October 26th & 27th saw Noosa Main Beach taken over by beach volleyball enthusiasts competing at the Empyrean Lighting Beach Volleyball Extravaganza in Round 3 of the 2013 QLD State Beach Volleyball Tour.
Both Saturday & Sunday were filled with jam packed action as onlooker’s witnesses games across all four divisions – Elite Men & Women, Open Men & Women and U18 Men & Women and Fun Fours. With International players from New Zealand, Canada & Germany as well as current Olympians there was definitely no shortage of skills.
Jeff Bampton from The Sandpit Beach Volleyball and promoter of the event could not have asked for better playing conditions or a better venue for the weekend tournament. “It was great to get this Olympic sport back on Sunshine Coast Beaches after more than 10 years away. We were extremely happy with the numbers, especially the local players that got involved.”
A huge congratulations to the winners of all divisions:
Elite Men: Joshua Slack & Dan Carey
Elite Women: Candice McCarthy & Georgia Davey
Open Men: Lukasz Ponikiewski & Jake Robson
Open Women: Christy Prosper & Belinda Hawthorne
U18 Men: Daniel Mecchia & Zayne Daisy
U18 Women: Angela Gray & Abby Byrne
Winner of the elite men’s division and 3-time Olympian, Joshua Slack, was thrilled to be back playing on Noosa beach. “The extravaganza was a great event, I know all the players agree that nothing beats the tournaments on actual beaches!”
Proud sponsors of the Beach Volleyball Extravaganza Empyrean Lighting couldn’t have been happier. “… it was fantastic to see such an abundance of players and spectators enjoying the sun and sand on Noosa Beach. The event proved to be very diverse, with skill levels ranging from past Olympians, up and coming amateurs and weekend warriors all enjoying the competition. We would like to thank the players, organisers and volunteers for making the Empyrean Lighting Beach Volleyball Extravaganza such a success and we are already looking forward to the next event in Mooloolaba”.
Next stop on the QLD State Beach Volleyball for the Sunshine Coast is the Empyrean Lighting Beach Volleyball Classic, Mooloolaba, set for the 21st of December. Prize money, live music, give aways and an after party will ensure the Classic suits everyone – diving in the sand or not!
