Ten beach patrols will display their overall team strength today at the 24th annual Ship Bottom Lifeguard Invitational.
The seven-race event begins at 6 p.m. at 20th Street beach in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island. Barnegat Light is the defending champion.
The competing patrols are defending champion Barnegat Light, Brigantine, Ship Bottom, Surf City, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Seagirt, Ortley Beach, Island Beach State Park and Ocean Beach II.
The races are the boat pickup, the surf medley, the paddle relay, the line pull, the surfboat relay, the 1,500-foot paddle race and the boat-swim.
The races are out to flags 500 feet from shore and back. Scoring is 7-5-3-2-1 for the first five places.
