From Beach Chairs to Bleachers: The Manhattan Beach Open’s Journey Into 2012
The resurgent Manhattan Beach Open. Photo by Frank Goroszko Thousands gathered last weekend to watch some of the greatest beach volleyball players in the world battle it out on the south side of the Manhattan Beach pier. This prestigious tournament is known by many to be the Wimbledon of beach volleyball, and has featured some of the greatest athletes in the sport since its inception in 1960. Due to financial difficulties, professional beach volleyball laid essentially dormant in 2010 and 2011, but last weekend proved that it is certainly alive and well. This year all eyes were focused on Jake Gibb and South Bay resident Sean Rosenthal who recently represented the United States at the 2012 Olympics in London. Millions watched around the world as their efforts fell short of an Olympic medal, but local residents still could not be more proud to share their home with anyone competing in the world’s most coveted event, and a moment was shared in their honor before the men’s final on Sunday. Unfortunately an early loss on Saturday had them battling their way through the losers bracket, and they were eventually defeated on Sunday. Rosenthal states, “To lose early put us in a hole, but…
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