Beach volleyball is back in Halifax. Sand Jam 2013 has returned to the Halifax Waterfront for its third season.
This year, the event is expanding from a junior competition to a professional tournament.
“These folks compete on the international tour in the FIVB so we had them flying in from Berlin and some are flying out to Moscow on Sunday night, so we’re part of an international series of events now,” says organizer Derek Martin.
Male and female teams from England, Germany and the U.S. will be competing for the Canada Cup – a prize guarded by Canada’s top stars.
“We’re so excited to be able to play in our home country,” says Sarah Pavan of Team Canada.
“It’s been awhile since we’ve been able to do that and we’re just really excited to bring professional beach volleyball to Nova Scotia and get some exposure for the sport.”
Team Canada is excited about growing the sport in our region but winning remains their top priority.
“I think we’ll do well. We’ve had a fairly successful season so far and we’re playing well and we’d like to finish off our season that way and come out with a win,” says Heather Bansley of Team Canada.
Sand Jam is also an opportunity for young players to learn from the world’s best and local coaches are encouraging their rising stars to check out the action.
“As much as I can coach any athlete, people learn more by imitating and watching than they do by hearing something go on, so it’s just invaluable to have players see this and see how it’s played,” says volleyball coach Russ Lawrence.
Local volleyball player Amanda Baker says she enjoyed last year’s event but she can’t wait to see the professional players compete this year.
“It was a lot of fun. We saw some awesome volleyball, it was high level, it was really, really exciting,” says Baker. “I’m really excited to see it this year because it’s the pros.”
The five-day event kicks off Thursday night.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Ritcey
