To honor nearly a century of proud lifeguarding in San Clemente, the San Clemente Lifeguard and Junior Guard Foundation is seeking city approval of a sculpture to be built at Parque Del Mar.
The foundation’s efforts got off to a strong start on Tuesday, April 9, when the Beaches, Parks, and Recreation Commission recommended the San Clemente City Council consider the project under the city’s Art on Public Property program. Titled “The Rescue,” the 8-foot-tall artwork would feature two lifeguards (one male, one female) preparing to perform an ocean rescue.
“This community is so beach- and ocean-oriented,” SCLJGF President Greg Hulsizer told San Clemente Times on Tuesday, April 16. “It just seems appropriate to undertake this piece of art to celebrate our city's commitment to making sure everybody goes home safe at night.”
Hulsizer and others associated with the project, including sculptor Bill Limebrook, were present at the BPR Commission meeting to provide background details on the project.
Lifeguarding became an official part of San Clemente in 1931, Hulsizer told the commission, when the City Council approved the creation of a department for lifeguards and began hiring lifeguards full-time in response to requests from Santa Fe Railway authorities. The tradition of such activities became a proud part of the city as the Marine Safety Division evolved, with no lives lost in over 45 years even as the city sees over 2 millions visitors to beaches yearly.
“Our lifeguards are just superb,” said Hulsizer. “So, in recognition of that, and to celebrate the city’s 90-plus-year commitment to ocean safety, we’re proposing to place … a cultural touchstone down in the Pier Bowl.”
The foundation’s use of the terms “cultural touchstone” and “sculpture” instead of “statue” reflect the desire to establish a living, breathing artwork that invites the community to interact with it, Hulsizer told SC Times, whether through taking selfies or sitting at its base and watching fireworks or the sunset.
A former San Clemente lifeguard himself, Hulsizer said he finds it difficult to put into words the meaning of contributing to a well-regarded legacy of people who have diligently served their community and visitors alike.
In addition to honing the skills necessary for their positions, lifeguards also learn personal accountability and teamwork, he continued, recalling that he always went home after a shift feeling as if he’d made a difference toward keeping people safe. Hulsizer added that the fellowship between lifeguards is strong and persists decades down the line.
“During that time (on the beach), you develop such a close bond with your fellow men and women that you lifeguard with,” he said. “By nature, we stay in touch through the years, and, you know, it's amazing when you see some of our lifeguards (and) what they've gone on to become.”
The SCLJGF has also brought back alumni to share their own experiences as lifeguards, demonstrating a commitment to the practice also displayed in supplying the Marine Safety Division with equipment and providing scholarships for lifeguards to pursue additional training.
Just like the city’s respect for local firefighters and police officers, as well as the Marines down the road, there’s a connection between San Clemente and its lifeguards that draws back to the city’s small-town nature.
“It's very much a small community where everybody knows everybody and everybody has a real stake in having a healthy, vibrant, and safe community,” Hulsizer said.
That sense of community motivates people to take care of one another, he added, and especially the visitors that come from far away.
At the BPR Commission meeting, Hulsizer said the foundation wants to see the sculpture placed in a highly visible, high-traffic location, which did elicit some concerns from commissioners such as Shari Grace, given the listed size of the piece.
Chair Rob Feuerstein wondered aloud whether the sculpture would be able to withstand “roughhousing” from passersby, to which sculptor Limebrook answered that it would. Limebrook has completed numerous projects around South Orange County, including The Marine at Park Semper Fi.
The commission voted by a 4-3 margin to recommend the sculpture and that it be placed at the corner of Parque Del Mar furthest east and heading north up Avenida Victoria. Commissioners Grace, Jennifer Elliott and Amelia Mae Weinstein voted against the motion.
SCLJGF has estimated the project will cost between $250,000 and $300,000, and it will seek the financial support of a few major benefactors once the project is closer to full approval, according to Hulsizer.
The sculpture also must pass muster with the Arts and Culture Committee and the Design Review Subcommittee before moving on to the City Council. Samantha Wylie, Beaches, Parks and Recreation Department Director, added the project would also require California Coastal Commission review.