NEWPORT BEACH – Jellyfish made out of umbrellas, sharks, mermaids, clownfish and at least one Aquaman congregated near the Balboa Pier Thursday morning.
About 1,300 Newport Beach junior lifeguards participated in the 2015 Monster Mile competition, one of the final events in the seven-week summer program. After showing off their costumes – based on the event’s theme “Creatures of the Deep” – they readied themselves to compete in a one-mile beach run and one-mile swim near the Balboa Pier.
Top finishers in each of the four age divisions swam ashore to huge cheers from onlookers in roughly half an hour.
Eleven-year-old Ryan McManigal, who placed first in his age division after finishing the course in just over 30 minutes, said it felt good to get into the water after a sweltering run on the beach.
“It was really fun,” McManigal said.
Newport Beach Fire Department Assistant Chief Rob Williams, who heads up Marine Operations, said the event showed off the hard work the participants put into the Junior Lifeguard Program, which teaches ocean safety and training to children ages 9 through 16.
“I think they feel a lot of pride,” Williams said. “They get to feel like part of a team.”
Newport Beach resident Cadence Gronski, 12, said she’s been participating in junior guards for three or four years.
“It’s fun to meet other people and really relate to our instructors,” Gronski said.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7990 or mnicolai@ocregister.com
