Born to the beach: Victoria's elite surf lifesavers return to US shores
For 19-year-old Mackie Hunter, a life dedicated to the beach and saving lives was never a question of if, but when.
Born into a lineage of surf lifesavers (her parents met at a bronze medallion camp), Hunter was just five when she started the nippers program at Portsea.
'I started it too young because I was too eager to get into the program,' she said.
She'll be one of Victoria's 10 elite surf lifesavers travelling to the United States in July to go head-to-head against the Los Angeles County Lifeguards at the Wieland Shield surf sports competition.
The biennial competition, in early August, has been running since 1967, but Victorians haven't competed in the US for 10 years, due to COVID-19 and the competition running in Victoria last year.
Coach Matt Henderson said the highly skilled team of 18 to 28-year-olds would be in the US for three weeks, and compete in other carnivals as well as swimming, board and surf ski races, surf rescue relays, beach relay and ironman and ironwoman events.
The shield is part of the International Surf Festival, which also includes open water swimming and body surfing competitions.
Henderson said an event that was unique to LA was racing under lights at night.
'It's not something we do here. You can't see what you can't see, though,' he said.
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