Fifty years ago, Mike Bright and Mike O’Hara stood on the sand adjacent to the Manhattan Beach Pier surrounded by friends and family, sand chairs, beach towels and coolers. Staring through a net at Mike Higer and Gene Selznick, the duo was one point away from winning the first official beach volleyball tournament held in Manhattan Beach.

Three decades of growing popularity couldn’t offset growing financial losses
by Kevin Cody
Beach volleyball completed an arc familiar to minor sports last week with the grounding of the AVP. It went from a game played for bragging rights, to a profession, to a More

by Randy Angel
Loyola High School captured its second consecutive and fourth overall CIF Southern Section Commissioner’s Cup while El Segundo and Mira Costa earned the third and tenth spots, respectively, in rankings that indicate the most successful high school athletic programs. More

Celebrating the careers of volleyball legends Linda Hanley, Chris Marlowe and Steve Obradovich, the annual Manhattan Beach Open Dinner of Champions will be held Saturday from 6-10 p.m. at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach. Proceeds will benefit Manhattan Beach native and Olympic gold medalist More

 
Volleyball
The Beach Volleyball CBVA Camp will be held Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m.-noon at the Manhattan Beach Pier. There is one coach for every eight campers who will instruct players 7-18 who want to play in competitive tournaments. Fee is $150. Visit www.citymb.org More

The Beach Volleyball CBVA Camp will be held Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m.-noon at the Manhattan Beach Pier. There is one coach for every eight campers who will instruct players 7-18 who want to play in competitive tournaments. Sessions run from 9 a.m.-noon with one coach for every eight players. Fee is $150. Visit www.citymb.org or call 310-802-5448 for more information.

The AVP Tour today announced it has closed its doors due to financial hardship, cutting short the 2010 season. AVP ownership is not funding the tour and the AVP has been unsuccessful at finding new investors.

Christopher Orenic, Michael Mullahey and Tony Ensbury of Manhattan Beach came home with gold medals from the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships held in Wisconsin Dells, WI. They competed in the International Youth Division. Previously at the USAV Junior Olympic Games held in Austin, TX, Orenic and Mullahey were named to the All-Tournament team in the 16s division and Ensbury was a member of the SCVC 17s Bronze medal team. All three play for Southern California Volleyball Club of Redondo Beach.

by Edfactor

Open Ocean surf shop owner Jamie Ellett is picking up where he left off 15 years ago when he closed his Hermosa Beach shop. Last month, Ellett reopened Open Ocean in South Redondo, at 1217 S. Pacific Coast Highway.

by Janet Oshiro

The annual Dick Fitzgerald Two Mile Beach Run is more than a warm-up race for Mira Costa’s cross country team. The International Surf Festival event, held two Saturdays ago, is also a team builder and a fundraiser.