Smackfest 2012 - The Bar Has Been Raised!

Online, July 30, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Last Saturday, Hermosa Beach was the place to be. The date marked the 19th annual Smackfest tournament and by most accounts, it was by far the best one yet. The weather was perfect, with temperatures in the mid-seventies, cloudless skies and light winds. Even in the early morning hours of the event set-up, the atmosphere on the Strand was buzzing with excitement. The players arrived, team by team in an endless parade of inventive costumes, fired up about spending a day at the beach with friends old and new. The crowd came from all over Southern California, with more than a few flying in from out-of-state as part of their summer vacation plans. The overall anticipation was that this year would be something unique and extra special. Those sentiments did not leave unfulfilled. With a few great new additions to the day's agenda and a larger casual fan base, Smackfest was elevated more than a few notches this year.

The initial eye-opener for arriving players and fans was the overall scope of the event footprint. The player courts stretched from the Hermosa Beach pier to well north of the dog park next to the Beach House. A new check-in area now included an announcer's stage, VIP and Pro player rest areas and more sponsor tents. My Fit Foods and Baja Sharkeez prepared delicious meals throughout the day. Red Bull took care of the tunes, trucking in their giant dome tent, staffing it with their resident DJ Jeff Murrell and surrounding him with over-sized beanbags and beverages for fans to enjoy.

Also new to the scene was a swimwear/fashion show produced by Baja Sharkeez's Fashion Industry Night (FIN). Around mid-day, 20+ beautiful So Cal models took to the catwalk in summer styles from Smack, the NVL and USA Beach Volleyball, strutting to a pulsing club-like beat that pumped up all within an earshot. With photographers lining the ramp, the show inserted a big exclamation point right into all the volleyball action, giving players a chance to catch their breath and fans a chance to lose theirs.
The biggest and best addition to Smackfest was the Bud Light sponsored Pro 4's division. Created as an exhibition for a future event series, legends like Jose Loiola, Mike Lambert, and Holly McPeak were back on the sand teamed with the current stars like Avery Drost, Casey Patterson, and Jenny Kropp. A large group of spectators wrapped the two pro courts all day long marveling at the skills of the 4-person teams. Many fans had never seen team beach volleyball played at this high a level and reacted with loud cheers and applause at the end of every great rally.

In the finals of the Pro 4's division, Team VB Superstore (Mike Lambert, Casey Patterson, Brittany Hochevar, Paul Baxter and Brandon Taliefero) took on Team Bud Light (Albert Hanneman, Andrei Belov, Matt Fuerbringer, Adam Roberts and Brooke Sweat). The rallies were long and hard fought. Going up 13-9, it looked like Team Bud Light would hoist the trophy. Then with the sun setting on a spectacular day, Team VB Superstore staged an incredible comeback, scoring six straight points to win the first-ever Smackfest Pro4s Championship! In addition to the "W" honors, the team also took home $5,000 for the first place prize. Check out the great match here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt5DlRcC0pQ.

The Fun division stayed true to its name, with pirate ships, honey badgers, ice Vikings, grass skirts, Tropic Thunder and all other manner of creative themes filling the courts and sidelines. Just this sheer spectacle alone made for a worthy day at the beach. In-between matches, teams took the celebrating off the beach through a partnership with Baja Sharkeez. A local's favorite hot spot, the restaurant offered special food and drink specials to competitors throughout the day - making sure no one got hungry or thirsty. All 150 amateur teams had just as much fun showing off their costumes as playing. And while the smiles were more important than the on-court battles, there were some great volleyball games played all day long. Congratulations to Team Neon (Will Jacoby, Matt Biernat, Mariko Coverdale, Chelsea Hayes, Tony Ray and Brock Redmond) for pulling out the finals win! Not only did they outlast and outplay every other team, they also finished on time (another Smackfest first)!

So as another year is now in the books for Smackfest, the bar for the event has clearly been elevated. After some much needed rest on Sunday, we're already looking ahead to next year's event - as all, it will be a 20th Anniversary for the tournament and Smack Sportswear. For more stories and supporting pictures, be sure to visit http://www.facebook.com/Smackfest?ref=hl. Please also share your own experiences with us by posting them there too. We'd love to hear how things went for you and your clan.