Junior Guards go to Capitola Beach – Santa Cruz Sentinel

Twin Lakes State Parks Junior Guard Zoe Townsend, second from left, arrives ahead of the pack to survive another heat of the B Division girls flag competition at Capitola Beach on Wednesday. Hundreds of junior guards from Capitola and Santa Cruz, as well as State Parks units from Half Moon Bay, Monterey, Rio Del Mar and Twin Lakes, competed in a day of swimming, running, paddling and other events at the competition hosted by Capitola Junior Guards. Founded in 1980, the Capitola Junior Lifeguard program is a physically challenging, competitive program that provides instruction in the fundamentals of ocean water safety, first aid, lifesaving, fitness and good sportsmanship. Daily activities for the junior guard include open water swimming, paddle boarding, body surfing, mock rescues, beach and water play, gymnastics and drills. Santa Cruz City Junior Guards will host the 2024 NorCal Championships at Main Beach July 17-18. (Shmuel Thaler-Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Twin Lakes State Parks Junior Guard Zoe Townsend, second from left, arrives ahead of the group to survive another heat of the B-Division girls flag competition Wednesday at Capitola Beach. Hundreds of junior guards from Capitola and Santa Cruz, as well as State Parks units from Half Moon Bay, Monterey, Rio Del Mar and Twin Lakes, competed in a day of swimming, running, paddling and other events in the competition hosted by Capitola Junior Guards. Founded in 1980, the Capitola Junior Lifeguard program is a physically challenging, competitive program that provides instruction in the fundamentals of ocean water safety, first aid, lifesaving, fitness and good sportsmanship. Daily activities for the junior guard include open water swimming, paddle boarding, body surfing, mock rescues, beach and water games, calisthenics and drills. Santa Cruz City Junior Guards will host the 2024 NorCal Championships at Main Beach on July 17-18. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)