Ocean City is the perfect place to relax by the waterfront, or even relax on the water. Take friends and family for a pontoon boat ride and sit back and unwind on the Bay. Have a go at fishing and crabbing on the Bay, from the comfort of your pontoon boat. If its something more exciting you’re after, experience the thrill of jet skiing around the Bay, and let the water spray up as you roar across the waves. Check out these photos taken at Bayside Boat Rentals on 53rd Street in Ocean City.
On the Waterfront Photos
Hover Board Photos
The Hover Board is for those who dare! Take a look at these Hover Board photos which show the skill and bravery required to ride this!
Sand in your Shoes Photos
As the waves crash onto the Ocean City Beach, little children squeel and jump, teenagers grab their boogie boards and catch the wave, and older people run for shore! All of them are enjoying the delights of the beach in Ocean City. Others take walks, build sandcastles or just sit back, close their eyes and let the distant sounds of conversation drift by. These sand in your shoes photos make you want to be there right now!
Microbrew Monday: June 8, 2015
With 4 breweries in town, 9 more under an hour away, and more popping up every few months, Ocean City, MD has asserted itself as the fastest growing craft beer brewery destination on the East Coast. Each week, OceanCity.com brings you ‘Microbrew Monday” to keep you in the know about what’s going on around our local brewery scene. Don’t forget to check out ShoreCraftBeer.com for complete craft beer coverage and to learn how you can win prizes just for drinking local with the ShoreCraftBeer.com Shore-17 and OC-8 Brewery Challenges!
Here are this week’s highlights:
– Fin City Brewing Co. is proud to release the brand new ‘Poor Man’s IPA’ and are hosting a release party at the West Ocean City Pizza Tugos on Monday, June 8. Stop by from 7-11am to sample the new brew and chat with the team from Ocean City’s oldest brewing company.
– Ocean City Brewing Co. has two dozen taps, many of which are occupied by craft beers made on premise. This week, Ocean City Brewing has new summer releases like its Blood Orange IPA, Orange Cruch Wheat Ale, and Watermelon Mint Ale, so make sure to stop by to sample them all! Also, head to the brewery for Pint Night on Tuesday at 7:00, “Firkin Friday” where a special, one-of-a-kind cask-conditioned brew is featured weekly, and breakfast at the brewery on the weekends. Finally, if you want a first-hand look at the brewing process, don’t forget to stop by OC Brewing Co. for a personal tour of the operation. Tours take place daily at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.
– Evolution Craft Brewing Company, in Salisbury, has great food and beer specials all week at Public House Restaurant and the tasting room. Check them out Monday for 1/2 priced wings and all day happy hour; Tuesday you can get a beer and burger for only $10; Wednesday house-smoked brisket sandwiches are 1/2 off all day; Thursday is ‘Community Appreciation Night” featuring discounts for police, firefighters, EMTs, teachers and others who make the local community a better place; and Sunday Evo has 1/2 priced burgers and happy hour all day long.
– The 3rd Wave Brewing Co., just up the road in Delmar, DE, prides itself on ‘Good Friends, Good Waves and Great Beer’ and wants to share all three with you. This week, stop by the taproom for School Faculty Appreciation Night on Monday for Hoppy Hour prices with proper ID, Wednesday for 3 pints for $3 each, Flight Night on Thursday with half price flights, or any other night to try 3rd Wave’s newest offerings.
– Located at 10th St. and the Boardwalk, Ocean City’s first brewery- Backshore Brewing Co.- may have the best view of any brewery anywhere in the country. Stop by for the view and stay for the handcrafted beers and brand new HoopTea. Plus, don’t forget to be on the lookout for Backshore’s big screen debut in ‘Blood, Sweat, and Beer,’ a new documentary chronicling two craft beer breweries.
– Longtime Ocean City icon, Anthony’s Beer, Wine & Deli is starting 2015 with a new name to go along with it’s specatular food, beer, wine and liquor selection. Now known as Anthony’s Liquor, the establishment also has a new bar area where you can enjoy rotating taps of the best local beer around. Stop to to sample offerings from the above breweries as well as many others found close by!
