Lifeguards from the Ames and Des Moines area will compete Saturday to find the best of the best and refine their lifeguarding skills in the process.

The Ames Municipal Pool will be the host of a regional competition for lifeguards who want to challenge themselves and network with other lifeguards. Different regions are competing around the state in the same competition.

There are nine teams registered to participate in the Ames event, which will last from 9 a.m. to noon.

The nine teams are made up of four to six lifeguards who get together and decide to form a team. The teams compete in eight different events throughout the day and also take a written test to judge their knowledge and abilities in that area.

Dana Stein is a lifeguard in Ames and is participating in the challenge.

“I’ve been managing pools for six or seven years now and I thought it was a great idea,” he said. “This kind of competition has been done in the ocean but now it is being brought to Iowa and local pools to give people the chance to see what we do and how we do it.”

Ray Dunham, aquatics and activities supervisor for the city of Ames, said the competition is not only for the sake of competing, but for fun as well.

“We have some pretty funny events that the lifeguards can compete in,” he said. “One of the events that should be a fun one is called the mismatch medley. In this event one person swims 25 yards with a t-shirt on and they exchange the shirt with other members of the team as a relay. It’s meant to be a fun event that shows skills, but also is just a good time.”

Dunham said the competition is a combination of individual and real life situations.

“Our goal is to be able to let the lifeguards network with each other,” Dunham said. “It’s a great motivating tool to help lifeguards to not get burned out in the middle of the summer. It also improves the skills of the lifeguards.”

This is the first year for the event and Dunham said he is hoping to make it an annual event.

“It should be a great day,” Stein said. “This should be a fun event to be a part of.”