joining fellow lifeguards in a series of water-based challenges, beach sprints and relay races, all designed to mirror the real-life demands of professional lifesaving.
Featured events, Miller adds, include “swimming, paddling, running, surf rescue, paddleboard, surfski and rowing.”
And in case you were wondering, this is not an esoteric concept. The United States Lifesaving Association offers its national championships each year; in fact, the event was profiled in the SDM Blitz in 2017.
The United States Lifesaving Association was founded in 1964 as a result of lessons learned by a team of lifeguards who visited Australia to compete in an international event. The competitive pursuit of lifesaving sport was created primarily to encourage lifesavers to develop, maintain and improve the essential physical and mental skills needed to save lives in the aquatic environment.
Every two years, the International Life Saving Federation offers its world championships. Additionally, the quadrennial World Games also include lifesaving, and lifesaving is being mentioned as a possible showcase sport in Brisbane during the 2032 Olympics.
But back to Volusia. This competition on Daytona Beach is a spectator sport, and visitors are being invited to show up and, with any luck, be inspired to pursue lifeguarding certifications. In fact, says Miller, that is “absolutely” a goal, and to prove it, the organization produces an event for younger guards (and guard wannabes), also in Volusia.
“We are also hosting the Junior Lifeguard Regional Championship on July 26th at the same location,” Miller notes. “This showcases junior lifeguards ages six to 17.”
To broaden the reach, competition will be livestreamed on the Volusia County Beaches Facebook and YouTube pages, with Volusia officials noting, “Viewers can expect play-by-play commentary, enhanced coverage of featured events, and exclusive pre- and post-race interviews with competing lifeguards, bringing the energy and excitement of the championships directly to their screens.”
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