SUN VALLEY : 60 Aspiring Lifeguards Pool Their Talents

Call it sink-or-swim time for about 60 aspiring lifeguards from a dozen city pools in the San Fernando Valley.

After a summer of courses in lifesaving, advanced swimming, basic and emergency water safety and skin-diving, youngsters ages 12 through 17 got a chance to see who’s king of the pool Thursday at the annual Junior Lifeguard contest at the Fernangeles Pool in Sun Valley.

“It’s time for them to show what they’ve learned throughout the summer,” Fernangeles Pool clerk Wendi Davis said.

The contest was part of the city of Los Angeles pool system’s volunteer-run Junior Lifeguard program.

Davis said she has helped run the contest the past three years and called it a good recruitment tool for the city pool system.

“We’re trying to groom them to become lifeguards themselves when they’re old enough,” Davis said.

Teams of four representing 13 recreation centers in the Valley competed in relay races that included traditional crawl, breaststroke, backstroke and medley events as well as more challenging races in which swimmers paddle in inner tubes or swim while wearing snorkeling equipment.

At the end of the contest, the team from Verdugo Hills came out on top with 97 points, followed by Fernangeles with 96. Northridge finished third with 84 points.