Surfest/6-Man Manhattan Beach Signup Deadline Extended

Beach Volleyball Party Gets Deflated By Tuesday-Wednesday Schedule

This is what happens when you take a popular weekend event and move it to the middle of the week. You lose people. And, as a result, you lose revenue.

In this case, it’s a whacky event called Surfest, but known locally as the 6-man. It’s a combination of Halloween and beach volleyball, an ideal marriage of the creative energy of the residents and the culture of the community. It takes place in a year-round adult playground known as Manhattan Beach, CA.

For years, it went on untethered and grew from a few thousand to about 20,000. And that’s when the police and City Council started throwing up the “meatball” flags. So instead of being on a weekend, the City Council moved it to midweek for 2012. A Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

Not too surprisingly, team registrations dropped like spiked volleyballs. Normally it’s maxed out at 130 teams and people camp out in front of City Hall as if they are getting tickets to a rock concert. This year, however, only 42 teams signed up by a deadline that was in March for an event that doesn’t take place until August (July 31-Aug. 1, to be specific).

So the deadline was extended until April and now it’s been extended again, until June 15. At $400 (and up) revenue per team, that’s quite a financial hit for the city. And obviously, the revenue from the bars will be mere foam in the bottom of the beer glass as compared to the past.

But the event continues and should be supported.

Related Article; 6-man/Surfest Party Guide

To sign up for 6-man, click here.