FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (February 27th, 2018) - Today marks the first day of competition at the Fort Lauderdale Major, a six-day long tournament that will see 64 of the best beach volleyball teams in the world compete on the South Florida sand all vying for the biggest prize purse in the sport ($600,000).
Running until March 4, the Fort Lauderdale Major will feature Olympic and World Champion men’s and women’s pairs battling it out to set the tone for 2018 in the first Beach Volleyball Major Series competition of the season. The beachside city known as "The Venice of America" provides a scenic locale for the first stop of the series that will head to Switzerland, Austria, and Germany later in the year.
In past years we’ve seen success from teams including the "Thin Beast" Phil Dalhausser and his partner Nick Lucena, who grew up in Fort Lauderdale as well as Agatha/Duda (BRA) who finished in second last year. But it was the US teams of Casey Patterson and Stafford Slick and Swiss up-and-comers Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré who embraced Fort Lauderdale’s mariner culture as they faced off in a pickup match alongside the Intracoastal Waterway. The resulting images paint a picture of what makes this location so special for all the teams that travel from every corner of the globe to compete.
Fort Lauderdale holds a special place in the hearts of the competitors according to Casey. "For us players, Americans especially, Fort Lauderdale is a historic volleyball location, so the Beach Majors returning here and starting the season is really special."
The international players also enjoy their time in Fort Lauderdale. Anouk is happy to make the trip from Switzerland to compete; "The sport is huge in the US which is a great thing. It’s great to play in this warm, beautiful weather too. We always feel welcome when we come to Florida and we’re excited to play."
Viewers at home will have a chance to some of amazing action too. Beach Majors will be partnering with ESPN on ABC for a live, one-hour broadcast of the Women’s Gold Medal match set to air nationwide on ABC Networks Saturday, March 3 at 4 p.m. EST.
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