30th N.B. Waterfront Lifeguard Championships at Parlee Beach Monday

The 30th annual New Brunswick Waterfront Lifeguard Championships at ParleeBeach on Monday allowedlifeguards to show their skillsand practicefor the national competition at the end of summer.

Do it fast and do it right.- Louis Savoie, lifeguard

About 50 young athletesfrom New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. andOntario competed in the90-metre beach sprintand other events, including theCanadian Ironguard Relay Board Rescue,whichfeatureda400-metreocean swim with a simulatedrescue.

Monday's competitionis about bragging rightswho's the best lifeguardbut it's also practice for the national competition that's happening at Parlee Beach at the end of summer, Aug. 26-28.

Kathleen Belliveau, who tookpart in the competition, says it's important for all lifeguards to test themselves and to be well-rounded.

"You use these skills and practice a lot and they'll help in rescues that you actually do at the beach. So it's lots of funand it's really good practice," she said.

For Louis Savoie, Monday is all about honing his lifeguardskills tothemaximum.

"This is proving that you know what you can do and do it fast and do it right. It's showing allthe physical aspects of the job."

For James Verrault, it's also about getting ready to compete at a higherlevelon the national team.

"We train usually around 20 to 25 hours a week on top of everything else that we do, so it's like a part-time job that we're doing on the side in order to be prepared to race internationally."

According to the Lifesaving Society of New Brunswick these events are also useful for recruitment, as there is always a need for more lifeguards.