Lifeguards face off in surf wars at regional contest

Laguna Beach Lifeguard Assn. team members placed in the top three of nine events at the California Surf Lifesaving Assn.’s 2015 Regional Lifeguard Championships.

More than 275 ocean lifeguards from across the state competed in the annual event Saturday at Huntington State Beach.

Laguna’s Camerin Zuziak placed first in the men’s 2k beach run. Scott Diederich placed first in the men’s 45-49 iron person, board race and surf ski race and second in the 45-49 surf race.

The team of Ally McCormick, Erin Kothlow, Faith Hale and Madison Himler placed first in the women’s rescue race.

The team of Zuziak, Diederich and Peter Hogan placed second in the men’s open board relay and with the addition of Jacob Lear placed second in the taplan relay.

Representatives of nearly 30 agencies, including the Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, San Diego, Long Beach, Orange County, Los Angeles County and California state lifeguard associations, participated in surf swims, run-swim-runs, beach runs, rescue paddleboard races, dory (surf boat) races, Ironman (dory, swim, paddleboard) and Ironwoman (swim, paddleboard, beach run) events and more.

Eleven lifeguards from Victoria, Australia, also competed.

—Rob Vardon