Since 1991, Chris and Shari Miller have been hosting beach volleyball tournaments open to all through the West Coast Beach Volleyball (WCBV) Association.
“When we started it, we felt like the area needed more tournaments, more opportunities for people to get out and play in a fun, competitive format,” said Chris Miller. “We play all divisions at the same site so that couples and families can play and spend the whole day together.”
The community aspect is important for the Millers, who met at a tournament in Virginia Beach before moving to the West Coast to escape the East Coast winters. Since there are no age limits (players under 18 must have parental consent) teams made up of parents and children are commonplace and encouraged.
All four tournaments that WCBV hosts each year are held at the Ocean Beach volleyball courts near Dog Beach and spectators can park in the lot off Voltaire Street. There is still time to sign up for the WCBV Tournament. The deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, May 2.
The tournament begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 3 and should continue until 6 p.m.
Even though anyone can turn out to show off their skills, there are also higher divisions to attract higher-caliber players.
“We do have an open division for both men and women where a lot of lower-level AVP (the only professional beach volleyball tour in the U.S.) players compete to stay sharp off the tour,” said Chris Miller.
“We usually average 30-35 teams, so we are not a huge tournament. Mostly our players hear about us through others that have played here,” he said.
The cost is $25 per player, and $30 on the day of the tournament if space is available. The divisions are: Coe-ed Open and Novice; Open, A, B and Novice for men; women’s Open, A, B and Novice.
The prizes are $200 per team for 1st place in the open divisions and $100 per team for 2nd place, with prizes for the top two teams in the other divisions.
“You don’t have to be a member of West Coast Beach Volleyball to enjoy the tournament. As long as you have a partner and find a division, you can come out and have fun, all skill levels are welcome,” said Miller.
For more information, visit http://www.wcbv.com.