Let the Beach Games begin

Mike Sciacca

All eyes in the world of professional surfing will be on Huntington

Beach the week of July 22-31 when the 2005 Bank of the West Beach

Games featuring the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O’Neill

rolls into Surf City.

But surf won’t be the only thing that’s up that week at the

Huntington Beach Pier, as the Beach Games is composed of an action

sports and lifestyle festival package that includes professional

surfing, skateboarding, BMX, FMX and beach volleyball competitions,

along with live music amid America’s largest oceanfront exposition.

Attendance for the weeklong festivities is expected to exceed

2004’s record of 350,000 spectators.

“We are especially pleased to sponsor the Bank of the West Beach

Games for a second year, hosting 350,000 Southern Californians or

more for a week of excitement,” said Steve Glenn, Bank of the West

vice chairman.

The world’s top surfers and huge crowd swells will once again

dominate the U.S. Open of Surfing, an event that dates back to 1959.

The contest is North America’s only six-star World Qualifying

Series-rated men’s and women’s events. This year, an all-new women’s

Junior Pro (ages 19 and younger) has been added to the list of

contests, complimenting the established men’s Junior Pro and the

longboarding divisions, as well as a star-studded “expression

session” surfing event.

Cash prizes totaling $185,000 are on the line for what has been

described as the “world’s largest professional surfing competition.”

Prior men’s U.S. Open of Surfing champions include Andy Irons,

Kelly Slater, Cory Lopez, Sunny Garcia, Rob Machado and Australian

Taj Burrow, who won the contest for the first time last summer.

Fellow Aussie Chelsea Georgeson has won the past two U.S. Open of

Surfing titles.

Just three weeks after the 2005 Bank of the West Games closes down

and leaves town, the sand courts south of the pier will serve as a

grand showcase for volleyball as the Association of Volleyball

Professionals takes center stage with the Huntington Beach Open.

Part of the AVP 2005 Nissan Series, the Huntington Beach Open,

featuring the world’s top volleyball players, will be played out

between Aug. 11-14.

Qualifying matches will be played Aug. 11, and the main draw

competition will begin Aug. 12, continue Aug. 13, and conclude Aug.

14, with men’s and women’s championship finals.