Dodgeball madness on the beach
June 6th, 2009, 8:21 pm · 12 Comments · posted by Laylan Connelly, staff writer
Judy Allen stopped in her tracks as she passed the dodgeball players.
“Oh my God, this is insanity,” she said, checking out the dudes battling it out wearing barely anything. “Speedos are sexy!”
For player Paul Lent, it was just painful.
“It is terrible. It’s really uncomfortable,” he said.
One of the funnest events on Orange County’s coast came back to the beach today on the blacktop of Newport Elementary School, where 24 teams battled it out during the “Shorevival of the Fittest” dodgeball tournament.
Now in its fifth year, the event is getting bigger and better. They go after more than just the trophies for who beats out the other players - but also get props for who has the best creative costume.
“We’re trying to top it each year,” said one of the organizers, Stan Divranos.
There were the dudes in Speedos, of course, but also a lot of other wacky things to laugh at - like the “Magnum P.I.” team, wearing Hawaiian shirts and fake mustaches, and team “Black Out,” sporting tight cut off jean shorts and rockin’ mullets.
But the winners of the Best Costume contest were the Newport Cougars. It was a tough decision, but because they got a guy to dress in a school girl outfit, they took home the win.
For others, it was all about the game. Team Newport Legend came ready with strategy this year: keep calm, and don’t hesitate, said team member Eric Mendeza.
Lauren Machanis, of Newport Beach, gave love to organizer Khari Johnson for pulling together the event.
“He created something amazing for the community,” she said. “He put his heart and soul into the event.”
Spectators lined three chain-linked fences that created the battlegrounds, where the six players from each team hurled blue balls at each other and jumped and weaved to miss being tagged out.
Each year, the teams get more into the competition, challenging the refs’ calls and letting emotions flow during each match.
“It’s competitive, there’s so much invested in this tournament,” Machanis said.
One girl took the game a little too serious, coming after one of her opponents with a closed fist after getting nailed by the ball. Mind you, there’s an Ultimate Fighting team that has been competing for five years - and no one saw them throwing blows!
It didn’t take long for the refs to break up the cat fight, and spectators went nuts. When the game was resumed, the girl got boo’d when she got back on the court.
“I don’t know what came over here,” said Jackie, the players who was attacked.
“You get the girl’s teams out here, and they start swinging,” said Mike Ryan, of team Green Room. “I think we could market this.”
Congrats to the winners of this year’s Dodgeball on the Beach tournament:
First place: Magnum P.I.
Second place: Young and Hung
Third Place: Woody’s Wharf
Fourth Place: Loose Cannons
Best Outfit: Newport Cougars
I think that team Young & Hung got jipped on the award for best costume. Speedo, handbands & tube socks; If I could guess any woman’s fantasy, I think it would involve those three things. Young & Hung will be back in action next year to take the whole thing.
not sure about the uniform award this year either. Young & Hung, Magnum PI, Legends, and Black Out all had some good stuff goin’ on. There was even a wrestler team that was pretty sweet. Maybe next year they can have the fans vote on site.
I am the girl who confronted the other team, and you know what? I didn’t punch anyone! The Fish out of Water aka WHALES OUT OF WATER team had terrible sportsmanship and were being incredibly rude. One of the girls from the other team deliberately hit me in the face with the ball, so I stormed over there to demand and apology. The entire team of butch, fat girls came at me and all I did was push them, snap their headbands and shove a girl away from me with my hand on her face. I never punched anyone! I haven’t punched a person since 4th grade! I was BLEEDING from the injuries they had given me and had to be treated for them! This article is absurd and completely one-sided, I am very upset. I had absolutely nothing against the other team until they purposely hit me in the face with the ball. If they had apologized instead of making rude and immature remarks, then I would have never stormed over there to confront them. This is dodgeball, chill out and don’t take it so seriously! My team The Pink Tacos had ALL of the fans on our side and got free drinks at the bars all day and night =D.
Great Tourney! Although finishing second is sweet, first would taste so much better. Speaking of tasty, kudos to the pink tacos for the lovely display of female dodgeball awesomeness. Team young and hung would like to extend an invitation to the pink tacos for drinks, sensual massages, and a make-out party.
We never disappoint.
Haha thank you for your support, I really appreciate it.
Dear Layla,
I am very upset over your accusations and your article. I didn’t hit or punch a single person, I pushed a girl who was trying to hit me to PROTECT myself and snapped their headbands. Last time I checked snapping a headband isn’t considered violence. My team got the comped drinks at the bars all day/night because we earned our fans due to the way we handled the situation. People who actually saw what happened knew that I never hit anyone and they deliberately hit me in the face with the ball from a very close range. I stormed over there to demand and apology and all of them came at me, I have the injuries to prove it. What do they have, messed up headbands and smeared mascara? We tried to be nice in the beginning, but the comments they made about myself and my team were beyond immature and that is where “Whales out of Water” came from. We knew that they were going to beat us, they were nearly 5 times our size! Telling my friend that I am “lucky” that you didn’t use my name was uncalled for and using my name would be defamation. You wrote a completely one-sided story without even asking my team and I what had happened. I find that interesting especially since the men in charge of the tournament helped me tend to my injuries caused by those girls and knew that they were in the wrong. I would appreciate it if you would stop threatening my friend and I and writing about me in such a manner when you have no proof that anything you say is true. Thank you.
PS: Saying that my friend Niki “stalked” you on Facebook is absurd, she didn’t even add you! She simply messaged you telling you the REAL story and asking you to stop making accusations. Last I checked that isn’t stalking.
Come on! We all matched didn’t we? ; )
(the newport cougars)
The Loose Canons and Young & Hung had the hottest guys :)!!
K Thats all!
PS- Leslie yes your team had great uniforms, specially Jen’s helmet
This great tournament has marked my life forever…literally! As a spectator, I recommend not standing too close to the corners of the portable chain link fence as they are not very stable!!
The Tournament was a blast. I was one of three men on the Pink Tacos Squad and though we didnt win one match, it was a great time. I didnt like the fact that the organizers forced the men off of our team so that there could be an “All Girls Match” against a team of obviously athletic females vs. what i labeled our girls “the Glam Squad.” It wasnt even a competition. And N is right, she didnt strike anyone (for the record)
That being said next year will be even better and i hope to see you all there.
HeadBand snapper you are hot. We should mate. I mean we should date…
All of this is awesome. I wasn’t even at the tourney but I can sense the tension.
Khari, you are the man!