Father and daughter lifeguards Mel and Jenna Solberg celebrate championships in 2016
Standing in the tower on the Manhattan Beach Pier, lifeguard Mel Solberg watched as a winter storm created waves so large that even surfers stayed out of the water.
The date was Feb, 18, 1996 — a day the 52-year-old Solberg recalls as the most memorable in his career as a lifeguard.
“it was the biggest surf I have ever seen in Manhattan Beach,” Solberg said. “Waves were breaking past the end of the pier, reforming and breaking again.
Although no one had been in the water that morning, in the afternoon Solberg noticed two girls standing on a sand bar not far from shore. Suddenly, a wave knocked them off and out to sea.
Without a wetsuit, Solberg sprinted into the 56-degree water while partner Phil Topar called for a rescue boat from the King Harbor.
“I thought both had drowned,” Solberg said of the Vietnamese sisters ages 13 and 16. “I grabbed one of the girls and gave her my float but the other was submerged. I saw strands of hair floating on the water so I pulled her up.”
She was unconscious and not breathing. His CPR brought her back to life and she made a full recovery after spending two weeks in the hospital.
“The following day Phil and I met at the pool to swim.” Solberg said. “Recalling the rescue from the previous day, I said ‘That is why we workout and train.”
Solberg’s heroics earned him the Medal of Valor in 1996. But the story with the happy ending does not end there. Fifteen years to the day, Solberg received a Facebook message from the girl he brought back from the dead.
“She had been trying to locate me and was living in Southern California,” Solberg said. “We became friends and I even spoke at her wedding.”
The story is one of many told and retold within the lifeguard community, which considers itself a family and includes many blood relatives.
Along with Solberg, O’Donnell, Murphy, Fink, Makuta, Inscore and Gallas are just a few of the names of South Bay families not only in the lifesaving profession, but have enjoyed success in lifeguard competitions.
The Solbergs, of Torrance, celebrated championships in 2016 beginning at the International Surf Festival in Hermosa Beach when Mel improved on his record number of Taplin Bell victories with number 18, as a member of the LA County-Southern team. One week later, Jenna was the overall point champion for women at the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Championships held in Manhattan Beach.
“The Taplin is such a team sport. You can have the best swimmer in the world but if the rest of the team members don’t pull their weight, it doesn’t matter,” Mel said of the competition that ends with each member of the winning team ringing the bell once for each year they have won. “I’ve been blessed to be a member of some great teams. It took me four years to make the team at Zuma, which was a dynasty in the 1980s. I won my first six Taplin Bell victories at Zuma. I really enjoy hearing athletes ring the bell for the first time because I remember what that meant to me.”
Mel has also competed in the Nationals for close to 30 years. Rowing is his strongest event. He also represented the USA at the 1990 Lifesaving World Championships in Hamburg, Germany with fellow South Bay lifeguard Tom Fink.
“Legendary lifeguard John Baker was very instrumental in my becoming a competitor,” Mel said. “He was 50 years old when, needing someone to row with, I asked him to be my partner. Baker was tied with another guard at 12 Taplin wins. We won it all giving him a record at the time of 13 victories. I was so excited to get my name on the bell with John Baker.”
While Mel has enjoyed years of success in competition, a moment dear to his heart came at the 2015 Surf Festival when he and his Jenna became the first father and daughter to be on the winning Bud Stevenson Intracrew Relay team.
Jenna’s first competition as a lifeguard came during the 2013 USLA National Championship in Manhattan Beach and she admitted winning the 2016 women’s title came as a surprise.
“It just seemed to happen and I was taken back by the outcome, doing much better than I expected,” the 21-year old said. “When I realized I was close to the top in points, I tried hard to stay at that level for the remainder of the events. Every second and every point counted so it was a new motivation for me.”
Jenna’s favorite event is the two-person board rescue. The swimmer goes out to the flagline and waves to the paddler on shore, who takes off for the rescue. Then both teammates paddle in together, on the same board.
Her victory in the American Iron Woman competition — deemed her toughest event — sealed her victory for most points.
Her accomplishment earned her one of 18 spots on the USLA National team that competed at the Lifesaving World Championships in The Netherlands in September.
The USA finished 11th with New Zealand, Australia and France taking the top three spots.
“We finished 5th in ocean events which was one of our better finishes,” Solberg said. “We had so many different personalities but our team meshed well. The pool competition was new to me but it was a great learning experience. In beach events, there was one day when I didn’t do so well, yet another day I met all my goals. I left learning new things while experiencing the ups and downs of elite competition.”
Jenna said she always knew she wanted to become a lifeguard. She and her younger sisters Jillian, 19, a sophomore at UCLA and Anneliese, 17, a senior at Chadwick High School, spent much of their youth on the beach hanging out at lifeguard towers and watching their father compete.
Mel grew up with an aquatics background, swimming and playing water polo for Thousand Oak High School. He swam at Ventura College and the University of Wyoming.
“I majored in Criminal Law and received my pre-law degree but my friends who were the happiest were pilots, lifeguards or firefighters,” Solberg said. “I knew I’d come back to California. I applied for State and was in the top two percent of candidates but didn’t get hired. I took the LA County test and was hired. The minimum wage was $1.95 at the time and I could make $8.77 being a lifeguard so I told myself I’m going to work on the beach.”
