Dateline: Saturday Nite, August 3, 2013; Manhattan Beach, California
The evening's events had it all: Simulated Rescues of Pier Jumpers; Junior Lifeguard Relays, Beach Flags, and, of course, the Lifeguard Taplin Medley Relay with teams from up and down the coast of Southern California, plus a really fast and keen team from Half Moon Bay from Victoria, Australia...
that have been practicing on a dory they built from measurements they took here last year. Note to their LACo Handlers/Hosts: Please confiscate all tape measuring devices this year! Thank you !
In any case, here are the photos plus a video that tell the tale of last nite's fun which included several dory's broaching and turning over in the surf... no one got hurt thankfully and it was all very exciting with the finish of the Taplin Relay going neck and neck through the final dory leg with the LACo Central Section Team running up the beach and passing the finish line first and sealing their victory!
Team Zuma "chilling" at 6:45 pm...
The Voice of the International Surf Festival, Veteran OL, Dick Douglas!
Simulated Rescue Op with Volunteer Pier Jumpers!...
And here comes the LACo PWC (aka, JetSki) to the rescue!...
JG Instructor/Coaches meet with the Race Staff...
"UCSB Swimming" (t-shirt) shout out!... Go Gauchos!...
The Announcing Team: Dick Douglas and Steve Contarsy
OL/JG Instructor/Coach, Tyler Contarsy, below, huddles with his JG's before their relays!...
The Taplin Trophy! What each team is after!...
Rookie OL, Toby Contarsy, below, flexes for the camera!...
Event Sponsor/Producer, Veteran OL, Scott Hubbell, below
JG Girls Relay Team Runners huddle and await the swimmers...
And they're off... The Girls Junior Lifeguard Taplin Medley Relay!
The first swimmers finish and tag their runner teammates...
Paddlers are next...
And the next event, is the "A" JG Taplin Relay and here's the start below...
Runners await the finishing swimmers, below
And here come the paddlers who will tag their runner teammates who will run to the finish line!...
Below, LACo Lifeguard Alumni V.I.P's!...
Beach Flag Contestant's receive instructions from Race Official/Starter, Bob Moore
Team Zuma Cheering Section Leader, aka, Veteran OL, Tom Doman, below
And here is the start of the Beach Flags competition...
At far right, Brian Costello, a NY lifeguard and National Champion in this event, head down and already charging forward ahead of the field...
LACo OLS, Joji Abesola, at far right...
Check out the lightning fast reflexes and the form of NY Lifeguard, Brian Costello, below at center of frame in the black t-shirt and striped shorts!...
And it's down to the final two contestant's. Brian Costello is in the striped shorts, with the other finalist a "Calif. State" guard from Pt. Mugu...
Costello wins, though hidden in this shot below by the guy standing in front of us...
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Team Captain's getting instructions on the final event of the evening, the Taplin Relay!...
Defending Champs, LACo Central Section Team "A", below, staying warm in their team parkas...
An encore performance of the National Anthem sung by LACo OL, Coral Kemp, below at left...
*** Video Alert ! *** Courtesy of Paul Hugoboom !
http://youtu.be/1S0ejpO2cC8
("Lifeguard national anthem Coral Kemp": The Video by & Copyright Paul Hugoboom 2013. Linked here with permission. Thanks Paul!)
We missed the start of the Taplin cuz we were tying out shoe lace... but below is the first swimmer for the "California State" team from Pt. Mugu who was in third place when he caught a monster wave all the way to the shore... passing two swimmers and giving his team at least a 30 yard advantage or more for their 2nd swimmer... He was stoked about that wave, to say the least! And drum roll please..., just in from Shane Scoggins, the name of this Calif. State Pt. Mugu lifeguard is:
Fast forward to the final dory leg... where this shot below shows the LACo Central Section Team watching its dory complete its ride into shore on a wave...
*** Video Alert ! ***
2013 Venice Taplin Relay Victory Drum Beat: The Video
http://youtu.be/1CAdXYxxtbI
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Meanwhile, other teams continue to compete and exchange dory crews...
Dory carnage ensues as well...
That's an unside down/submerged dory below that one dory man is standing on just inside the surf line!...
There's a dory underneath those two guy's at center of frame, below...
Faces in the crowd...
The Victory Team!...
Another installment (in a continuing and occasional tribute) photo featuring the two most handsome LACo Ocean Lifeguards, L2R: Tom Seth and Mel Solberg. With the hoodie on (sorry Tom), we are going to have to give the victory here to Mel.
LACo OLS (Ret.)/Professional Photographer, Joel Gitelson (at left), below with the team Captain for the Aussies who finished in Second Place in the Taplin Relay!
The View From Above... of the ringing of the Taplin Bell by each of the victory team members...
And LACo Central Team Captain, Capt. Danny Douglas, the final bell ringer, strikes the Taplin Bell nine (9) times!... for each of the victory's he has been a part of!
This is how they keep track of things up on the announcer's raised platform...
The Aussies sing a team song for the crowd while enjoying cups of Coca-Cola...
Congratulations to LACo Central Section's "A" Team on winning the 2013 Taplin Relay!
LACo Central's lead off swimmer was in first place with perhaps 40 - 50 yards to go when the 3rd place swimmer caught an outside wave all the way to shore... leaving LACo Central's swimmer in the white wash and creating a 30 yard lead for the "Calif. State" team. LACo Central's 2nd swimmer, some guy named Chad Carvin, made up the difference and it was neck and neck with the Aussies when LACo Central's 3rd swimmer, OL/Rookie, Sean Lane, hit the surf... Lane and the Aussie went mano y mano the whole distance with Sean breaking out 5 to 10 yards ahead of the Aussie, a lead which was extended big time by LACo Central's final swimmer, OL Juan Delgadillo.
LACo Central's lead paddler maintained a lead, but LACo Central's 2nd paddler, OLS Spencer Parker, increased the lead with a huge effort which included milking a wave all the way to shore. Nevertheless, by the time the final paddlers finished for both LACo Central and the Aussies, it was the Aussies who were first in the water in the dory's with a substantial 40 plus yard lead... LACo Central's first dory was fast and reduced the Aussie lead. A couple of bad luck/bad exchanges by the Aussies, however, enabled LACo Central to once again take the lead. Nevertheless, the Aussies battled back with some fast rowing so that it was neck and neck to the very end with LACo Central catching a wave before the Aussies with LACo Central OL, Ian Pruitt (see photo close up below), running up the beach and across the finish line and sealing the victory for the Defending Champs!
10-4
(All photos and video by & Copyright Will Maguire 2013, unless otherwise stated.)
Until next time.....
"County Recurrent" News
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2 comments:
Great photos!
Great stuff Will..Thanks for sharing the entire event. It was like I was on the beach seeing all the shots
P.S. as a Trojan..How did we County change from the Dwight Crum Gold and Maroon Trojan colors... to the UCLA
"powder blue and yellow" colors..
Fight On!
See ya at the USLA Event Arrive Tuesday..Again thanks for all the Blog stuff..GREAT!!
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