Maui’s Junior Lifeguards Compete in State Championships

Twenty-six of this summer’s Junior Lifeguards representing five Maui County sites earned a spot in the Hawai‘i State Junior Lifeguard Championships, held Aug. 2 at Ala Moana Beach Park on O‘ahu, the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation announced. Top finishers from each age group in the Maui County District Junior Lifeguard Challenge, held July 11 and 18 at Baldwin Beach Park in Pa‘ia, were selected to represent Maui at the state championships.

A total of 86 youth registered for the ocean section of the Junior Lifeguard program this summer, and 45 registered for the pool section. Sponsored by the Department of Parks & Recreation’s Division of Aquatics, both versions of the Junior Lifeguard program were held this summer in various locations of Maui County including the north, south, west, Hana (east) districts of Maui and a program on Lana‘i.

The events are based on those used in actual lifeguard certification, including a 1,000-meter run, a 200-meter swim and a paddleboard relay, among others. The Maui County team placed fifth overall and competed in two age groups—13-14 years and 15-17 years. Most competitors placed in the top 15 for each event.

Top individual finishers for Maui were in the 13-14 girls’ age group, in which Ariel Martin from the North Maui district site placed third in the “beach flags” event. Makena Powers from the West Maui district placed third in the 1000-meter run. In the paddleboard relays, the Maui boys took fourth place in both age groups; girls placed fourth in the 13-14 age group and sixth in the 15-17.

Baldwin High School senior Bryceen Silva, who participated in the Hana program, won the overall title at the district challenge and received a surfboard as his prize, donated by Lenny Cappe of Hawaiian Island Surfboards.

The program is an American Red Cross-sponsored training program that offers students the opportunity for certification in lifeguard training, first aid and CPR, and gives youth substantial knowledge about Hawai‘i’s unique ocean conditions and marine environment. County Aquatics officials are considering offering the program during the winter intercession.

“The ocean conditions in Hawai‘i are different from anywhere else in the world,” said Junior Lifeguard Instructor and Ocean Safety Officer Brad Quinto, who accompanied the participants to Honolulu. “We teach the kids how to be safe in the ocean, and to be custodians of the sea so that their generation—and the next—can enjoy it in the future,” he said. Quinto commented that the youth also benefit from training in other practical ways. “They learn to work as a team, not just during the program, but in their own lives as well,” he said.

One of the Hana district’s adult volunteers, Haboy “Cowboy” Kahaleuahi, noted, “Our kids in Hana are so isolated, and this is such a great opportunity for them to learn about safety in our ocean. Since we don’t have a pool in Hana, the ocean is their swimming pool. It’s been an eye-opener for a lot of the kids who have never experienced something like this before.”

Other county lifeguards who accompanied the youth to O‘ahu were Ocean Safety Training Captain Jeffrey Silva (father of Bryceen), Senior Pool Guard Nani Wolfson and Safety Officers Daryl Quenga and Tamara Paltin.

Generous support from parents and community donors and proceeds of the Valley Isle Rough Water Swim helped subsidize the cost of the district competitions, as well as the travel costs for the state competitors.

For more information on the County of Maui’s Junior Lifeguard program, call 270-6138.