Getting fit and learning some lifesaving skills is the name of the game at a new sport camp in Barrie.
You start face down in the sand, then jump up, turn around, and spring 20 meters in an attempt to grab a little rubber tube. It's called beach flag and 14-year-old Brigham loves it.
“I thought the idea of beach flag was kinda cool, the running competition,” he says.
Lifesaving sport has been popular in Australia for decades – competition involves running, paddling, and swimming at an all-out sprint.
“It's actually quite demanding,” says Catherine Gellegan-Colby with the City of Barrie. “It's a lot of swimming and the main component of the sport is to save someone’s life.”
Communities like Mississauga and Richmond Hill have grown the sport in Canada, and now offer it in aquatic programs as an alternative to competitive swimming for youth.
Seven-year-old Rachelle is trying it for the first time.
“I really like the racing part and I'm excited about the paddleboarding,” she says.
Eight-year-old Nathan seems to be a natural on the paddleboard.
“It's not really hard,” he says.
Nathan's father Mark saw the lifesaving sport for the first time today and says: “It's awesome for him to be here and learn life skills like this. It’s a great experience for him and all the kids.”
And while many of the kids here say they would like to one day be lifeguards, lifeguard Jenna Crone says lifesaving sport is for everyone.
“There's so much intensity and adrenaline, just watching the races gets you pumped,” she says.
