Long Beach Lifeguards compete at nationals

Relay team takes home the gold for second year in a row

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The Long Beach Lifeguard Competition Team brought home the gold — again.

The United States Lifesaving Association held its National Lifeguard Championships on Aug. 7-9, and the National Junior Guard Championships on Aug. 6, in Virginia Beach, Va. Long Beach fielded a team of a little more than a dozen participants, far less than many of the other teams, but came home with plenty to be happy about — especially a back-to-back gold medal win in the landline rescue race event.

During the competition, lifeguards compete in events that reflect their beach duties. There are some running and swimming races, but also various rescue races. Long Beach competitors ranging in age from teenagers to over 70 years old brought home medals in a variety of events. But the highlight was the first place win by the landline rescue race team — Phil and Tim Cabasino, James Canner and PJ Gillespie — as it was their second year in a row winning gold, a feat not accomplished at the nationals since 1999-2000.

“The ocean has a way of making things uneven,” said team captain Phil Cabasino. “It’s not like a pool, the ocean throws a lot of variables in, so it’s hard to win once, let alone twice.”

The event involves a team of three lifeguards rescuing a person drowning. One lifeguard swims out to the victim with a buoy, and once he reaches him, the two lifeguards on the beach pull them in with fixed lines on the sand.

The competition team won a number of events throughout this season, including the Jones Beach Invitational Lifeguard Tournament, which Chief of Lifeguards Paul Gillespie said got them ready for the big event.

“I’m delighted with the way they competed,” Gillespie said.

Other gold medal winners were Jack Fuchs and John Skudin in the American Ironperson, Bobby Smith, Christopher Russo, Kyle Wilson and Nick Smith in the rescue race, and Thomas Daly in the surf ski race. Second place finishers were Thomas Daly in the board race, Jack Fuchs in the surf boat race and John Skudin in the Ironman and surf boat race. And bringing home the bronze was Thomas Carey in the 2k beach run, Lynn Volosevich in the beach flags event, Jack Fuchs in the run-swim-run event and John Skudin in the surf race.