Saturday August 2, 2003 7:00 p.m. So Calif. Lifeguard Championships Events — Hermosa Beach Pier, U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter & Los Angeles County Lifeguard Demo, Lifeguard Events / Junior Lifeguard Taplin Relay, Surf Boat Competition / Lifeguard Beach Flags, Judge Taplin Three-Mile Lifeguard Medley Relay

The Lifeguard Taplin relay consists of a medley relay of four swimmers, four paddlers and four 2-man dory teams. This annual lifeguard event is the most prestigious lifeguard event in Southern California. The Taplin relay is named after Judge Irving Taplin, a former Municipal Court Judge in L.A. County who donated the events first trophy. The Taplin relay has been held every year since 1936 with the exception of 1942 thru 1945, when the event was suspended during World War II. Eligible participants must be active members of an Ocean Lifeguard service. Teams from various lifeguard services from throughout Southern California compete in this event each year. Teams from Australia, Mexico, and New Jersey have also competed in the Taplin relay. The winning team gets the honor of holding the perpetual trophy until the following years race. The individual names of all sixteen team members from the winning team are engraved on the perpetual trophy to mark their place in history.