SIDE-OUTS FROM THE COURTS - VOLLEYBALL NEWS
First, last and always, San Onofre Beach is a SURFING beach and The San Onofre Surfing Club is a non-profit organized club for surfers. Virtually all ocean front State and County and City and Private beaches have some degree of surfing activity and they all have volleyball activity. Just like surfing, bocce ball, party-time, and body watching, volleyball is a natural part of beach life.
San Onofre Beach is approximately 3,500 feet long and can accommodate 350 vehicles on any one crowded day. Of that 3,500 feet only about 150 feet of sand beach near the South end of the beach is dedicated to volleyball activity and the year-round volleyball players (who are also surfers) represent only a small percentage of our consistent annual Club membership roster of 1,000 (plus) members. But year-round, weather and road conditions permitting, the volleyball courts are alive with activity. Even some of the world-class top professional volleyball players occasionally gather at our courts for a fun day of surfing and volleyball. Accepting that volleyball is in fact a natural part of beach life, and although our Club is a surfing club, your elected Board of Directors each year allocates a small amount of our annual Club budget towards the maintenance (with volunteer labor) of the volleyball courts, and The San Onofre Surfing Club also sponsors three annual volleyball tournaments for Club members only.
The first of our annual tournaments is the “Golden Years”. This tournament, for older players only, was suggested back in 1986 by Wally Duesler to allow the older players to compete amongst their own peers, instead of having to go up against those younger “big guns” in competitive tournament play. Wally (57 years young) won 1st place (of course) the first two years, with partner Lin Ephraim in 1986, and Jim Hieatt in 1987. But now, in recent years we just don’t have enough older players to make up an actual tournament. I am exploring a possible change in the format of this tournament. There will be more on that at the end of this Volleyball news. The results of our 2006 21st annual are:
1st place: Kevin Bazyouros and Mike Costello Combined Age: 108 years
2nd place: Scott French and Dave Powell ?
3rd place: Greg Smith and Liz Powell ?
4th place: Brad Cheatum and Mario Citro 103
5th place: Ivan Colburn and Wardy Bandel 127
6th place: Bob Mardian and Danny Moore 107
7th place: Joo Woo and Mike Riley 113
8th place: Pat Whalley and Pegi Cheatum 103
The San Onofre Surfing Club presented four new Wilson AVP volleyballs to the four finalist players, and Wally Duesler, that grand old patron of San Onofre volleyball, awarded his magnificent hand carved works of art to Kevin and Mike as winners, and to Pegi and Liz as the outstanding lady players (Wally is very partial to the ladies).
Our 2nd annual tournament is open to all Club Member regular volleyball players who want to compete. In our San Onofre Surfing Club volleyball tournaments contestants do not enter as a team. Individuals who want to compete sign-up at least one week prior to tournament day. Their playing capability is judged and “rated” by their peers, and on the Saturday morning of the tournament the contestants are individually teamed up thru a choosing process: a high rated with a lower rated.
Our 38th annual tournament was played on Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th, 2006. We had 58 contestants who had signed-up earlier and SHOWED UP ON TIME Saturday morning to form 29 teams. Round-robin play on Saturday determines the top eight teams to advance to the Sunday finals.
Except for the final championship game on Sunday, the Saturday afternoon of this annual tournament is the most intense time. The highlight of the afternoon was at about 3:00 P.M. when the road was all lit up with flashing red lights on Ranger cars, fire trucks, and paramedic ambulance to hall me off to the hospital emergency room. I had been placed on prescription drugs to control irregular heart rhythms. As it turned out the prescribed dosage was in fact an overdose and I passed out when my heartbeat got down to a life-threatening 36. It took four nights and five days in the hospital intensive care to correct that blunder. I am sure that Dave Kulstad, designated tournament Director, did a top-notch job of finishing the Saturday eliminations and the Sunday finals. Thank you Dave, I am sure you would.
