Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
As promised, TheMat.com is updating its 2006 Beach Wrestling schedule, as new events are sanctioned with USA Wrestling.
Last weekend, the North American Beach Wrestling Championships were a major success in Virginia Beach, Va., June 10-11. Hosted by the Virginia Challenge, over 200 athletes of all ages attended. A successful individual tournament was hosted on Saturday, and an innovative and exciting dual meet event was hosted on Sunday.
Click here for results from the North American Beach Wrestling Championships
There will be two more events hosted within a week, both part of USA Wrestling Kids/Cadet Regional events.
The America’s Cup of Beach Wrestling will be at Carlsbad, N.M. on June 17 alongside the Southern Plains Regionals.
The West Coast Beach Wrestling Championships will be in Klamath Falls, Ore. on June 22, alongside the West Regionals.
A new event has been added to the preliminary Beach Wrestling Schedule, the New Hampshire Beach Wrestling at Hampton Beach in Hampton, N.H. on August 5.
PRELIMINARY BEACH WRESTLING SCHEDULE
May 13 “Oregon State Beach Wrestling Championships at Bullar’s Beach in Bandon, Ore. Divisions: Veterans, Junior, Cadet, Schoolboy/Girl, Novice. Contact Wayne Van Burger at 541-396-4835.
June 9-12 – North American Beach Wrestling Championships, Virginia Beach, Va. Divisions: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Military, Open. Contact Frank Lipoli at 757-652-7861 or 757-546-2028.
North American Beach Championships website
June 17 “America’s Cup of Beach Wrestling at Carlsbad, N.M. Divisions: Senior, University, Junior, FILA Junior, FILA Cadet, Cadet, Schoolboy/girl, Novice, Midget. Contact Rusty Davidson at 505-980-9041.
June 22 “West Coast Beach Wrestling Championships at the Klamath County Event Center in Klamath Falls, Ore. Divisions: Cadet, Schoolboy/girl, Novice, Midget, Bantam. Contact John Longfellow at 503-368-4223.
August 5 “TNT Northeast National Beach Wrestling Championships at Pine Lake Park in Caroga Lake, N.Y. Divisions: Senior, Junior, Novice, Midget. Contact Tom Bergami at 518-346-1130.
August 5 – New Hampshire Beach Wrestling at Hampton Beach in Hampton, N.H. All age divisions. Contact Jaime Sullivan at 603-926-4444 or 603-926-8492.
August 12-13 — ASICS East Coast National Beach Wrestling Championships in Long Beach, NY. Divisions: middle school, high school, college, veterans, girls and women. Additional information can be obtained by calling TW Promotions, Inc. at 631-588-4343 x104, or by e-mailing [email protected]
August 19 “U.S. National Beach Wrestling Championships at the Singer Island Hilton in Palm Beach County, Fla. The Senior division is the qualifying event for the World Beach Wrestling Championships in Turkey. Other age-group divisions to be included. Contact Mark Scott of USA Wrestling at 719-598-8181.
August 25-26 “Southern Sand Beach Wrestling Championships at the Beach Volleyball Courts in Tulsa, Okla. Divisions: Veterans, Senior, University, Junior, Cadet, Schoolboy/girl, Novice Midget, Bantam. Contact John Nix at 972-816-3876.
More events are expected to be added during the next few months, and will be updated on TheMat.com when available.
For information on Beach Wrestling, contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-598-8181 or via e-mail at [email protected]. If you are hosting a USA Wrestling sanctioned beach wrestling event, and want to be added to the schedule, please contact Gary Abbott.
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Beach Wrestling was named as a new international wrestling style in 2004, and USA Wrestling has hosted Beach Wrestling competitions since 2005.
Competition is held in a 20-foot ring in the sand. Athletes score points for earning a takedown, or when the opponent steps out of the ring. Matches last three minutes. When a wrestler scores two points, the match is over.
Based upon past Beach Wrestling events sanctioned by USA Wrestling, the tournaments have been very competitive and have provided tremendous family fun.
For the first time, USA Wrestling will have a Beach Wrestling National Championships. The first U.S. Beach Wrestling Nationals will be hosted in Palm Beach County, Fla. on August 18-19. On the Senior level, this will serve as the qualifying event for the U.S. team that will compete in the World Beach Wrestling Championships in Anatalya, Turkey, Oct. 27-29.
There will also be competition in age-group divisions at the U.S. Beach National Championships. The U.S. Sombo Nationals will also be held there that weekend. Visit TheMat.com for more information.
In addition, as of June 13, there are nine sanctioned events in Beach Wrestling held across the nation. Wrestlers are encouraged to participate in these tournaments in order to prepare for the U.S. Beach Nationals.
The schedule started in May with the Oregon State Beach Wrestling Championships at Bullar’s Beach in Bandon, Ore., May 13. Oregon has been one of the most active state associations in the development of Beach Wrestling.
A new major beach event, the North American Beach Wrestling Championships in Virginia Beach, Va., was held on June 9-11. This event was held alongside the North American Beach Soccer Championships, a major sports festival in Virginia Beach each year. There will be individual and team competition.
Two of the events will be held alongside USA Wrestling Kids/Cadet Regional Championships. The America’s Cup of Beach Wrestling will be at Carlsbad, N.M. on June 17, and the West Coast Beach Wrestling Championships will be in Klamath Falls, Ore. on June 22.
For the second straight year, the ASICS East Coast National Beach Championships will be held on Long Island in Long Beach, N.Y. This tournament was a major success last year, with well over 200 participants in just its first year.
New events this year include:
* TNT Northeast National Beach Wrestling Championships in Caroga Lake, N.Y. on August 5
* New Hampshire Beach Wrestling at Hampton Beach in Hampton, N.H. on August 5.
* Southern Sand National Beach Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, Okla. on August 25-26.
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