by Laura Garber
Olympic soccer star and former U.S. women’s national team player Abby Wambach and musical comedian Kristin Key formed a celebrity cornhole team for Pride Play Day on Sunday, June 14, hosted by Hermosa Beach Pride.
The duo faced off against tournament winners Kate Moreau and Hannah Rubin of the ‘Corn Stars’ in the final match.
Key’s excitement was hard to miss before she and Wambach fell to Moreau and Rubin.
“I didn’t peak in high school,” she said. “I’ve been waiting for a moment like this my entire life.”
Hermosa Beach Pride, an LGBTQ+ organization now in its sixth year, hosted the community cornhole tournament as part of a weekend of Pride events that included a Drag Show and the annual community parade to the rainbow lifeguard tower on 10th Street.
Wambach has lived “on and off,” she said in Hermosa for over 20 years and lives with her wife, Glennon Doyle, a New York Times bestselling author in Hermosa Beach. Together with Doyle’s sister Amanda, they host the podcast “We Can Do Hard Things” through their media company Treat Media. The show has been recognized as one of Apple Podcasts’ Top 10 Shows We Love.
Despite her Olympic resume, Wambach was the underdog heading into the finals based on Key landing multiple holes-in-one during warmup.
“This is so thrilling that the community can come together and have such an incredible space,” Wambach said. “Play fun games, eat good food and be in community. It’s really special.”
Pride Play Day was a new addition to the Hermosa Beach Pride weekend calendar, said organization president Millie Martinez Stordeur, who noted the group had long wanted to add an athletic component.
She has also prioritized local business participation; Creamy Boys Ice Cream, Gitana Cafe, and the LA Clippers were among the event’s supporters.
“In terms of being different this year, more people know about us now,” Stordeur said. “In the beginning it was a lot of allyship, which we need. But now it seems like more members of the LGBT community are coming here because they feel safe in Hermosa Beach.” ER
