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Pompano Junior Lifeguards fare well at regional event

Posted on 18 July 2019 by LeslieM

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguard Grace Parnas wins the beach flags event as she tops Lake Worth’s Kiki Padron at the United States Lifeguard Association Southern Regional event at Lake Worth. Photo by Gary Curreri

Grace Parnas had a stellar effort at the recent United States Lifeguard Association Southern Regional event at Lake Worth.

The 14-year-old Pompano Beach resident won six of the nine events she was in and placed second in another for the Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguards in the Girls A Division. Parnas, who will be a sophomore at Calvary Christian Academy in the fall, took first in the run-swim-run, paddleboard race, beach flags, rescue race, iron guard and the swim relay. She got silver in the run relay.

“I’ve been competing for four years and been doing the camp for six years,” Parnas said. “It’s so fun. Most of the people say it is so hard, but I get to see my friends and then compete with them.”

She gets lost in the adrenaline rush. 

“You honestly don’t remember a lot of the race,” Parnas said. “You have the adrenaline rush and you are going as fast as you can because you just want to win.”

“I never expected to be at nationals or regionals,” said Parnas, who has also fared well at the national event.

She won beach flags two years ago and placed third last year in the event and is the two-time defending paddleboard national champion. 

“It is incredible,” she continued. “I never thought I would win nationals. I don’t feel any (outside) pressure. It is more self-put pressure because I want to win a national championship again.”

Teammate Julia Freshour, 13, also of Pompano, turned in a solid performance as well. She won the Girls B Division surf rescue, paddleboard, run-swim-run, rescue relay, and moved up in both the Girls A swim relay and the U19 swim relay. She was second in the iron guard.

“I really love ocean swimming so it is probably that,” said Freshour, who is a Pompano Middle School eighth-grader and has competed since she was 7. “I like to race. The competitions are really important. I would skip anything that day to come to this.”

She also loves the adrenaline rush when she competes.

“I kind of tune everything out, and I get into this zone where I kind of go into autopilot and just go,” she said. “I don’t think about anything. I don’t feel anything. I can just go all out.

It is very important to win.”

Pompano Beach’s Victoria Scarpinito took second in the U19 Girls beach flags event. She’s competed for the past five years.

“I love the team spirit and team enthusiasm. I like the challenge and how you can push yourself,” said Scarpinito, 17, who will be a senior at Cardinal Gibbons in the fall. She is also a member of the school’s dance team and on the Pro-Am competition dance team.

“It is an amazing feeling once you are out there,” she said. “It is not the most important thing to win, but it is a good feeling when you do.”

Summer Schulte took first in the U19 girls Surf race (distance swim), paddleboard and iron guard, while Oliver Nagy was the top boys finisher for the Pompano program as he won three events in the Boys A Division. He won the surf swim, paddleboard and iron guard.

Rich Tammany, who heads up the host Lake Worth Junior Lifeguard program, said the event attracted about 200 junior lifeguards from as far south as Hollywood all the way north to Flagler Beach.

Among the other cities represented were Ft. Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach and host Lake Worth.

“We were very excited,” Tammany said. “I have been doing Junior Lifeguards for 23 years and this is only the second time we have had it here. The other time we had it here was 2006. The kids are excited. The weather was good…water was good. It was a great day.”

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Delray Beach Fashion Week

Posted on 31 January 2019 by JLusk

All Photos & Story By Rachel Galvin

Delray Beach kicked off its Fashion Week on Wednesday, Jan. 23 with “Fashion Royale,” showcasing evening wear and designer fashion on Atlantic Avenue in front of the Colony Hotel. The theme this year is “Fashion Never Dies,” inspired by James Bond, and a James Bond lookalike, complete with sexy women counterparts posed on the runway as the events began. Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Chair Peter Arts and City of Delray Mayor Shelly Petrolia did some introductions before the opening act began — a performance by a five man a capella all vocal band called Edge Effect, who came down from Orlando to entertain everyone with their smooth moves and amazing vocal harmonies (and also did an encore performance at the end). There was also a dance performance by Elegant Emeralds.

Then, the runway came alive with multiple designers — all from downtown Delray Beach — with emcees Heather McMechan, Dana Peller of Local Mom Scoop, Pellerini and SoFlo Moms on the Go, and Amanda Perna of House of Perna and Neon Bohemians. VIP guests sat along the runway and each received a stylized swag handbag by House of Perna, complete with tassel.

Designers included Antica Sartoria, Beverly Hills Boutique, Biba Boutique, Blings & Things, C. Orrico, a Lily Pulitzer Shop, Coco & Co., Debilzan Gallery, Elektrik Boutique, Glavidia by Glavidia Alexis, House of Zen Dali, LF Delray Beach, Morley, Patchington, Periwinkle, Quiet Storm Surf Shop, Ramona LaRue, Sara Campbell, Sunday State Style, The House of Perna & Neon Bohemians, Unique Boutique and Vixity.

But this was just the first event of the week. There were also additional fashion shows, in-store shopping events and trunk shows, culminating with the License to Swim: Surf Fashion Show. This event was supposed to be held outside but, due to the rain, it was moved into a parking garage. It certainly seems like an odd place to have a fashion show, but it actually ended up looking like it was meant to be there — very urban chic.

Before the fashion began, singer Mylon Shamble, who was on American Idol, performed “Skyfall,” which fit into the James Bond theme of the fashion week. This was followed by a dance performance by Clifton Sepulveda & Mar Martinez, owners of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio. Next, the fashion show began with over 40 models showing off a wide variety of looks (some of which are pictured here).

Proceeds from the Delray Beach Fashion Week benefit the Achievement Centers for Children & Families. (https://achievementcentersfl.org/resources). The event is hosted by the Downtown Development Authority.

For more information, visit www.downtowndelraybeach.com/events/delray-beach-fashion-week-2019.

PICS FROM FASHION ROYALE EVENT–OPENING NIGHT

PICS FROM SWIM & SURF SHOW–CLOSING NIGHT

     

More photos available upon request… Also see the printed Observer Newspaper for additional photos.

 

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