OC Shark Tournament 2015 at Fish Tales in Photos
Fish Tales hosts the OC Shark Tournament 2015 at Fish Tales in Ocean City, Maryland. Fish Tales is a wonderful place for dinner or drinks. It has a great pirate ship where kids can play in the sand overlooking the marina. Kids meals are served on frisbees that the kids can take home when dinner is finished. The Shark Tournament is held the first weekend in June. Fish Tales’ docks at Bahia Marina have a scale to weigh the contenders. Park on the South end of Fish Tales if you can find a place since the festivities are closest to that entrance. The cleaning of the sharks is not for the feint of heart, but the meat is cut up and distributed for food. The featured fish special at Fish Tales during the tournament was shark fish tacos.
Splashing Around in the Water Photos
Ocean City is surrounded by water on three sides, making it a great place to participate in watersports, whether you are a beginner or an expert. From a leisurely pontoon boat ride with family and friends, to a fast jet ski spraying water across the Bay, these splashing around in the water photos, taken at Odyssea Watersports on 50th Street, show the fun that awaits you.
Ropewalk now open on 82nd St.
(June 5, 2015) Ropewalk is now open on 82nd Street with fresh seafood, a great bay view and a wide range of activities for all members of the family.
“It’s a place to hang out, relax and watch the sunset,” said owner Chris Reda. “We wanted something for the younger kids and teens when parents are enjoying a few cocktails. The rest of the owners and I have kids, we know how it is and wanted to provide a dining experience that isn’t rushed.”
A vacant lot on the property was filled with sand for a bayside beach dining area of 3,874 square feet which includes a playground, outside bar, fire pits, chairs and corn hole. An outside deck area wraps around to the beach, where a pavilion with additional outside seating is located.
The menu offers many choices for diners from appetizers and entrees to steamers and sandwiches.
Some entrees include seafood mac and cheese, Atlantic salmon, yellowfin tuna, filet mignon and tequila lime mahi. Inventive choices like a kale salad or a seafood Cobb salad are available along with shrimp, snow crabs and crawfish rounding out some of the steamer options. Pulled pork, buffalo chicken and crabcakes are a few of the sandwich possibilities.
“Our fried green tomatoes have been flying off the shelves,” Reda added.
Ropewalk will offer steam pots, among them its “deadliest” including half a pound of snow crab, jumbo shrimp, steamed corn, potatoes and andouille sausage.
“Being down the beach, we try to cater and have a little more for everyone,” Reda said.
The restaurant sells fresh oysters, which are taken out of the bay earlier in the day from their own oyster bed, he added.
Ropewalk plans to have steel drum entertainment during happy hour on the weekdays and acoustic Jimmy Buffett-types bands playing all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
“It’s a great addition to Ocean City. A family-friendly place with a little bit of everything for kids and plenty for adults,” Reda said. “I haven’t been anywhere with better sunsets.”
A real estate agent called and informed Ropewalk owners that Fresco’s property was up for sale, Reda said. After looking it over, the partners decided it would be an awesome opportunity to add a Ropewalk location to Ocean City, he explained. Renovations began in November and the restaurant opened May 22.
“People have been ecstatic and it’s been well received so far,” Reda said. “From table visits it seems everyone has been enjoying themselves. All of us [the owners] have always vacationed in Ocean City. We love the feel and vibe of the area, it felt like the right time to put our foot in there.”
Ropewalk has two other locations: Baltimore and Fenwick Island, Del. The Baltimore property dates back to the pre-prohibition days and is located on South Charles Street, one of the oldest streets in Federal Hill.
Reda, who was a patron of Ropewalk in Baltimore, joined in the venture with the McFaul brothers, Chris and Marc, in 2005. Fenwick Island is a favorite beach destination for the McFauls and Reda. They had been scoping out spaces for more than a decade when the Fenwick Island location took shape and opened in the summer of 2013.
