Lifesaving Events

Area Captain: Ellen Newberry and Oliver Cenko

Overview

An important part of competition is the development and honing of skills that will assist members while performing their patrolling duties. SLSA conducts many competitions that highlight the skills involved in rescue, resuscitation and first aid. Lifesaving competition events are described briefly in this section and in separate manuals and bulletins which may be issued from time to time and can be found on the SLSA website.

The Lifesaving events encompass:

  • Champion Patrol

  • Champion Lifesaver

  • First Aid Competition

  • Rescue and Resuscitation (R&R)

The focus of the events is 'real' lifesaving skills. Competitors do not have to be elite athletes, just dedicated lifesavers. Most of the Lifesaving events have an emphasis on team work in simulated stressful situations.

Champion Patrol

The aim of the SLSA Champion Patrol Competition is to demonstrate how lifesavers work as a team in performing some or all of the skills associated with surf rescue patrol work. Team members in the Champion Patrol Competition must be members of the same Club, but not necessarily be from the same Club patrol.
The Champion Patrol Competition is the ultimate team event in Surf-Lifesaving. It consists of four parts:

  • a theory paper of 20 questions (20 points)

  • physical events (surf-teams, board-tube-rescue relay) (20 points)

  • a judged team resuscitation and patient assessment (20 points)

  • a lifesaving (scenario) task (40 points).

Each team consists of six (6) competitors in Open and four (4) competitors in U17 who are all proficient holders of the Bronze Medallion and Advanced Resuscitation Certificate. In the Open competition at least one team member needs to have their IRB Drivers Certificate, with one other also being either a proficient IRB Driver or IRB Crewman.

The rules, point’s allocation and procedure for the conduct of the Champion Patrol Competition event are outlined in the SLSA Surf Sports Manual that can be found on the SLSA website
The team at the end of the day with the most points wins. To be successful teams must be able to work together to solve complex lifesaving problems in a 'real-life' setting.

Champion Lifesaver

This event provides individual SLSA members the opportunity to demonstrate in a competitive manner the physical, life saving and knowledge skills required of a lifesaver. Champion Lifesaver is often referred to as the pentathlon of Surf Lifesaving and involves:

  • a theory paper of 40 questions (40 points)

  • physical events (surf race, board race, tube race, sprint race) (40 points)

  • a judged one-person resuscitation and patient assessment (40 points)

The individual with the most points at the end of the day wins. To be successful individuals must have an excellent knowledge of Surf Lifesaving and also be superb athletes in all disciplines. In short, the winner is truly a 'champion' lifesaver.  The event is hotly contested throughout Australia, and it is necessary to win a state championship in order to participate at Aussies. Usually Champion Lifesaver is held on the Tuesday before the Aussies.

First Aid Competition

The First Aid Competition is a team event designed to promote and to demonstrate a high standard of First Aid prowess by SLSA members. The competition is held with a simulated accident scenario and a set time limit for each team in the event. All teams receive the same scenario, where every effort is made to achieve realism with the scenario and in the presentation of casualties, giving the competitors the correct atmosphere by using casualty make-up, acting and staging.

Teams consist of two members from the same club. Judging of the competition is effected by marking sheets, which are related to the following seven sections of the scenario:

1. Approach to casualty
2. Examination of casualty and diagnosis of injuries
3. Specific points for all treatments
4. Disposal of casualty
5. Management of the incident
6. First Aid kits
7. Judge’s discretion

The rules, point’s allocation and procedure for the conduct of the First Aid event are outlined in the SLSA Surf Sports Manual that can be found on the SLSA website.

R&R

R&R is the traditional version of Champion Patrol and involves mixed teams of between 5 and 6 people simulating rescues and resuscitation. It is a highly technical event and requires supreme dedicated team work. The teams perform a sophisticated demonstration of R&R, including marching; use of reel, line, and belt apparatus (traditional Surf Life Saving equipment); rescue; and resuscitation.