Photo by Edward Lea, Press of Atlantic City
And in the 11th week of the summer season, the ocean warmed. Sorry if you're stuck, as we say on the island, offshore, but the last two days, the ocean has been in the mid 70's, like it oughta be. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to linger in the surf more than, say, 30 seconds to dunk. It's been kind of a still, dry heat and that awful land breeze, but out in the water, things are fine (though calm). For really like the first time all summer. Strange one, 2008. The warming ocean came in time for a fine performance by the Ventnor women's lifeguard team last night, including the newest Howarth to tear it up, 16-year-old Mackenzie Howarth, riding a wave and sprinting the last ten yards to win the ocean swim at the Cape-Atlantic Women's Lifeguard Invitational. Edward Lea's full photo gallery from the event is here.
The lifeguard races, by the way, are great to watch, lots of excitement and celebration and impressive performances by your favorite lifeguards. Next up are the South Jersey Invitationals, this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Suffolk Avenue beach in Ventnor, the major event for bragging rights, and the Goudy Rescue Races, which are fun as lifeguards race with weighted duffles to simulate rescues, Aug. 15th, at 6:30 p.m., also at Suffolk Avenue in Ventnor. LBI has its own lifeguard tournament on August 9th on the 68th street beach.
Here's a goofy little video from last year's Goudy's...
Black Crowned Night Herons in Stone Harbor...like they own the joint
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