Beach volleyball fans can head to the Newport Beach Pier Oct. 7-12 for two events that bring together Olympians and AVP players for a week of competition and family fun.
The first event, the Beach Pro Tour Elite 16, runs Oct. 7-11 for five days of international competition with top professional American beach volleyball players, including Taryn Brasher, Kristen Nuss, Sara Hughes and Miles Partain. International stars, including Swedish Olympic gold medalists David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig, are also expected.
Two-player teams will compete for a $300,000 prize and world-ranking points.
Then, on Oct.12, the third-annual Newport Beach Volleyball Invitational returns with U.S. Olympians Phil Dalhausser, Kelly Cheng and Nuss headlining, and four-player beach volleyball teams competing for a $250,000 prize.
“It’s the best game to watch,” said Steve Obradovich, who is an Assn. of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Hall of Famer and co-founder of the Newport Beach Volleyball Invitational. “You can know nothing about volleyball, come down and go, ‘Wow, this is really cool.’”
Beyond watching pro volleyball players do their thing, there are several family activities planned.
There will be meet and greets with the athletes and a step-and-repeat wall for photos.
Also planned is a youth volleyball event Oct. 8 with demonstrations and interactions with coaches and players.
Oct. 9 is Legends Day when Hall of Famers, Olympians and AVP stars will be on site throughout the day, with an exhibition match at 3 p.m. before the final competition.
Free, first-come, first-served seating on the sand iwill be available, though VIP tickets are available for purchase for better vantage points and extras like beverage sampling.
Kevin Martin, Newport Beach Volleyball Invitational co-founder, said this is the first year they’re collaborating with Volleyball World to bring the international tournament to town.
He said they’ve tried to grow the invitational each year. The tournament will air on Volleyball World television, with some events on Peacock.
“I’m a volleyball enthusiast, not like Steve, but it’s a big part of my life, and I thought Steve’s idea was great, and I wanted to bring something new and exciting to Newport,” Martin, who works in private equity, said of starting the invitational a few years ago. “It’s one of the highlights of the year for us in Newport, and we think one day it’ll be as big as the [Hoag Classic] golf tournament, which we host at our Newport Beach Country Club, and the annual Newport Beach Boat Parade.”
The invitational also serves as a fundraiser for the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation, a nonprofit that helps the underserved access sports programs.
John Ursini, social chairman and recruiting chairman of the foundation, said the organization received $20,000 from last year’s invitational.
Funds donated to their nonprofit go toward $3,000 scholarships that are given to 14 to 18 underserved, high school athletes every year.
Proceeds also support other local organizations that need funding for sports-related programs.
“I think they’ve chosen us, and we’re happy to support them, and it’s kind of a win-win for everybody,” Ursini said of the partnership with the invitational.