RECREATION
Splashing away for safety

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Lana Young, 17, and other participants in the city and county's South Shore Junior Lifeguard program sprint for the water during a drill. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser 2002 Junior Lifeguard State Championships 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 Ala Moana Beach Park, 'ewa end Events: 1,000-meter beach run, beach flags, run-swim-run, paddleboard relay, 200-meter swim Information: 589-2251

He tucked the victim under his arm and swam toward shore, saying, in his best reassuring voice, "Don't worry, buddy. You'll make it."

Yoon isn't a lifeguard. He wasn't even saving someone's life. (In fact, the "victim" he saved actually swims a lot better.) But someday he might be in position to save a life. Maybe even his own.

Yoon is one of about 500 teenagers who are taking part in the Junior Lifeguard Program this summer. The program, organized by the Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division and the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, teaches teens survival skills in both the ocean and life.

"The goal is that they become stronger, fitter and wiser around the ocean," said Mark Cunningham, program coordinator and training lieutenant for Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services. "And they learn a little bit about teamwork and cooperation."

The five-day course, led by veteran lifeguards, is designed to teach teens about water safety, rescue techniques, first aid and CPR, with an emphasis on swimming, paddleboarding and lifesaving skills. Each district — Ala Moana Beach, Kalama Beach, Poka'i Bay and 'Ehukai — has slightly different programs, tailored to each beach's distinct personality, while focusing on the same basic concepts of ocean safety.

It's like a scaled-down version of what a prospective lifeguard would go through for certification.

But more fun.

"It beats summer school," said Ka'iulani Neff, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Kamehameha Schools, about her first summer in the program.

How could it not? Spending summer at the beach, your classroom the ocean, your teacher a lifeguard.

"It's a lesson in life, too," Cunningham said. "They're learning from an adult who's not really a teacher, not their parent, but still role models in regard to staying fit and being healthy. It's hard to describe and measure, but (the lifeguards) make a big impact on the kids."

A typical day starts at 9 a.m. with a warm-up on the beach. Stretching begins a workout session that incorporates running on the sand and swimming in the ocean. Then comes the lessons, which can range from rescue training to CPR instruction to even marine identification.

But the course also serves as a way to educate young people about how to be smart — and safe — in the ocean.

"We hope they walk away from the program with a better understanding of their personal limits in the water," said lifeguard Ian Forrester, who oversees the Ala Moana program. "The worst thing you could do is go beyond what you're capable of handling."

A vast majority of rescues and injuries involve male teenagers, said Cunningham, who spent the bulk of his 26 years as a lifeguard on the North Shore.

"It's what teens do. They explore their boundaries, push the limits, see how far, how fast, how high they can go," he said.

Interest in the Junior Lifeguard Program has increased during the 10 years it has been offered, forcing organizers to expand it. And with surfing gaining popularity among females, the program has seen more girls participating.

Safety is an issue not just with teens, but for the more than 18 million people who hit the beach every year. According to the city, last year lifeguards performed 1,360 rescues and more than 90,000 cases of minor first aid. There were nearly 600 surfing accidents — half of them in Waikiki alone — and four drownings.

Yoon is a classic example of unprepared teens venturing out in unfamiliar surf spots. The first time he bodyboarded at China Walls, he just dived right in, unaware of how close he was catching waves to the rocks.

"These big waves started rolling in and I didn't know what to do," said Yoon, a 16-year-old senior at Kaiser High School. " I almost ate it on the rocks. A surfer had to help me out."

Tony Hanni, a 15-year-old sophomore at McKinley High School, who moved to Honolulu about a month ago, was hit on the head by a board surfing on the North Shore. Though forced by his parents to attend the lifeguard program, Hanni has learned a lot about the differences between the surf in Hawai'i compared to his hometown in Tampa, Fla. He's even thinking about becoming a lifeguard.

"I like to help people," he said. "I've learned how to save lives."

Though the program isn't aimed at recruiting lifeguards, some of its participants have taken up the profession years later.

Just one summer in the program convinced Cody Hesser, who become the city's youngest lifeguard a year ago. He works the towers at Ala Moana and Waikiki.

"I always wanted to be a lifeguard as a kid," said the 19-year-old from 'Alewa Heights. "The program is a good place to get more information on how to do proper rescues and about safety on the beach."

Entry fee is a suggested donation of $25 to the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association. For further information, call 589-2251, or check out www.hawaiianlifeguard.com.