Champs again: Hampton Beach lifeguards win 2023 New England Lifesaving Championship

HAMPTON — The Hampton Beach lifeguards defended their title Thursday in their first of two lifeguard competitions this summer, showing once again they have one of the finest teams in New England.

Rescue cans and boards were laid out along the shore at Hampton Beach as seven lifeguard teams from New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts competed in the New England Lifesaving Championship.

The teams competed in 12 events that showcased their lifesaving skills, earning points to determine the winner. Hampton’s team took top honors with 147 points, followed by Nauset, Massachusetts, in second with 62.5 points, and Salisbury, Massachusetts, in third place with 47.5 points.

Hampton Beach Lifeguard Chief Patrick Murphy said the event is more than a competition. It’s an opportunity to show off the hard work and training that goes into being a lifeguard and is also a community-building event for all the guards in New England.

“Everyone’s working together, everyone’s doing the same job at different places, and it’s a great day to bring everyone together,” Murphy said. "We have one of the best staff around, but all of these other beaches have them, too.”

Other teams in the contest included guards from Rye, New Hampshire, and ones from Ogunquit, Wells, and Crescent, Maine.

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Lifesaving skills on display at Hampton Beach

Events included a 2-mile soft sand race; paddle board rescue, where lifeguards need to paddle 100 meters from shore, rescue a person and paddle back; and the “iron guard,” an event that involves a 100-meter run, a 300-meter swim, another 300-meter run and then a 400-meter paddleboard section.

Hampton Beach lifeguard Allison Childs credited their win to several factors, chief among them was hometown advantage and the depth of their 80-person roster.

“We have all the numbers and different variety in our skills, so we’re able to pull more people,” said Childs, who has been a lifeguard for seven years. “Whereas some of the other beaches, they’re traveling to our beach today, so they might not be able to bring as many people. … But the guards that come here are super talented.”

Lifeguard Jena Ocean was the only guard representing Rye in the competition. She competed in many events, including placing seventh in the 500-meter swim.

Coming from a small but mighty team of 12 lifeguards at her beach, Ocean said her goal in competing was to inspire fellow guards in Rye to compete next year.

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“(I do) breathing techniques,” she said, referring to one of her preparations as a lifeguard. “I know it sounds silly, but with lifeguarding and swimming in the ocean, you have to be able to stay calm.”

Ocean, originally from California, has been a lifeguard for a decade and stresses the importance of being competent in the ocean.

“Events like this are fun, but they’re also important,” she said. “They’re important because there’s nothing more empowering than being able to go into the open ocean and feel safe and confident.”

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Training daily to keep beachgoers safe

Childs described lifeguarding as “the best summer job.”

“You get to work outside every day, and you get to workout every day as part of the job,” she said. “It’s a really rewarding job. You’re helping people, you’re saving people.”

But she and other guards note they put a lot of work into what they do.

Wells lifeguard Kyle Crothers has been a guard for almost a decade, and he trains year-round to make sure he stays in shape. He said the fun aspect of the job is what brings him back to the beach each summer.

Childs said the Hampton Beach lifeguards go through rigorous training each day to keep them in top shape.

Hampton’s training regime, Murphy explained, begins every morning at 8:45 and goes on for about an hour. From running and swimming to paddleboarding and practicing giving medical aid, he said all of it is part of making the beach a safer and better place for everyone.

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“We train for the job, we’re not training for a competition,” he said. “This isn’t about today, it’s about the summer. It’s about keeping people safe day in and day out.”

The Hampton Beach lifeguards will be defending their title again at the Northeastern Lifesaving Competition, which will take place at Ogunquit Beach on Wednesday, Aug. 9.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach lifeguards win 2023 New England Lifesaving Championship