Applying acquired skills

BALBOA PENINSULA — Chase Braun turned a subtle shade of blue as he shivered on the shores of Balboa Peninsula.

But it was worth it.

The 9-year-old, freckle-faced Newport Beach boy had just completed his first swim around the Balboa Pier with hundreds of his friends, and he came in first place for his age group.

Every Thursday, the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguards program holds a competition day for the kids so they can apply the skills they have learned.

“It was cool and nauseous at the same time,” Chase said between shivers. “I felt dizzy from working so hard.”

His older brother, Ryan, came in first in another age group.

They may not be old enough to apply for a lifeguard job next year, but these kids can really hustle. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., the kids pushed past each other for a top spot in the surf. The swim took about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on age and experience.

Lifeguard camp counselors kept a watchful eye on the hundreds of kids as they scrambled for the water on the north side of the pier and continued the nearly quarter-mile swim around the tip and to shore on the south side.

For many of the 600 kids in the morning group, like Presley Pender, this was not their first trip around the boardwalk. Presley, who finished first among 12- to 13-year-olds, completed her fourth swim around the pier on Thursday.

“Running into the water, everyone’s on top of each other,” she said.

Presley’s winning strategy involved pacing herself for the first part of the trek and then accelerating as she rounded the pier.

She was motivated more by fear than competition. As her group rounded the most far-off point of the pier, a number of heckling swimmers yelled “seal” or “shark” to psyche out their competition.

“I was out way too far and everyone’s yelling,” she said. “I just wanted to get out of the water. My feet were numb.”

Chase agreed, saying he just kept trying not to focus on the “stuff below” and just looked toward the shore.

The camp has a number of activities planned for the next six weeks, including a run to the Wedge, and a jump off the pier.

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