The results of our 2006 38th annual tournament are:
1st place: Scott French and Heather Frewin
2nd place: Tracy and Natalie Hagglund
3rd place: Dean Delfs and Joo Woo
4th place: Dave Wiseman and Pegi Cheatum
5th place: John Safarik and Teri Mear
6th place: Tom Beard and Mia Feiner
7th place: Mike Murphy and Leslie Van Deren
8th place: Paul Colburn and Jake Black
Of the 16 players (8 teams) who made it to the Sunday finals, we had seven females, including three in the final championship game, a new record.
The San Onofre Surfing Club awarded the usual four Wilson AVP volleyballs and commemorative plaques to the final four finalists, and Wally Duesler again donated as awards several of his hand-crafted replicas of marine wild life.
Our 3rd and final San Onofre Surfing Club sanctioned volleyball tournament of the year is the annual “Wind & Sea Invitational”, always held on the Sunday of the Labor day weekend, started in 1975 as a tournament for volleyball enthusiast employees of the Dana Point Wind & Sea Restaurants, but played on the San Onofre volleyball courts. Times change and people change. By the early 1980’s most all of the top rated players were regular San Onofre folks, and few if any were Wind & Sea personnel. By the late 1970’s the State was rigidly enforcing the “Special Event Permit” requirement for any organized group activity on The State Beach. In 1982, after much discussion, the San Onofre Surfing Club Board of Directors agreed with me that the club should sanction and co-sponsor the annual event, and secure the necessary permit under the following conditions: 1) All participants must be current regular members of The San Onofre Surfing Club; 2) No cash awards (cash awards or prizes would make it a professional sport event; and 3) a designated San Onofre Surfing Club Official would over-see the event to assure that the best interest of the Club prevail.
Invitations to participate in this tournament are extended on the prior weekend to 16 of the higher rated players, (plus three alternates). The results of the 32nd annual Wind & Sea Invitational Volleyball Tournament, held on Sunday September 3rd are:
1st place: Mike Murphy and Shawn Fitzgerald (advance seeded #1)
2nd place: Tom Beard and Greg Smith (advance seeded #2)
3rd place: Steve Uchytil and Scott French
4th place: Wardy Bandel and Dave Kulstad
5th place: Dean Delfs and Mike Riley
6th place: John Safarik and Danny Moore
7th place: Dave Hagglund and Kevin Beard
8th place: Dave Wiseman and Paul Colburn
Shawn was 1st alternate; other alternates would have been Larry Mear and Mario Citro.
San Onofre Surfing Club awarded the usual four new Wilson volleyballs and commemorative plaques, and Wind & Sea Restaurants Company President Bob Mardian awarded restaurant gift certificated and logo wearing apparel, total value approximately $500.00.
At the beginning of this volleyball new section I mentioned that a possible change in the format of the “Golden Years” tournament might be realistic due to the current disparity in age and playing ability in the older players in this highly competitive two man tournament play.
Try this on for size and please let me know your thoughts:
No advance sign-up required. At 9:00 A.M. on tournament day the oldest 16 players who show up, present on the beach, and want to compete, will be signed-up. The oldest four will be designated “team Captain”, or “chooser”. The oldest one will choose one player from the remaining 14 players. Then the second oldest will choose one, and so on, in order, until all players are formed into four four-person teams. Round-robin play, (each team will play against each of the other three teams), to determine the two top teams for the final championship game. I think the “format”, or something like it will help keep the spirit and meaning of “Golden Years Tournament” alive for the real senior citizen players, and yet keep the middle-age “hot players” interested in competing because all teams will (hopefully) be as “balanced” as possible to allow and encourage all players to aim for the Club Championship. Please let me know your thoughts.
Our 2007 schedule for our three annual volleyball tournaments will be:
22nd annual “Golden Years”: Sunday, July 15th 9:00 A.M.
39th annual “big” tournament: Saturday & Sunday, August 25th & 26th 8:00 A.M.
