Manhattan Beach Open loses AVP, gains back tradition
The granddaddy of beach volleyball tournaments will go back to its roots.
The AVP announced Aug. 13 that, due to financial woes, they would slash the rest of the 2010 season, leaving the fate of the Manhattan Beach Open this weekend in limbo.
The city of Manhattan Beach stepped up, deciding, in honor of the tournament’s 50th year, to bring back the traditional play, rules and atmosphere of the treasured event. Gone will be the bleachers, grandstands, admission fees and commercialized feel of recent years, when the tournament was under the AVP’s control. In its place will be original long courts and the old-school leather volleyball, with spectators gathered around closely in lawn chairs, able to practically smell the players’ sweat.
“It won’t look like a circus when you come down to the beach,” said J. Parker Saikley, who will run the event this weekend. “It will feel very traditional down there.”
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Saikley, who has helped his late father, Charlie, run volleyball events in the city since the late 1970s, remembers what the Open was like in the beginning.
“We’re taking it back to its classic roots. That’s when this tournament earned the name and recognition it holds today, as the crown jewel of beach volleyball,” Saikley said.
Soon after the AVP was formed in 1983, the tournament changed. Grandstands appeared, admission fees were initiated and television came into the picture, Saikley said. To fit the volleyball games into time slots, the game changed from sideout scoring to rally scoring and from long court to short court play.
This weekend, the tournament will return to long court, sideout scoring, where a team can earn a point only when they serve the ball.
The first AVP president, Kevin Cleary, who has played in a record 33 Manhattan Beach Opens, said he has argued for years that the AVP set-up goes against the culture of beach volleyball.
“There was just too much metal and structure down there … this isn’t tennis. From a financial standpoint, it’s senseless too. Some events cost upwards of $150,000 to set up, which is more than the prize money for the men.”
Parks and Recreation Director Richard Gill said a typical AVP-run tournament cost the city $35,000 to $40,000, which the AVP would reimburse.
“We’re trying to make it a very simple event to run (this weekend) to keep our costs down,” he said.
Because they only had a week’s notice before the event, as of press time, city and tournament staff said they still didn’t know if there would be any prize money or sponsors.
“I think less is more when it comes to maximizing the potential for a beach volleyball tournament,” Cleary said. “Look at the Six-Man tournament. There’s minimal sponsorship, no prize money, no bleachers, just a grassroots, word-of-mouth phenomenon. You have the beach, the ocean and the volleyball nets and that’s about it. And there’s more than 70,000 people down there … The AVP would die for that.”
Even some of the professional players feel that now is a time to make something good out of an “unfortunate” situation.
“We must pick up the pieces and move on and go back to basics,” said five-time Manhattan Beach Open champion Tim Hovland.
“I remember the days of no stands, no tents and no tickets, just hundreds of volleyball fans local and out of the area that showed up and stayed until dark,” said Mayor Pro Tem Richard Montgomery. “What better way to honor the 50th anniversary of the MB Open?”
Gill said many former AVP players and officials and the California Beach Volleyball Association have flooded the city with calls offering their help with registration, the seeding of the teams, etc.
Friday will still be the qualifier for the men’s and women’s teams. The top 16 teams from the qualifier will enter the main draw, made up of the top 45 AVP teams that enter, plus three qualifying teams from early this year, Saikley said, making it a 64-team main draw tournament on Saturday and Sunday.
The tournament won’t be televised, and no international or AVP points will be earned, Saikley said.
Some players aren’t thrilled with the changes, Saikley said, and though many professionals may not come without prize money, those who do will be playing for the right reasons.
“You’re playing for the prestige, bragging rights and to get your plaque on the pier,” Saikley said.
The future of the AVP is still unclear.
“Ironically, this sad news comes as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Manhattan Open … the one event that showed us all we could dream big,” AVP Commissioner Mike Dodd said in a statement. “The Open has seen its ups and downs over the years and always persevered. I’m sure our sport will do the same.”
Jim Leinonen contributed to this story.
