Players who have survived to the second weekend of the Over The Line (OTL) World Championships sand softball tournament will be swinging and diving for gold trophies, rings and glory July 22-23.
More than 600 three-person teams will be eliminated in the quest to find the nine champions by sundown on Sunday. Tournament play begins at 7:30 a.m.
The 53rd OTL gathering hosted by the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC) features one more day of serious partying Saturday before the final day of serious competition on Sunday.
The opening weekend saw record crowds, according to veteran OMBAC media rep Duke Marston.
"The word is out,” Marston said. “A lot of people know this a great place to have a good time, so the crowds keep growing.”
Changes were made this year in the parking and shuttle bus locations. “The new reserved parking and shuttle from the trolley station seem to be going fine,” Marston added.
OMBAC stages the four-day event that attracts approximately 60,000 guests to Fiesta Island where more than 10,000 hot dogs, 5,000 pizza slices and 9,000 R-rated programs are on hand to serve some of the appetites of the fans at the barely censored beach party that surrounds the unique sand softball tournament.
Tournament visitors are encouraged to arrive aboard the free shuttles from Mission Bonita Cove, east of the roller coaster and from the Linda Vista trolley station. Parking is limited on the island and is usually full and closed to cars by 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Sunday will be less crowded and the serious players with the more sober team names fill the fields and show their skill and athleticism.
OTL tournament visitors should remember OMBAC’s do’s and don’ts including the four Bs: do not bring any babies, bowsers, bottles or bikes into the playing area.
Around noon on Saturday, a new 2006 beauty-queen spokesperson dubbed “Ms. Emerson” will be selected from 12 to 20 lovely entrants.
Ms. Emerson 2005 Jennifer Hoffman will be completing her reign when she crowns her replacement July 22.
“It has been a fun year,” Hoffman said. “My favorites have been the charity fund-raisers and the parades ” I love parades, like at Christmas and Mardi Gras.”
The purpose of the OTL and other OMBAC events, in addition to hardy partying, is to raise great sums for charity and youth sports.
“We raised a lot of money for Hurricane Katrina relief at the Thunderboat races and Coming Out Party,” Hoffman continued. “We’ve raised money for scholarships and causes like Children’s Hospital and breast cancer research at our other events too, like the OMSURF, OMSHOE and Wheel Chair OTL.”
“I also enjoyed hosting the Junior OTL ” they are so cute,” Hoffman said.
“My final job will be to help find a new Ms Emerson,” Hoffman added. “We are looking for a special spokes-model person who is comfortable on stage, can talk to people, who’s a lot of fun and can handle having 400 big brothers.”
Founding OMBAC members invented the game of Over the Line on Mission Beach in the early 1950s.
The sport is simple and resembles softball. Teammates toss or “pitch” a rubber-coated softball to each other. The three defenders try to cover a 55′ wide field with an never-ending outfield. A hit must travel “over the line” 55 feet from home plate and land within the field parameters. A third hit scores a run and hit over the last defender is a home-run.
Games are just four innings and all players must use wooden bats. Women play with gloves while men play defense bare-handed.
More information about the OTL Tournament, the game and other OMBAC events such as OMSHOE, OMSURF, Junior OTL and wheel chair OTL is available at www.OMBAC.org. n