33rd annual Wind & Sea Invitational: Sunday, September 2nd 8:00 A.M.
L. Val Hying
San Onofre Surfing Club Volleyball Director
San Onofre Beach is approximately 3,500 feet long and can accommodate 350 vehicles on any one crowded day. Of that 3,500 feet only about 150 feet of sand beach near the South end of the beach is dedicated to volleyball activity and the year-round volleyball players (who are also surfers) represent only a small percentage of our consistent annual Club membership roster of 1,000 (plus) members. But year-round, weather and road conditions permitting, the volleyball courts are alive with activity. Even some of the world-class top professional volleyball players occasionally gather at our courts for a fun day of surfing and volleyball. Accepting that volleyball is in fact a natural part of beach life, and although our Club is a surfing club, your elected Board of Directors each year allocates a small amount of our annual Club budget towards the maintenance (with volunteer labor) of the volleyball courts, and The San Onofre Surfing Club also sponsors three annual volleyball tournaments for Club members only.
The first of our annual tournaments is the “Golden Years”. This tournament, for older players only, was suggested back in 1986 by Wally Duesler to allow the older players to compete amongst their own peers, instead of having to go up against those younger “big guns” in competitive tournament play. Wally (57 years young) won 1st place (of course) the first two years, with partner Lin Ephraim in 1986, and Jim Hieatt in 1987. But now, in recent years we just don’t have enough older players to make up an actual tournament. I am exploring a possible change in the format of this tournament. There will be more on that at the end of this Volleyball news. The results of our 2006 21st annual are:
1st place: Kevin Bazyouros and Mike Costello Combined Age: 108 years
2nd place: Scott French and Dave Powell ?
3rd place: Greg Smith and Liz Powell ?
4th place: Brad Cheatum and Mario Citro 103
5th place: Ivan Colburn and Wardy Bandel 127
6th place: Bob Mardian and Danny Moore 107
7th place: Joo Woo and Mike Riley 113
8th place: Pat Whalley and Pegi Cheatum 103
The San Onofre Surfing Club presented four new Wilson AVP volleyballs to the four finalist players, and Wally Duesler, that grand old patron of San Onofre volleyball, awarded his magnificent hand carved works of art to Kevin and Mike as winners, and to Pegi and Liz as the outstanding lady players (Wally is very partial to the ladies).
Our 2nd annual tournament is open to all Club Member regular volleyball players who want to compete. In our San Onofre Surfing Club volleyball tournaments contestants do not enter as a team. Individuals who want to compete sign-up at least one week prior to tournament day. Their playing capability is judged and “rated” by their peers, and on the Saturday morning of the tournament the contestants are individually teamed up thru a choosing process: a high rated with a lower rated.
Our 38th annual tournament was played on Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th, 2006. We had 58 contestants who had signed-up earlier and SHOWED UP ON TIME Saturday morning to form 29 teams. Round-robin play on Saturday determines the top eight teams to advance to the Sunday finals.
Except for the final championship game on Sunday, the Saturday afternoon of this annual tournament is the most intense time. The highlight of the afternoon was at about 3:00 P.M. when the road was all lit up with flashing red lights on Ranger cars, fire trucks, and paramedic ambulance to hall me off to the hospital emergency room. I had been placed on prescription drugs to control irregular heart rhythms. As it turned out the prescribed dosage was in fact an overdose and I passed out when my heartbeat got down to a life-threatening 36. It took four nights and five days in the hospital intensive care to correct that blunder. I am sure that Dave Kulstad, designated tournament Director, did a top-notch job of finishing the Saturday eliminations and the Sunday finals. Thank you Dave, I am sure you would.
