Beach Volleyball Players & Fans Partied In A Fun Post-Tournament Celebration
They were the stuff of legend, often more fun than even the action on the beach and the bars the previous days and nights.
The weekend highlight of the AVP beach volleyball tournaments of the past were not necessarily the tournaments themselves, but afterward.
They were the Sunday night parties at Sangria (now American Junkie) in Hermosa Beach, Cali, in which people danced and partied in flip flops, board shorts and bikinis. Long-haired and laid-back Gus was at the makeshift bar pouring heavy drinks (topping my sangrias with a floater of Captain Morgan – oh MY!) and a bunch of tall people in minimal clothing were cutting loose ways we just don’t seem to be able to do anymore.
These parties took place three times a year, after the two AVP tournaments (Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach) and after the 6-man finals. Back in the good ‘ol 6-man days.
The players were partying, the fans were partying, the cool sponsors were partying and it was a true Southern California beach lifestyle scene. It was better than what any commercial could come up with and far outpaced anything in a movie.
A lot of the memories are blurry but here’s one that continues to stand out to this day. It involves AVP player Scott Ayakatubby – who, like everyone else in the South Bay – was known to throw down a few drinks from time to time. On this occasion he had a few too many and was politely escorted out the front door by one of the managers.
Five minutes later he was back in the bar (he had come in through one of the back doors). So he was politely escorted out the front door by the same manager. Five minutes later he was back in again having come in through the other back door. The manager, holding back laughter, said “Scott, you’ve got to go home!”
I’m not picking on Scott, I’m just pointing out that people went all out at these things and nobody wanted to leave that party!
So as a tribute, PubClub.com is publishing this article and these flashback photos to one of the best times in Hermosa Beach.
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