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Welcome to San Diego's Over-the-Line
Tournament
Named for a Game, the
Party is Over the Line, Too!
It's a beach party
like none other, the Over-the-Line Tournament.
By Chelsea Hunter
cvhunter@gmail.com
Held in the beautiful Mission Bay area
of San Diego, the Over-the-Line Tournament (better known to locals as
the OTL tourney) takes place on Fiesta Island, a small island in the
midst of the bay.
I had never heard of it before, so when PubClub.com
sent me to experience it first hand, I was all about it! (The 2008 event is July 12-13 and 19-20. The "alcohol ban" of San Diego beaches will not apply for OTL. So bring your beer!)
Fiesta Island has only one access road
that circles the island. It is much better to take one of the free buses
onto and off of the island than to try and fight for a parking spot.
Unless you arrive early, there is not a parking spot to be found for
most of the day unless you want to fight off someone with a stick to
nab one.
Held in the middle of July over the span of two weekends, the OTL tourney
begins early in the morning no sooner than people can begin popping
tops off their beers. Beer coolers are scattered among the sand playing
courts almost as abundantly as the attendees playing and observing the
games.
The PubClubettes
entertain the OTL crowd.
The PubClubettes
get the rules explained in typical OTL entertaining fashion.
On a typical day the OTL starts out at 8 a.m., and goes until about
6 p.m., or so. The day's end is dictated by a series of semi-final multi-level
eliminations. And because most of the breast-baring beach babes have
taken off by that point!
The writer found
the game confusing, but it was hardly her fault.
The game itself is a form of softball. I had about three different
people try to explain the game to me, but considering most attendees
were already 5-6 beers deep by the time I arrived, I never really grasped
the exact rules. It didn't matter, though, because everyone was in good
spirits and was having a blast, especially as we plastered
PubClub.com temporary tattoos on everyone
at the tourney!
The OTL is limited to 1,200 teams of three persons each, playing almost
2,400 games in two weekends with 52,000 in attendance. The teams themselves
range from competitors from 18-80 years old and I had several proudly
tout they have been attending the OTL tourney since they were 5 or 6
years old!
 These
are not your typical corporate teams however, as half the fun of OTL
is seeing who can come up with the most comical team name. Some of the
more classy team names were "Porta-Potty-Peep-Cam." "Purely
Ghetto." "Sons of Beaches" and not to forget the old
classic "Butt, Sweat and Beers" team.
The 2007 event was the 54th annual OTL tournament so it has been around
for a while to say the least. As I walked around the Fiesta Island grounds
I tried to get some more background info on the games. I learned that
the OTL tourney is sponsored and organized by the O.M.B.A.C organization
(Old Mission Beach Athletic Club).
Two men named Ron Lapalis (better known as "Fox") and Pat
Kearny started the game years ago on Mission Beach and had the passion
to keep it going and start the formal organization of the tournament.
The court, as legend has it, is said to be 23 "Fox" steps
in length.
If you're lucky, or you have boobs and are willing to flash them,
you can get access to the O.M.B.A.C tent, which serves the "official"
O.M.B.A.C drink of rum and coke. One of the few shaded areas on the
island and a definite hot spot for skin-bearing beach babes, it is where
most of the old-time tournament legends hang out exchanging stories
of OTL tourneys of the past.
Another interesting part of the tournament is the "Miss Emerson"
contest.
Now I have to admit, I was skeptical as to the validity of this contest
and what exactly the judging specifications were based on. I originally
thought that it was solely a "who has the bigger boobs" contest
which, do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with at all!
 Come
to find out, it is much more than that as I learned when I interviewed
this year's winner, Mary Kraszewski. The judges are looking for a beach
beauty who carries herself with style and grace. Out of all the qualified
contestants only one is crowned Miss Emerson, based on her interview
with the committee of 9 judges!
The contestants interview skills and stage presence determines the
winner. The newly appointed Miss Emerson is then expected to attend
all the events that O.M.B.A.C sponsors for the next year.
(Editor's note: It should be pointed out that the writer, Chelsea
Hunter, is a former Miss Fitness Arizona and was the first runner-up
in the 2007 Miss
Long Beach Grand Prix contest.)
Even though the beer, bats and babes are a ton of fun, the OTL tourney
encompasses much more; it actually does a lot for the San Diego community
and serves as the primary fundraising source for O.M.B.A.C 's year-round
charitable programs.
The majority of the tournament proceeds are contributed to wheelchair
sports for both adults and children in San Diego.
So while you are enjoying your beer, pizza and sexy sights of beach
bound women, you can also feel good about your contribution to the community.
How great is that?!
Over-the-Line
Tournament Photos
Featuring the PubClubettes!
The end! Come back
for more next year.
 Another
Beach Party – Manhattan Beach Surfest!
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