Sunshine State Games International Beach Games Features Four Sports in Brevard County
The 2022 Sunshine State Games, presented by Amazon, International Beach Games, returns for the first time since 2019. Included in the SSG International Beach Games are three sports never contested in the 43 years of the State of Florida’s Olympic Style Sports Festival.
While Beach Volleyball has been played in the Beach Games, Open Water Swim, Stand Up Paddleboard and Surfing will be offered for the first time in Satellite Beach on Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25. Also included in the weekend’s activities is a Teqvoly demonstration at the Beach Volleyball location.
Surfing will be held at Pelican Beach Park in Satellite Beach, on both days, with Pro Divisions being contested on Saturday and Amateur Divisions on Sunday. Competition begins at 8:30 a.m., on both days.
Local and nationally-recognized athletes will be surfing in the Pro Divisions Saturday. Some of the nation’s top Qualifying Series (QS) World Surf League (WSL) surfers are competing this season to advance to the East Coast Championships, In New Smyrna Beach, on October 22-23 and the championship event held in Puerto Rico, scheduled for December.
Top QS competitors like Michael Dunphy, 12-time East Coast Champion and New Smyrna Beach resident, Evan Gesielman, Chauncey Robinson, Tommy Coleman, Robby McCormick, Chase Modelski, and Zoe Benedetto all compete in Eco Pro competitions, like this weekend. USA team members Ryan Huckabee, Carl Burger, Kepa Mendia along with developmental team members, 12-year old South Florida phenom. Sophia Gamboa, Kole Mozzarella, and Shea Edwards. In addition, Austin Clause from the Ultimate Surfer TV show will be riding the waves at Pelican Beach Park this weekend.
Beach Volleyball will be played at Satellite Beach High School with Adult Men’s and Women’s Divisions and the AAA Division on Saturday. Sunday’s action features the U18, U16 and U14 Juniors Divisions and possibly a Coed Division. Play each day will begin at 8:30 a.m. with games continuing until approximately 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Between the two days of Beach Volleyball, approximately 50 teams will be on the courts.
In addition, to the Beach Volleyball matches at Satellite Beach HS, one court will set up for a Teqvoly demonstration, inviting athletes to try this new sport played on a curved table in a hexagontal playing area.
The basic rules of Teqvoly include the use of the same balls used in volleyball, played by two teams of two players. Each team has a maximum of 3 touches, a minimum of 1 pass is required and passes need to alternate between players on the same team. It can be an excellent complementary exercise for professional volleyball players, according to teqvoly.org.
Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) athletes will be on the water at Paddling Paradise on the Indian River with more than 40 athletes currently registered.
The competition will feature Men’s and Women’s individual starts beginning at 9:00 a.m. The format resembles a cycling time trials event, with paddlers going off in 30 second intervals, making two laps on a ¼ mile course, three times. The times will be added together and the lowest overall times will determine the top finishers.
Athletes range in age from teenagers to 50+, and will not be grouped in age groups or skills levels. All athletes will use All Around Class Boards. This format is very unique, according to event director Dan Smith. “With the number of athletes competing, we’re doing some new things we’ve not done before,” Smith said.
Open Water Swim, to be contested on Sunday, September 25, has been changed to Rotary Park in Melbourne, from Pelican Beach Park, due to an active Atlantic Ocean caused by Hurricane Fiona. The one-mile triangular shaped course will have individual starts, for athletes in five-year age groups beginning at age 12.
Among the more than 40 athletes registered to compete are Boone High School and Highlander Aquatics swimmer Jacob Hamlin, and his father, Paul, of Orlando.
Sunshine State Games International Beach Games Daily Schedule
Saturday, September 24
8:30 a.m. – Surfing, Pelican Beach Park, Satellite Beach (Men’s and Women’s Pro Divisions)
8:30 a.m. – Beach Volleyball, Satellite Beach High School (Men’s and Women’s Adult Divisions, AAA Division)
9:00 a.m. and throughout the day – Teqball Demonstration, Satellite Beach High School
9:00 a.m. – Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP), Paddling Paradise on the Indian River, Palm Bay
Sunday, September 25
7:30 a.m. – Open Water Swim, Rotary Park at Suntree, Melbourne
8:30 a.m. – Beach Volleyball, Satellite Beach High School (14U, 16U, 18U Youth Divisions)
8:30 a.m. – Surfing, Pelican Beach Park, Satellite Beach (Men’s and Women’s Amateur Divisions)
Visit www.sunshinestategames/beach-games for more competition and registration information.