Annual Hermosa Beach Costume Volleyball Tournament is, Once Again, A Smashing Success

Smackfest11Action — A Smackfest player goes up for a spike while spectators watch from beach chairs.

Looking back on one of the many great years of an annual Southern California beach party.

When one hears the words “beach party,” this probably does not come immediately to mind. One likely imagines some type of college Spring Break scene or, for those fortunate enough to have experienced it, the wild scene of Paradise Beach in Mykonos.

But this is California. Southern California. And Hermosa Beach in Los Angeles’ South Bay. And that means beach volleyball. Once a year, on the third Saturday of July, hundreds of locals gather, dressed in team costumes, and turn out for an event called Smackfest. Put on by the beach volleyball clothing company Smack Sportswear, it consists of coed teams playing in an all-day tournament at the Hermosa Beach Pier.

Smackfest11HostTent — The Smackfest 2011 Host Tent.

And it’s a beach party, Southern California style. Teams must have themes and players are required to play in costumes. Some teams go all out, creating tiki-style settings or setting up inflatable pools. They play and they party. They hit the many bars on the Pier throughout the day and night where they patronize primary sponsor Bud Light

A DJ cranks party music on the beach.

In 2011, there were more than 1,000 people on the beach throughout the day. Most were there to play but others were there to simply be onlookers. They were checking out the costumes and the guys and the gals. The volleyball, it must be noted, took a backseat to the scene.

Here are images from Smackfest 2011, a Hermosa Beach party tradition.