Solberg stressed the importance of water safety to his daughters at an early age, enrolling them in the Junior Lifeguard program.
“The program has grown expedentially in last few years but only a small percentage actually become good enough to pass the lifeguard test,” Solberg stated. “When my girls were young, I told them they could not go to the beach by themselves until they had a minimum of two years in the Junior Guards.”
Solberg feels the best part of being a lifeguard is making rescues, knowing that person would not make it home without his assistance.
“There’s no way to realize how many times we rescue people each year,” Solberg added. “The worst part of the job is that you can’t prevent everything from happening. It’s a terrible feeling when CPR doesn’t work.”
Solberg credits lifeguards such as Baker, Topar, Gary Crum, Jake Jacobsen and water polo coach Craig Rond with being major influences in his career. He also feels his involvement in competition has made him a better lifeguard.
“Like fire service, lifeguards never know, or feel they know, everything,” Solberg said. “You can learn something everyday. I’ve learned a lot during domestic and international competition. Lifeguards in each area have different perspectives, rescue tools used and conditions.”
Solberg said he is unsure about the impact of Global Warming. Jenna feels there have been more rescues in the last few years due to warmer water temperatures bringing more people into the water.
“The last couple of years it seems we’ve had more riptides and we see more sea life coming back,” said Mel, who said Torrance Beach is his favorite location. “Santa Monica Bay is cleaner than it’s been in years. There are more sting rays, which are food for white sharks. Sharks have always been there. It’s just that more are being sighted, thanks to better visibility in the water, more standup paddleboarders and waterproof cameras.
“The beach, ocean and marine environment is like no other. It’s a great job to have,” Mel said. “I can retire in three years but will probably work longer. If I stay healthy, I can compete in Nationals for next 20-30 years. It keeps me inspired to stay fit.”
Jenna has a ways to go to match her father’s longevity as a lifeguard. Her focus now is on finishing her senior year at UC Santa Barbara, where she is majoring in Sociology and is a member of the Gaucho’s water polo team.
Jenna had a stellar water polo career at Chadwick High School, where she was twice named All-CIF and Prep League MVP. Named the school’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2013, Jenna set school records for most goals scored in one game and most career goals.
She helped Huntington Beach Water Polo Club win a silver medal at the 2012 USA Water Polo Junior Olympics, earning second team All-American honors.
“The school itself was a perfect fit,” Jenna said of her decision to attend UCSB. “When I was in high school, one of my water polo coaches told me not to pick a school based on water polo because there was no way to predict things like an injury or coaching changes. UCSB provides an opportunity for me to do everything I want to do.”
Jenna began her athletic as a soccer player but when she was 13, after attending a charity event held by Chance for Children, she decided to make the full-time switch to water polo.
“My dad was urging me to become more involved with water sports if I wanted to be a lifeguard,” Solberg recalled. “Water polo was the best way for me to play in college.”
Although Jenna said this will be her final year playing water polo, she is excited about her team’s chances of winning back-to-back Big West Conference titles.
“We are coming off a big season, becoming the first UCSB team to win a conference title in women’s water polo,” Jenna said. “My first day back to school after returning from Holland, I was asked to give a speech at a pep rally. It was so impromptu and I was really on the spot.”
Jenna said it was a dream come true when she passed the lifeguard test.
“The toughest part of being a lifeguard is knowing there is a good chance that a rescue or situation won’t go your way,” said Jenna, who has spent the last two summer at Manhattan Beach and El Porto. “The ocean is a beast. You can’t control it. You can only anticipate what to do in certain situations.”
“My favorite part is closing up the tower each evening, walking down the ramp and looking at the ocean knowing everyone went home that day.”
Her most memorable day came over Labor Day weekend in 2014 when she and another female lifeguard were working at Dockweiler State Beach.
“It was constant lifeguarding all day long,” Solberg recalled. “We were so busy that when I got home, I sat on the couch and told my dad about my day. He asked if I was tired and I said, ‘Yes.’ He replied, ‘But it’s a good kind of tired.’ I couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the night knowing I did my best and that a lifeguard can learn something from every rescue.”
Jenna said her biggest lifeguarding influence has been her dad, who taught her from day one. She also has received inspiration from watching Tandis Morgan compete and close family friend Mike O’Donnell.
An accomplished lifeguard and competitor, O’Donnell is the father of three daughters Kelsey, Erin and Colleen who have all followed in his footsteps as lifeguards.
A few years older than the Solberg girls, the three O’Donnell sisters would watch the Solberg siblings when they were young.
“Our families are so close. Kelsey and I are best of friends now,” Jenna said. “She was on the 2014 USLA team that competed in the World Championships in France. She told me what to expect and how to handle the competition and the total experience of my trip this summer.”
After graduation, Jenna plans to move to Australia to train in lifesaving for one school year before returning to pursue a career in Environmental Humanities.
“Growing up at the ocean, how can you not be concerned about the environment?” Jenna remarked “The Refugio oil spill (in May 2015) had such an impact on me.”
Although Jenna has no plans to coach water polo or Junior Guards in the future, she does have some advice for kids who want to become lifeguards.
“Just go to the beach as often as you can,” Solberg said. “Not just to train or workout but to appreciate all you can find and the adventures it holds. The more you love the beach, the more you’ll find joy in competing and working as a lifeguard.”
