The San Diego Six-Man BeachFest will be an all-day volleyball competition on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Mariner’s Point. The six-versus-six tournament is known for creative costumes, fun and bringing together friends. The event serves as a fundraiser for the San Diego Beach Improvement Group (SDBIG). “[SDBIG] is everybody that loves the beach, basically,” said the event’s organizer, Laura Hendrickson. Money raised from the fourth annual event will go toward the purchase of sports equipment in South Mission Beach. “It’s a great cause,” Hendrickson said. SDBIG has painted the volleyball poles and resurfaced the basketball courts. The organization is also researching the possibility of funding the upkeep of beach fire pits — an issue driven by city funding shortages that annually threaten to see the pits removed. The tournament will feature divisions for men’s and women’s open, A, masters, as well as corporate and college co-ed. “For the last two years, we have had about 35 teams,” Hendrickson said. She anticipates at least that many or more this year. “It’s a citywide special event, so we are able to have a beer garden with Stone Brewery,” Hendrickson said. Check-in is 8 a.m. for teams. Pool play will begin at 9 a.m. This will be followed by the coveted prizes for the costume contest, which begins at about 1 p.m. “Costume contest prizes are from Evans Hotels, SeaWorld and Mission Beach Chiropractic,” Hendrickson said. She said there will many more prizes from other sponsors, too. In the afternoon, the top two teams from each division will face off in the single-elimination round. Games are judged by the honor system, with each team making its own line calls. It has never been a problem in the past, Hendrickson said. Spectators are welcome to watch for free all day. “Its just such a spectacle,” Hendrickson said. “It’s a lot of fun to watch.” Angela McHenry, a Mission Beach resident, has played in each year of the tournament with an all-female team. In years past, their costumes have been inspired by the rock band KISS, as well as the movies “Dirty Dancing” and “The Wizard of Oz.” “Alice in Wonderland”–themed costumes will be their attire for the volleyball courts this year. “I like that all of San Diego comes out to support the fundraiser,” McHenry said. She said she also enjoys that she gets to see all of her friends who come down to watch. Her team will have between 8 and 10 players. In previous years, the Six-Man BeachFest has included a 5k run. However, this year the race will not take place because the permit was not sought early enough, Hendrickson said. Teams that register prior to Monday, Sept. 20 will be guaranteed a T-shirt. Team fees start at $180 and go up based on the number of players. To register, visit www.active.com. For more information, visit www.sandiegosixman.com.
