PHOTO GALLERY INTRO: Santa Barbara hosted its Fiesta Junior Lifeguard Competition on Friday, an Old Spanish Days tradition dating back to the 1970s. Twelve agencies from Southern and Central California brought teams to East Beach to compete in a variety of beach and ocean events.
Some of the day’s highlights included Ventura’s Troy Kauffman and Santa Barbara’s Vanessa Lytle winning the A Division Run-Swim-Run race.
Santa Barbara Jr. Guards Supervisor Rich Hanna called it the premier individual event.
“Because it mirrors what a lifeguard would do on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
Other events included the Taplin Relay – a 6-person race incorporating running, swimming and paddle board – and the popular Beach Flags, a contest of quickness and running in soft sand. Ben Kyle clinched a victory for Santa Barbara on the final point of one game.
“It was pretty insane,” Kyle said. “I saw him get up and I was like, ‘yea, I got a good start,’ and I was in front of him the entire time just trying to block him out. And I had a really good dive, so I was like, ‘Dude I’m stoked to win’.”
Kyle was mobbed by teammates for grabbing the game-winning flag.
“That’s the best part. Everyone supporting you on the sidelines.”
Kyle explained what he liked about Beach Flags.
“It’s really fun. It has a lot of pressure to it and it just brings so much joy.”
Local programs competing were Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Hendry’s and UCSB.
Ben Kyle gets to the flag first and wins a game of Beach Flag for Santa Barbara.
Teammates communicate during the paddle relay.
In was a fast sprint to the water in the Boys A Distance Swim.
It was a much bigger group in the B Division Distance Swim
East Beach Cheering Section
The Run-Swim-Run race is one of the toughest individual competitions of the day.
The 6-person co-ed sand relay includes a baton handoff.
A winning Beach Flag team celebrates a clutch victory.
The Taplin relay is a six-person relay consisting of a beach run, ocean swim, and ocean paddle.
Vanessa Lytle won the girls A Division Run-Swim-Run race.
Ventura’s Troy Kauffman won the Boys A Division Run-Swim-Run
