The 53rd Annual Charlie Saikley 6-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament came to Manhattan Beach once again, bringing crowds of all ages to watch wacky dressed people play highly competitive volleyball.
“That was a great final, double final. Doesn’t happen every year,” said event director Jay Saikley after Thursday’s riveting final day of action.
He was referring to the double final that the men’s Simmzy’s team won (15-7, 11-8) by climbing out of the losers bracket to beat the previously undefeated 12th Street team twice to win the tournament. Simmzy’s was comprised of mostly of Mira Costa and Loyola High alums.
The level of competition was fierce throughout Wednesday, as well, which was for the most part pool play but did have one championship – the Women’s Masters Division, which saw the lingerie-clad Desperate Housewives defeat El Sombrero in a hard-fought match.
But Thursday was the most chock-full day of action, with the Men’s Division, Men’s Master’s and the Women’s Division all crowning a champions by sunset.
Simmzy’s got hot toward the end of the day, beating the team of Fletch and a Stack to reach the final, where they beat 12th st. twice to win the title.
“We’ve gone through a lot of adversity throughout this tournament,” said Tommy Becker, team captain and former Mira Costa indoor volleyball star. “And we really didn’t let it get us down, and just kind of fought back and luckily that paid off.”
The 12th St. team had many former and current AVP players as well as Olympians, including Bob Samuelson (1992 Gold Medalist, 6-man indoor), and Eric Fonoimoana (2000 Gold, beach volleyball).
The Women’s Open Division final came down to Rusher/Bacchus 900 and “Rockstar,” a match that featured pros such as Whitney Pavlic (Rusher/Bacchus 900) and Brittany Hochevar (Rockstar).
Rusher/Bacchus 900 won its fifth consecutive Six Man championship, 15-12. The Rockstar team took its defeat with humor, chanting “We’re number two! We’re number two!” after the match, actually louder than the winning team.
“There are only so many bullets in our gun, but it was a great level of competition that made rallies seem like they lasted forever,” Hochevar said.
The champions were on the brink of being dethroned but showed no nerves, earning a come-from-behind victory
“We’ve just been playing together so long that their is just not a lot of panic that happens out there,” said team captain Nancy Mason after the match.
This year, like last, was different than years past, as in the competition took place on Wednesday and Thursday instead of the weekend. There were mixed reviews on the change.
“At first I thought it was crazy to have people take off work to come to play,” said Eliot Prather, an avid 6-man tournament attendee. “But what’s happening is that it’s not bringing down all of the crazy people, like in Huntington Beach.”
Riots occurred in Huntington Beach last weekend at the U.S. Open surfing championships.
Rounding out competition, the Men’s Masters Division final involved some of the most longstanding Six Man competitors. Good Stuff took on Malibu Bud Light and prevailed 15-7.
Good Stuff was accompanied by the biggest fan section of the day, with music blasting from a red wagon and a man with a microphone pumping up the crowd throughout the match.
Team Captain Kevin Cleary said after the match that his team has now won a championship in the event in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and now the 2010s.
Cleary said that players “haven’t lost that love and desire to play in this longstanding tournament.”
Saikley
Asked about what the plans are for next year as in what days the event will be on, Seikley next year’s Six Man plans have yet to be determined, but noted that whatever day of the week the tournament occurs, it still features the finest elements of a homegrown sport.
“The level of competition was spectacular,” he said. “Like every year, we got the best of the best, whether it was Olympians, former Olympians, Division I All-American indoor players, professional players.”
“So you are just getting the best of the best, and we all grew up together, so it’s really fun to come back and get together and play the best volleyball around.”
In a tribute to his late father and tournament namesake, founder Charlie Saikley, he said of the beautiful, sunny day that shone the second day of the event, “As Charlie would’ve said, ‘It’s just another day in paradise.’”
