12-13 June 2010
Portobello beach once again hosted another fabulous weekend of beach volleyball. City of Edinburgh Volleyball Club once again found themselves up early on the beach at 7.30am!! on Saturday morning to set up a centre court, 5 nets and a marquee. The weather – most critical of elements for this game – seemed unusually calm, sunny and warm. We were lucky as this was to continue (on the Saturday anyway).
Play got underway with division 1 men and women battling for a place in the semi finals to be played on the Sunday. Division 2 men and women also competed, and lets not forget the mixed 4s who had a ball! The usual barbeque was going next to their court, lots of fun and laughter for all concerned. They loved winning the pineapples!
In division 2, Alasdair King and Pim Frederix took the spoils for the men, while for the women it was Stephanie Shauer and Geraldine Ardoin. In the mixed fours it was NUVOC who came up trumps and they looked truly delighted at the end of the day.
Sunday saw the arrival of the juniors, always great to see, but also the arrival of the rain – less great – but play went on regardless. Thankfully it cleared up towards the end of the day which made playing considerably more pleasant!
In women’s division 1, we were very privileged to have the attendance of former beach volleyball Olympian Amanda (Mo) Glover playing. Despite being dragged out of retirement (kicking and screaming) not having played for 5 years, she had not lost her touch and with partner Mel Coutts managed to beat worthy opponents Eilidh Smith and Claire Penny 21-13, 21-11.
Tournament favourites Barry McGuigan and Graham Riddle took the men’s title, following a great final against Colin Paterson and James Jensen 21-15, 21-16.
Thanks to all the volunteers from City of Edinburgh Volleyball Club who made this event happen. Thanks to the SVA Beach Commission, Portobello Swim Centre, sponsorship from the City of Edinburgh Council Activcity programme, the players and all the staff at the Beach Bar who made this event special.
Mel Coutts & Barry McGuigan
Portobello Beach Volleyball Tournament Organisers
FINAL POSITIONS
Women Division One
1 Coutts/Glover
2 Smith/Penny
3 Smy/Kennie
4 Duffin/Sell
5 Lurf/Ghizdavcich
Women Division Two
1 Shauer/Ardoin
2 Medina/Medina
Under 18 Women
1 Hunter/Sampson
2 Arthur/Hunter
3 Ramsay/Smith
Men Division One
1 Riddle/McGuigan
2 Paterson/Jensen
3 Macnab/McKeown
4 Harris/Graham
5 Robertson/Najdrowski
6 Paaka/Bergman
7 Duffin/Moretta
8 Panayiotakis/Kozikopoulos
Men Division Two
1 Reid/Ho
2 Li/Sangster
3 Taylor/Diamond
4 Wilkie/Lamont
5 Lloyd/Smith
Under 18 Men
1 Agius / Hunter
2 Arthur/Darling
3 Brown/Ramsay
4 Lynch/McHardy
Mixed 4s
1 NUVOC
2 Jets mixed
3= Wallace High 1
3= Carlisle
3= Linlithgow Hornets
3= Wallace High 2