Combining beach volleyball, fashion and music, the beach culture will celebrated Saturday, June 17 when the 24th Annual Smackfest event takes place at 8 a.m. south of the Hermosa Beach Pier.
Run by Bill Sigler, owner of Smack Sportswear, Smackfest features costumed-themed Coed 4s and Pro 4s tournaments in one of the most popular beach volleyball events of the summer. To accommodate the AVP Hermosa Beach Open that will be played in July, this year’s event is being played one month earlier.
Despite the earlier date, registration for the Fun Division sold out in two days. The Dave Williams Memorial Pro Division is almost full and the winning team will take home $1,500 plus $500 worth of prizes. The second-place wins $500 and prizes worth $500.
In addition to volleyball competition, Smackfest includes DJ’s, a sponsor village with merchandise deals, free samples and swag, as well as the Sharkeez/FIN fashion show and a post party.
Smackfest began in 1994 at 15th St in Manhattan Beach with 50 participants and has grown into the largest Coed 4’s Tournament on the West Coast.
The after party following the inaugural event took place at an apartment complex on 13th and Morningside Dr. that was closed for renovations. Participants used the pool/courtyard to celebrate.
In 1999, Smackfest moved to 8th St. in Hermosa when 150 people participated. The tournament moved to its current location in 2002, and by 2009 over 1,000 people were playing.
The Pro 4′s division was added in 2012 allowing top pros, Olympians, and legends a chance to play a high-level competition for a prize purse.
For those who missed this year’s registration and would like to compete, Smackfest Events will be hosting a 4-Man Open Division ($500 in prize money) and 4-Man Weekend Warrior Division at the World Series of Beach Volleyball (WSOBV) on Saturday, July 15 beginning at 9 a.m. at Marine Green Park on Shoreline Drive in Long Beach.
Entry fees for the 4-Man tournaments is $200 per team.
As part of the WSOBV Spiked Beach Bash, there also will be a 6-Man Open tournament. Tournaments will coincide with FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam matches featuring many of the top players in the world.
For more information, call 310-318-5062 or visit Smackfestevents.com.
