In the first race of a two-day lifeguard competition on Daytona Beach, an Australian made it to the checkered flag first.
Jack Eveleigh, 21, defeated lifeguards from Florida in the “Surf Swim Race,” an “ocean swim course testing strength, navigation and wave strategy.”
The July 23 race marked the kickoff to the 2025 James P. “Mac” McCarthy Regional Surf Lifesaving Championships at 8 a.m. next to the Hard Rock Hotel at 918 N. Atlantic Ave. The competition pits lifeguards from teams primarily based in Florida, and at least one team from Alabama, against each other in skills competitions that showcase their lifesaving abilities, officials said.
Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue and the Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association are co-hosting the event, and Beach Safety has a team in the competition.
Eveleigh represented Destin, where he’s temporarily serving as a lifeguard until September. Back home, Eveleigh is a lifeguard for the Gold Coast, where he’s used to facing bigger waves.
The race started off tricky with Eveleigh swimming the wrong way, but he managed to come out on top.
“Just happy to be here. Good fun with all the crew. And, yeah, came for a couple of days of racing,” he said.
How do I watch Daytona Beach lifeguard competition?
People can watch more than 200 lifeguards compete for free live at the beach ― bring your own seats and supplies ― or watch a live stream of the events at facebook.com/VolusiaBeaches. Events include both on-beach races and ocean competitions.
Events were planned from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, and 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 24.
A full schedule of events is at volusia.org/lifeguardchampionships.
One highlight will be the Beach Flags Finals at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Volusia County Beach Safety Director Tammy Malphurs said.
Volusia County has a team of about 50 people competing in this year’s events.
“We’re just ready to rock and roll,” Malphurs said.
Malphurs, a familiar face in the news and on the beaches, was scheduled to compete in a board race.
“The board simulates a rescue board. A lot of times, we have to use those rescue boards when we have people that are really far out,” she said.
Competition winners don’t get a cash prize, but they do get bragging rights, said Don May, head competition official for the United States Lifesaving Association.
The point of the competition, in part, is to experience the “camaraderie,” May said.
“Get together with everybody, showcase the skills that all ocean lifeguards have to have in order to do their everyday jobs,” he said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: First race of lifeguard competition on Daytona Beach goes to Australian
Reporting by Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
