Santa Barbara to Host Junior Lifeguard Competition on East Beach

The Junior Lifeguard Fiesta Invitational Competition returns to East Beach on Friday, July 14. The event, hosted by the City Parks and Recreation Department and the Santa Barbara Junior Lifeguards, is expected to draw a large crowd as California agencies from Newport Beach up to Santa Cruz go head to head in the annual competition.

Youth ages 7-17 will compete in several events, including Distance Paddle, Distance Run, Distance Swim, Paddle Relay, Run-Swim-Run, Run Relay, Beach Flags, and Taplin (swim, run, paddle).

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include a variety of vendors and educational booths, including the Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab to share about sharks and beach safety and the City of Santa Barbara Creeks Division with activities to learn about the area’s creeks as well as microplastic pollution.

The event is free and open to all California Surf Lifesaving Association (CSLSA) and United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) agencies. The public is invited to attend.

The USLA reports over 50,000 participants in junior lifeguard programs each year. The Santa Barbara Junior Lifeguards program is the area’s longest-running program, operating since 1971, and serves hundreds of local youth each summer.