50th Anniversary for Wieland Shield: Competition + Education Highlight Ocean Lifesaving Skills

 

The California Lifesaving Team competed over three days against Surf Lifesaving Victoria in events that featured important ocean lifesaving skills, including ocean swimming, running and rescue board races. The California team fell short in an upset with the strong Victoria team. Victoria 71, California 65. 

 

Wieland Shield began in 1967, after the success of the surf-racing exhibition events in the 1956 summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Beyond the friendly competition, the event provides an opportunity for an educational exchange in subjects such as coastal lifesaving principles, emergency operations and public education. 

 

Two-time Olympian and LACoFD Ocean Lifeguard Azad Al-barazi and Ocean Lifeguard Specialist Jeff Hart took time out to support Lifesaving Victoria’s outreach efforts to teach refugees from Iraq and Syria about ocean safety. The agency plans to host 180 group activities a year to bring refugees to the beach and teach them about rip currents and water safety, and help guide them through education and career goals.

 

“I’m glad that I got to be a part of it. It was a really rewarding experience,” said Hart who especially enjoyed sharing his ocean safety expertise with the refugees, and was impacted by learning the reality of the dangerous situations they narrowly escaped in their home countries. 

 

LACoFD lifeguards also held a Q&A session about the lifesaving services they provide in California and a training event with the “nippers” — a group of young aspiring lifeguards.

 

 

Lifeguard Rescue Boat Captain Jay Butki

 

Ocean Lifeguard Specialist Jose Abasolo

Ocean Lifeguard Specialist Jeff Hart

 

Ocean Lifeguard Azad Al-barazi

Ocean Lifeguard Coral Berry

Ocean Lifeguard Ryan Bullock

Ocean Lifeguard Kelsey Cummings

Ocean Lifeguard Ryan Makuta

Ocean Lifeguard Jake Miller 

Ocean Lifeguard Jenna Solberg