Pond strong: Lifeguard Kyle Pond fights leukemia, with a little help from his friends
Kyle Pond pulling into the uncertainty of a barrel. Photo by Tyler Stover By Ed Solt Until that day in May, the strongest fever local surf star and LA County Lifeguard Kyle Pond had ever felt was “surf fever.” Just the prior week, the 27-year-old South High graduate was “taking it to it” on his Tyler Surfboards noserider at his beloved Torrance Beach. What started gradually with a high temperature of 103.7°F led to flu-like conditions, with chills and overall fatigue. “His girlfriend Erin began looking up the causes of what was making Kyle sick online,” said Kyle’s best friend, Manhattan Beach firefighter Christian McArthur. “I told her it could be a million things. Leukemia was mentioned but that’s last thing I that could ever happen. Leukemia normally has a chronic onset — Kyle had only been sick for a couple of days.” McArthur grew up with Pond. They were also teammates on the South High surf team coached by McArthur’s father Leigh; in 2007, Pond led the team all the way to the state championships, the highest finish in the surf team’s history. “I cannot remember him ever losing a heat in either long or shortboard divisions,” said the senior McArthur. “He made everyone on the…
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