Ropewalk Ocean City on 82nd Street is open year-around, seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Commander hotel celebrates 85 years in OC
(June 5, 2015) A hotel can’t last in Ocean City for 85 years without undergoing a bit of change and the Commander Hotel on the Boardwalk has seen that change and then some.
For example, in 1997 the building was replaced entirely.
Now, under the management of the Real Hospitality Group, working on behalf of owners Will Lynch and Todd Burbage, are deciding what form that change will come in for the next big project at the hotel.
“Phase I gave us the chance to expand, phase II was replacing the restaurant and phase III is renovations,” Rick Day, public relations officer for the Real Hospitality Group, said.
Grotto Pizza opened in late May as the first Ocean City location of the Rehoboth Beach-based pizza chain.
“We want to retain the history but also give a sense of what we are trying to be,” Day said. “I’ve seen a couple of preliminary drawings, we’re currently working on ideas and expect to begin in 2016.”
After all, flat-screen TVs and other design or functionality features such as Wi-Fi weren’t exactly the norm even in 1997.
“We want to clean it up a bit and examine the nuance of our offerings,” Day said.
History is important, especially to those who lived it. More than 200 people RSVP’d to the 85th anniversary celebration held last week, Day said.
According to Bunk Mann’s “Vanishing Ocean City” history book, the Commander Hotel was, for a long time, the northernmost hotel on the Boardwalk. Its dining room was famous and the Commander outranked many other hotels, enjoying “elite” status.
“To dine at the Commander was a special occasion for tourists and locals alike,” according to Mann. The beachfront clambakes were especially spectacular, according to Mann’s book.
The Lynch family renovated and restored the Commander several times before handing over day-to-day operations to the group, Day said. The facility underwent a two-stage renovation in 1979, and in 1992 the cabanas near the pool were rebuilt. Of course, 1997 brought the full-building replacement and added retail space for rent facing the Boardwalk.
Coach’s Corner back in business
(June 5, 2015) After spending 24 years on 61st Street and taking an almost five-year hiatus, Coach’s Corner Diner is back to serve breakfast and lunch daily out of the Beachmark Motel on 74th Street.
Omelets, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, cheesesteaks, salads, cold sandwiches and desserts are a few of the homemade choices prepared fresh in owner Marty Furst’s kitchen since opening on Mother’s Day weekend. Enjoy endless coffee for $2.25 and fresh squeezed orange juice.
The restaurant will have a daily lunch special and from 6-7 a.m. there will be happy hour discounts and specials.
Originally, someone else was supposed to take over the space and Furst planned on helping out in the kitchen. When that person reconsidered, it left the landlords without a tenant and Furst decided to reach out to Hugh and Toni Wilde, owners of the Beachmark Motel.
“It was a matter of circumstance to have the opportunity. [General’s Kitchen original owner] Gus [Bollas] would come and eat at Coach’s Corner when [General’s Kitchen] closed for the winter and it’s awesome we ended up with this location,” Furst said. “We share the same passion for it.”
Furst and his wife, Jennifer, tried to resurrect their previous diner as best they could in the new location and have the same color scheme of red, white and silver.
They worked with the intimate space to add a hand sink at the server station and stainless steel with tiles were put in for easier cleaning. The restaurant seats 66 people with new tables and chairs. All new carpeting was added and many appliances and the ceiling in the kitchen were replaced, Furst said.
“It’s nice to be around again and see old customers who watched our kids grow up,” Jennifer Furst said. “We didn’t come home, we went to the diner and to be able to connect with them again is neat.”
The Furst children, James, Sonny, Barbara and Martin, can most likely be spotted seating, serving or running food to patrons this summer. Their nephew, Anthony Shaver, helps out in the kitchen.
“We are a nice family place and encourage kids,” Furst said. “Being family-owned and operated separates us. A lot of this has to do with my mom and dad, they started the restaurant.”
Mel Kurtz, cook and kitchen manager, worked for the Fursts for 11 years in their first location.
