Teams are eager to jump into the Beach Blast volleyball tournament again this year, with 51 teams and players coming from all over province.
Mr. Mikes general manager Scott Filion says he’s eager to launch the tournament so planning will be complete, and there’s always a good crowd of excited volleyball players of all levels.
“It’s progressively gotten more and more competitive,” said Filion. “It used to just be a beach volleyball tournament, but now there’s players that come from colleges and around northern B.C. and come and play.
“It’s pretty high level on the competitive side now,” he said. That’s why Mr. Mikes runs two streams, competitive and recreational, determined by a round robin on Sunday, Aug. 3, with three-games each team to rank them into the two streams.
The 51 teams include 2-on-2 men’s teams, 3-on-3 women’s, and 4-on-4 co-ed teams all competing on the sand -covered Mr. Mikes parking lot.
After teams are streamed into two levels on Sunday, they launch into two competitions each with separate prizes — pretty impressive prizes donated locally that have included cash prizes up to $500 or flights to Vancouver.
Filion says Mr. Mikes runs the tournament every year because it’s a boost for Terrace. “It’s a great event for our town and we raise a bunch of money for charity,” he said, noting that this year’s proceeds go towards JumpStart Terrace. Mr. Mikes also sets up tables in a side padio and sells food and drinks to viewers.
Players will be spiking in Beach Blast Sunday, Aug. 6, starting at 8 a.m. and going until about midnight. On Monday they’ll hit the court again at 8 p.m. and finals will be around 3 p.m.