The results of our 2006 38th annual tournament are:
1st place: Scott French and Heather Frewin
2nd place: Tracy and Natalie Hagglund
3rd place: Dean Delfs and Joo Woo
4th place: Dave Wiseman and Pegi Cheatum
5th place: John Safarik and Teri Mear
6th place: Tom Beard and Mia Feiner
7th place: Mike Murphy and Leslie Van Deren
8th place: Paul Colburn and Jake Black
Of the 16 players (8 teams) who made it to the Sunday finals, we had seven females, including three in the final championship game, a new record.
The San Onofre Surfing Club awarded the usual four Wilson AVP volleyballs and commemorative plaques to the final four finalists, and Wally Duesler again donated as awards several of his hand-crafted replicas of marine wild life.
Our 3rd and final San Onofre Surfing Club sanctioned volleyball tournament of the year is the annual “Wind & Sea Invitational”, always held on the Sunday of the Labor day weekend, started in 1975 as a tournament for volleyball enthusiast employees of the Dana Point Wind & Sea Restaurants, but played on the San Onofre volleyball courts. Times change and people change. By the early 1980’s most all of the top rated players were regular San Onofre folks, and few if any were Wind & Sea personnel. By the late 1970’s the State was rigidly enforcing the “Special Event Permit” requirement for any organized group activity on The State Beach. In 1982, after much discussion, the San Onofre Surfing Club Board of Directors agreed with me that the club should sanction and co-sponsor the annual event, and secure the necessary permit under the following conditions: 1) All participants must be current regular members of The San Onofre Surfing Club; 2) No cash awards (cash awards or prizes would make it a professional sport event; and 3) a designated San Onofre Surfing Club Official would over-see the event to assure that the best interest of the Club prevail.
Invitations to participate in this tournament are extended on the prior weekend to 16 of the higher rated players, (plus three alternates). The results of the 32nd annual Wind & Sea Invitational Volleyball Tournament, held on Sunday September 3rd are:
1st place: Mike Murphy and Shawn Fitzgerald (advance seeded #1)
2nd place: Tom Beard and Greg Smith (advance seeded #2)
3rd place: Steve Uchytil and Scott French
4th place: Wardy Bandel and Dave Kulstad
5th place: Dean Delfs and Mike Riley
6th place: John Safarik and Danny Moore
7th place: Dave Hagglund and Kevin Beard
8th place: Dave Wiseman and Paul Colburn
Shawn was 1st alternate; other alternates would have been Larry Mear and Mario Citro.
San Onofre Surfing Club awarded the usual four new Wilson volleyballs and commemorative plaques, and Wind & Sea Restaurants Company President Bob Mardian awarded restaurant gift certificated and logo wearing apparel, total value approximately $500.00.
At the beginning of this volleyball new section I mentioned that a possible change in the format of the “Golden Years” tournament might be realistic due to the current disparity in age and playing ability in the older players in this highly competitive two man tournament play.
Try this on for size and please let me know your thoughts:
No advance sign-up required. At 9:00 A.M. on tournament day the oldest 16 players who show up, present on the beach, and want to compete, will be signed-up. The oldest four will be designated “team Captain”, or “chooser”. The oldest one will choose one player from the remaining 14 players. Then the second oldest will choose one, and so on, in order, until all players are formed into four four-person teams. Round-robin play, (each team will play against each of the other three teams), to determine the two top teams for the final championship game. I think the “format”, or something like it will help keep the spirit and meaning of “Golden Years Tournament” alive for the real senior citizen players, and yet keep the middle-age “hot players” interested in competing because all teams will (hopefully) be as “balanced” as possible to allow and encourage all players to aim for the Club Championship. Please let me know your thoughts.
Our 2007 schedule for our three annual volleyball tournaments will be:
22nd annual “Golden Years”: Sunday, July 15th 9:00 A.M.
39th annual “big” tournament: Saturday & Sunday, August 25th & 26th 8:00 A.M.
33rd annual Wind & Sea Invitational: Sunday, September 2nd 8:00 A.M.
L. Val Hying
San Onofre Surfing Club Volleyball Director
