The members of the Ocean City Beach Patrol spend the summer vigorously training, attending mandatory safety meetings, and manning life guard stands to protect our visitors while they enjoy our beaches and ocean. Each Beach Patrol crew operates as a team to man the 5 or 6 lifeguard stands on its assigned beach, with the crew chief stand located in the center. An assistant crew chief and up to six additional SRTs (Surf Rescue Technicians) work together under direction of the crew chief to cover all stands 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. All guards follow the same training program, so guards from any crew can work together to save lives; but Ocean City’s coastal geography creates unique working environments at each beach and each crew takes great pride in keeping its area safe.
In order to promote teamwork and crew pride, the Ocean City Beach Patrol sponsors competitions throughout the summer to encourage members to work together and practice using essential life guarding skills in high-stress situations. The 2015 Crew Competitions takes place this Saturday, July 25, beginning at 6:30pm on the beach at N. Division St.
The “Crew Comps,” as they are called, test the physical and mental toughness of beach patrol members, while giving them the chance to compete for pride in events such as the land line, paddle relay, run-swim-run relay, 400 M sprint relay, and tug of war. Not only are the Crew Comps a fantastic way to put the Beach Patrol to the test, they also give the rest of us the opportunity to thank the men and women responsible for keeping our beaches safe!
Below are the winners of last year’s competiton. Make sure to head out to this year’s to support the men and women who keep you and your family safe all summer!
2014 Crew Comp results
The overall winner of Crew Comps last summer was Crew 1 from the South. They defeated the two time defending champions from the Middle North, Crew 12 (CC DeKemper, Summers 2012 & 2013). CC Kevin Johnson and ACC Manu Ouellet, along with their well-balanced team of both rookies & veterans, were able to rise above all other challengers. The other members of Crew 1 from last year are as follows: George Buchman, Sam Duhaime-Morisette, Will Gray, John Miller, Tyler Mitchell, Jon Rothermel, and Yannick Stein-Tremblay. They secured first place with a score of 41 points. Tied for second place with 33 points were Crew 9 & Crew 17. Crew 9 was led by CC Jake Ritter and ACC Andrew Douglas and Crew 17 was led by CC Charlie Swartz and ACC Karen Hessler.
Run Swim Run
1st Crew 1
2nd Crew 9
3rd Crew 17
Land Line
1st Crew 1
2nd Crew 12
3rd Crew 8
Soft Sand Relay
1st Crew 17
2nd Crew 6
3rd Crew 9
Paddle Board Relay
1st Crew 7
2nd Crew 9
3rd Crew 1
Tug of War
1st Crew 2
2nd Crew 5
3rd Crew 1