The diner has decades of family tradition tied to it and the Fursts are thankful for many of their old customers who have stopped by since opening.
“We are looking forward to serving the locals and visitors,” Furst said. “We have made a bunch of new friends in the short amount of time we have been open.”
Coach’s Corner Diner plans to be open year-around, seven days a week from 6 a.m. until 1:55 p.m. Lunch starts at 11:30 a.m. and breakfast is served all day.
Two ‘Meant To Be’ main characters cross paths in OC
(June 5, 2015) Historical fiction writer Jessica James debuts her first contemporary novel, “Meant To Be” Saturday, where two main characters meet in Ocean City for the first time.
“One of the interesting things I noticed about Ocean City as I walked down the Boardwalk was all the memorial benches dedicated and I realized how important it is to people,” James said. “People are so connected to that city and it’s amazing.”
She is from Gettysburg, Pa. and has visited Ocean City a number of times.
“I went there [Ocean City] to get away to finish a historical fiction book with no phones and for some reason this story came to me, so I wrote it down,” James said.
She never thought anything would come of the idea since she wrote historical fiction, but as the title fittingly says, it was meant to be.
“The main characters meet in Ocean City, neither one tells the other what they do and later on, they meet by chance in Afghanistan [after thinking they would never see each other again],” James said.
The suspense and romance novel has received positive reviews from members of the military with one active duty member describing the book as, “American Sniper but intertwined with an unforgettable, epic love story,” James added.
It’s important for James to create stories that readers will remember and to honor our military for their dedication and service.
Members of both sexes from mid-teens to adults will be absorbed in her vivid scene descriptions and characters. “My books have been described as emotional. Readers laugh and cry, they can’t stop thinking about the story,” James said. “The characters all connect together through emotional writing.”
“Meant To Be” is James’ fifth novel with three others taking place during the Civil War and the other during the Revolutionary War.
Her novels can be purchased on all online book retailers including Amazon.com, on Kindle for $6.99 and in paperback for $16.99. She urges members of the community to request her book at local libraries.
Part of the proceeds from the novel sales will be donated to the LZ-Grace Warrior Retreat, which provides a place of respite for combat warriors and their families.
For more information, visit www.jessicajamesbooks.com.
More than 300 graduate from Stephen Decatur HS
(June 5, 2015) In front of a room packed with family, friends and loved ones, 327 seniors graduated from Stephen Decatur High School last Wednesday, May 27, at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center on 40th Street.
Class President Tripp Ortega delivered a farewell address to students during the ceremony, encouraging his fellow classmates to dream big, be themselves, never give up and do everything to their full potential.
After thanking facility, friends and family, he proclaimed, “The class of 2015 is the best class that went through Stephen Decatur.”
The Worcester County Board of Education uses a three-tiered senior recognition program where each student receives a cumulative weighted GPA, which is calculated at the end of the third marking period in English, math, social studies, science, world languages and Advanced Placement courses. Class rank with valedictorian and salutatorian honors was ended several years ago.
Students who earned a 5.05 GPA or higher received Summa Cum Laude honors, those receiving a 4.9-5.04 GPA earned Magna Cum Laude accolades and those earning a 4.8-4.89 GPA received Cum Laude distinction. All honorees stood for recognition during the commencement ceremony.
Of the graduates, 163 (50 percent) will attend four-year colleges or universities and 107 (33 percent) will attend two-year schools. Two students (less than 1 percent) will study at trade and technical schools, 40 (12 percent) will go into the workforce and 15 (5 percent) are heading to the military.
The top choice college for Decatur graduates was Wor-Wic, with 94 enrolling this year and another 33 will stay close to study at Salisbury University.
Other popular choices include Towson University, University of Maryland College Park and University of Maryland Eastern Shore who will each welcome 10 or more Decatur graduates in the fall.
The class of 2015 received more than $9.3 million in scholarships and grants with $3.7 million in tuition aid.
“Commencement is not an ending, it’s a beginning,” said Dr. Jerry Wilson, superintendent of Worcester County schools. “A whole new, exciting phase is about to begin… set the bar high…”
He reminded the graduates of Dr. Steve Maraboli’s quote, “To embark on the journey toward your goals and dreams requires bravery. To remain on that path requires courage. The bridge that merges the two is commitment.”
Class of 2015 graduates were given the opportunity to choose their own commencement speaker and they decided on Louis Taylor, chief operating officer for Worcester County Public Schools, a 1978 graduate and principal of Stephen Decatur High School for 17 years.
He told the graduates they will find out who they are and what they want to be during challenging periods.
“Understand life is not what you are given, but what you aim to achieve when you refuse to give up,” Taylor said. “Obstacles and loss will act as motivation. Learn from failures and always keep persevering.”
Stephen Decatur Principal Thomas Zimmer may have said it best, “They have left our mark on us… it’s time for them to leave their mark on the world.”
The Next Ice Age returns to the Carousel hotel
(June 5, 2015) A group of former competitive figure skaters will be dazzling audiences every night this summer at the Carousel Hotel on 118th Street starting Thursday, June 11.
The Next Ice Age performances will take place at 6:30 p.m. nightly. Each show will run about 30 minutes and are free to the public.
Returning to Ocean City for its 15th year, the show is a favorite among Ocean City residents and visitors.
“The unique proximity to the ocean… there are not many ice rinks near the beach and the ocean makes it special,” said executive director, Nathan Birch. “It’s a free thing to do and exposes the family to a winter sport when they are not expecting it. The show may even inspire people to try skating afterwards at the Carousel.”
The performances involve a story about a family and every genre of music will be heard during the shows, Birch said.
This year, Megan Marschall, 23, will skate alongside, Julianne DiMura, 23, Rachel Jones, 21, Shawn Rogers, 29 and Michael Solonoski, 31.
For the opening weekend of June 13-14, World Figure Skating Champion Kimmie Meissner will join the others and make her Ocean City debut in the Next Ice Age performances.
“We are so proud to be working with Kimmie,” Birch said.
In 2005, Meissner became the second American woman to land the triple axel jump in national competition. She was a member of the 2006 Olympic team and the youngest American athlete to compete at those games.
Meissner is the 2006 world champion, the 2007 United States national champion and the 2007 four continents champion. She is the first American to simultaneously hold the world, four continents and national titles.
Since spectators are standing during the show and their proximity to the action on the rink is within a few feet, performers are constantly interacting with the crowd.
“You are really close, with just a rail separating audiences and they get drawn in,” Birch said. “Everyone is invited and encouraged to meet the cast to get autographs and take photos after the show.”
Birch said he has met a fair amount of skaters who told him they got their start after seeing a performance.
“I am happy to be associated with something so positive and heartwarming,” Birch said.
Watch the Ocean City show every night at 6:30 p.m., June 11 through Aug. 20, rinkside at the Carousel Hotel on 118th Street.
Those who wish to eat dinner during the show should call the hotel in advance at 410-524-1000 to make a reservation for rinkside dining.
Visit www.thenexticeage.org to learn more about The Next Ice Age skating company.
More than 800 terrapin spotted during May count
(June 5, 2015) The Maryland Coastal Bays Program participated in the fourth annual terrapin head count survey May 26-30, which encompassed all five bays including tidal creeks and marsh guts. More than 800 turtles were spotted by 39 volunteers.
Last Friday, a turtle count on Sinepuxent Bay near Assateague Island uncovered about 45 turtle sightings from around 8-10:15 a.m., although other volunteers may go out and not see any at all, said Maryland Coastal Bays Programs Manager Jennifer Rafter.
All surveys taken during the count, regardless of turtles spotted, are valuable to the Maryland Coastal Bays and the Maryland Terrapin Working Group, who partnered together to count turtles in the Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Bays for the fourth year.
Population numbers of diamondback terrapin in Maryland are largely unknown and to better understand their status in the area these surveys are taken annually.
“In order to study if a species is doing well you need a starting point and it takes time to gather information to see if they are declining, remaining the same or increasing,” Rafter said.
Counting terrapin heads in the water as they gather to breed or come out of hibernation is considered an effective way of monitoring population numbers. The state reptiles are never captured or disturbed.
Wayne Faircloth provided his motorized boat for the adventure on May 29, with more than half a dozen surveyors using canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards this past week to count turtles.
He has been participating since the second year of surveys and has a seminal site, which allows researchers to compare the same areas for a consecutive amount of time and is valuable research for the group.
“It’s largely a citizen effort and it wouldn’t be effective without volunteers,” Rafter said. “We had 30-40 volunteers this year [Maryland Coastal Bays] and could always use more, we need more people to cover larger areas.”
Each year, new participants survey different areas and repeat volunteers continue to count turtles in the same places.
In addition, land based surveys were conducted to collect additional data for the first time.
Rafter said hundreds of turtles are counted each year and the Maryland Coastal Bays conducted its surveys a little later than surrounding areas since the Coastal Bays have colder water temperatures and terrapins emerged later after the harsh winter.
The decline of their habitats is the main reason the Maryland House and Senate decided to ban commercial harvesting of the Diamondback Terrapin in April 2007.
The turtles take a long time to reproduce, which makes it harder to increase population numbers quickly.
Females need soft, sandy beaches to nest in. Many shorelines in the area are too hard for these creatures with their bulkheads and rift raft, Rafter said.
Diamondback Terrapin eat mollusks, clams, worms, some fish and love snails, she added.
Snails destroy the Chesapeake’s marsh grasses, which makes terrapins essential to the Chesapeake ecosystem and invertebrates would increase without the state reptile.
Forgotten crab and ghost pots trap and drown dozens of turtles every day.
“Reptiles have to breathe air and pots need to have a turtle excluder device, which is a piece of metal to block the entrances for terrapin shells,” Rafter said.
Faircloth recalled finding an abandoned crab pot with six turtles who were stuck and drown inside.
“They are our state reptiles and we should not let anything happen to them,” Rafter said.
Report terrapin sightings all summer long at www.mdcoastalbays.org/terrapin-project. It is important to supply GPS coordinates or a specific street address when reporting turtles.
Dulany returns as director of Ocean City Tennis Center
(June 5, 2015) Rod Dulany has returned to his position as director of the Ocean City Tennis Center on 61st Street with plans to expand its programs and drive more traffic by offering activities for everyone to enjoy.
“We have the nicest public facility on the Eastern Shore and offer a wide variety of programs for everyone from doubles to private lessons and clinics on all types of activities,” Dulany said.
This Tuesday evening, June 9 from 6-7 p.m., will be the final opportunity to attend a free adult tennis clinic for players who have never tried the sport or who want to get back into the game.
Participants will be taught the basics of court positioning, doubles strategy and certified professional staff will be on site to assist players.
The clinic leads into an evening doubles league, which runs from June 16 to Aug. 11, where participants can go out and compete against others who have the same skill level.
“We are trying to build up the local base and serve the resort visitors,” Dulany said.
Expanding the youth program is a huge priority for Dulany and tournament play for all age groups will be going on throughout the summer.
“We want to expand the junior base that is out there and try to be the center for junior tennis on the Eastern Shore,” Dulany said.
During wintertime, four 10-and-under and four 8-and-under USTA-sanctioned outdoor courts were added to the tennis center in Ocean City to benefit children with their modified size.
A 10-and-under play day will take place on the last Sunday of each month this summer, where youth can learn to play tennis in a low-pressure setting. The cost is $10 per day and each session runs about two hours.
“Kids from six to 10 years old have the opportunity to meet a lot of other kids while competing in a couple different matches with pros on hand to help out, and it’s a low cost,” Dulany said.
Opportunities are abundant for younger players and tournaments for high school tennis male and female athletes will be offered.
Pickleball, one of the fastest growing sports in the country, is being introduced at the tennis center this summer and consists of a wooden paddle and whiffle ball. It is played on the 10-and-under courts on Mondays and Wednesdays for $10 from 5-7 p.m. through Aug. 19 with instructors.
Marie Thomas, the women’s tennis league coordinator for 13 years, has grown the program from about eight women to more than 220, Dulany said.
“Ladies will drive from Salisbury and Rehoboth Beach to play in Marie’s group because she makes you feel like a part of the family,” he added.
Men and women have dozens of adult programs to choose from and they take place at various times throughout the day.
“Quality hard and soft courts with a USTA certified staff makes it easy, accessible and fun for everyone,” Dulany said. “It’s a low expense sport with a variety of programs for all ages.”
Dulany grew up on the Eastern Shore and eventually bought a home in Ocean City. He ran a country club in northern Virginia for 30 years and moved to Ocean City permanently when it came time to retire last year.
“We would come down on the weekends, my wife loves it here on the bay and it’s very calming,” he added.
He was asked to return as director of the tennis center and the camaraderie of Ocean City staff made his decision easy. Dulany was the director of the center from 2002 until 2008. For six years, he served as executive director of the United States Tennis Association/Mid-Atlantic Section.
“If you’re visiting Ocean City, we can probably get you in two or three days if you’re here for a week,” Dulany said. “Tennis hasn’t had a focus on the Eastern Shore for years and we want to change that.”
For activity times and more information, visit www.oceancitymd.gov/tennis or call 410-524-8337.
NVL receives ‘amazing feedback’ after event
(June 5, 2015) The National Volleyball League hosted a successful inaugural pro and amateur tournament with a junior clinic last weekend in Ocean City.
May 29-31, professional beach volleyball players from around the world converged in Ocean City to compete for a $75,000 prize purse. The tournament on the beach between Talbot and Dorchester streets consisted of 38 men’s and 25 women’s teams.
Ocean City was the league’s third stop of the 2015 season.
Eric Haddock and Roberto Rodriguez-Bertran of Puerto Rico, and Kristen Batt-Rohr, of Florida and her partner, Brazilian Priscilla Piantadosi-Lima, were the men’s and women’s division winners during Sunday’s championships.
Sixteenth seed Haddock and Rodriguez-Bertran made an appearance in the Panama City Beach Championships earlier in the year and battled seven-seeded Skyler McCoy of California and Eric Zaun of New Jersey, in the Ocean City finals. They won 21-16, 21-18.
Second seed Batt-Rohr and Piantadosi-Lima continued their domination with a second consecutive win on the 2015 NVL tour and upsetting the No. 1 seed and Panama City Beach champions, Brooke Niles of California and Karolina Sowala of Florida, 22-20, 21-18.
“The NVL had a great time in Ocean City and we hope to be back next year. Since the Dew Tour isn’t returning to Ocean City, we hope to be the major summer event for the area,” said Albert Hannemann, founder and CEO of the National Volleyball League. “Ideally, we would come back in late June to capture a greater audience with kids being out of school.”
Many people pulled up beach chairs on the exterior courts or walked up to watch for a while, which made it difficult for organizers to track the attendance number.
“We did have a good attendance flow throughout the weekend with amazing feedback onsite from attendees and on social media,” Hannemann said.
The National Volleyball League partnered with the Baltimore Ravens to host a “Clinic With The Pros” at the Clarion hotel on 101st Street during the fourth annual Ravens Beach Bash. Professional volleyball players, Niles and Sowala, joined Ravens’ players and cheerleaders, to teach skills, hand out prizes and sign autographs.
“The Ravens clinic had a good fan turn out and we’re hoping to partner with them again next year and do even more during their annual event,” Hannemann added.
The Ocean City Championships is one of eight professional events for the NVL in 2015. Remaining tour stops are in Milwaukee, Cincinnati, California, Seattle and Florida.
The National Volleyball League was established in 2010 and built by players to create a sustainable future for pro beach volleyball in the US.
NVL is the only national platform for current professionals and players of all levels to showcase their talents and pursue their goals in the sport.
Visit www.thenvl.com for more information.
