Beach Flags is a sporting event used by Surf lifesavers to practice beach sprinting and reflexes.

The game is played by sticking a series of flags (typically short lengths of hosepipe

Hose (tubing)

A hose is a hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called pipes , or more generally tubing...

) into the sand in a row. The competitors lie facing away (and face down) approximately 20 metres away. Upon a starting signal, the competitors race to the flags and try to grab one. The difficulty in the sport is that there are always fewer flags than there are competitors. The competitors who do not manage to capture a flag are eliminated, the flags are reset (removing one more), and the game continues until there is one person remaining - the winner. The game progresses in much the same way as musical chairs

Musical chairs

Musical chairs is a game played by a group of people , often in an informal setting purely for entertainment such as a birthday party...

.

The event involves a tactical component as competitors have discretion as to which flag they obtain. While there is a degree of jostling, a competitor can be disqualified for deliberately impeding another competitor.

Rather than testing endurance and stamina, the event tests power and reflexes. A round run by Open Australian national finalists will take approximately 3.7 seconds.