SeeCalifornia.com

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. — While loudspeakers blared, hundreds of thousands of people converged and traffic snarled near the Huntington Beach Pier for the US Open of Surfing final weekend, just blocks away in serene Lake Park, Junior Lifeguards ate pancakes.

Huntington Beach Host Lions Club made 1,200 pancake meals for the 27th annual Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard Program Pancake Breakfast fundraiser, benefiting what’s considered the best Jr. Guard agency in the world.

With more than 20 such programs in California and hundreds worldwide, HB’s program (established in 1964)  averages 1,100 attendees per year and hosts students from Germany, France, England, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico; and states such as Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, New York, Utah and Florida.

Holding tryouts each May, qualified students age 9 to 17 years are selected by ability to swim underwater 10 yards, tread water for 5 minutes and swim 100 yards in less than 2 minutes. While not all attendees pursue careers as lifeguards, many have found their experiences helpful on resumes and job applications.

The next time you see kids wearing brightly colored swim caps at a Jr. Lifeguard Program camp, be glad that such programs exist to help youth train for important jobs of protecting and saving lives at beaches and lakes. According to national statistics of 85 reporting agencies more than 50,000 rescues and several million medical aids occur by U.S. lifeguards each year.

Here are some beach safety tips for your next trip!