Surf Lifesaving
Competitive rescue sport — beach sprints, surf swims, board and ski paddling, and iron-man/woman multi-event finals.
👥1 per team🌤outdoor
What is Surf Lifesaving?
Surf lifesaving evolved from lifesaving patrols on Australian beaches into a global competitive sport. Events include beach sprints, surf swims, board paddling, ski paddling, ironman/ironwoman multi-events, taplin relay teams and rescue simulations. The ILS World Championships ("Rescue") are contested every two years.
Quick facts
Category
Aquatic Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
outdoor
Country of origin
🇦🇺 Australia
Estimated origin
1907, Bondi Beach, Sydney (Surf Life Saving Australia)
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified