The tennis is out and the sand is in. As we speak the ASB Tennis Centre on Stanley Street, Auckland is having 100 cubic metres of sand tipped into it for the McEntee Hire NZ Open. Don’t ask me where the sand is coming from, I just hope no one falls into the hole that must surely be left on the real beach…
Mine!
The last time I went I thought I was in Rio de Janiero on carnival day! It was one hot body after another wearing hardly anything at all leaping about in the sand, but it was the crowd was who brought the carnival. It turns out Auckland has quite the Brazilian community and when their sexy players are leaping about on the sand they play their drums like tribal warriors. It’s completely awesome and for the vibe alone, well worth the $20 admission.
Sadly Brazil aren’t playing this year but if anyone has an ‘in’ to the bongo-playing chanters, lets rustle up a bribe to support our kiwi teams!
Speaking of which, there is some stiff competition this year.
We have 4 women’s teams this year and hot faves Susan Blundell and Anna Scarlett (ably assisted by their nerdy fan club of blokes named Team Scundell) are on fire. They’ve just won the Christchurch and Wellington legs of the tour (no pun intended but at 1.85m they do have winning legs). International teams who will be diving about in the sand are 2 women’s teams from Germany, 1 is ranked 4th ranked in the world. The USA team is ranked 5th in the world. And China who will be formidable oponents with World and Asian Games medals to their names.
We also have 4 Kiwi men’s teams playing over the weekend. Hot (and I mean hot) faves is the new combo of Brendan Heath and Edwin O’Dea who just cleaned up in Christchurch and Wellington, but don’t underestimate NZ #1 Greg Lindsay-Brown with 19 year old Sam O’Dea and little brother Ben O’Dea aged 17 towers over the field at 1.92m with his on court partner. (Looking up at him would make me fall backwards).
The guys are up against a strong team from China, a couple of towering Aussies and some “dark horses” (or so I’m told) from Germany.
It’s a really fun day out so if you’re in Auckland this weekend, pop along to the McEntee Hire NZ Open at the ASB Tennis Centre on Stanley Street from Friday Jan 22nd to Sunday Jan 24th
Click here for tickets from Ticketek.
Tags: Auckland, McEntee Hire Beach Volleyball
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