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Professional and Amateur Athletes Gather for Multiple Events at Alabama's Beaches

5/13/2009

GULF SHORES and ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – Alabama’s coastal communities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are preparing for an early start to the summer vacation season as the Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission welcomes several athletic events to the area’s sugar white shores.

World-class professional volleyball teams - along with national television cameras - will return to the Gulf Shores main public beach for the Second Annual EVP Gulf Shores Pro AM Beach Festival on May 16th and 17th.

Now entering its 19th year, the EVP tour will bring highly competitive professional touring teams that represent major metropolitans, such as Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Milwaukee, Tampa and Detroit. Adding a little extra flare to the tour, officials have also invited international teams from Columbia, Poland and Czechoslovakia. Fans of the popular teams, such as Carrie Wright and Rasa Virseta, Mark Lodewyck and Brian Kramer, and Kelly Hickam and Gretchen Duffner, will see their favorite athletes compete for nearly $5,000 in cash prizes.

The EVP Tour events kick off on Friday at 8:00 p.m. with a meet the players/welcome party at The Hangout. Saturday’s professional action starts at 9:00 a.m. and continues throughout the day until the women’s finals at 4:00 p.m. followed by the men’s finals at 5:00 p.m. A post-party and awards ceremony will be held at The Hangout and will follow the conclusion of the men’s finals.

Then on the Sunday, the budding stars of tomorrow will take to the sugar white beaches for the EVP Amateur and Coed Tour. Play kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday at the main public beach in Gulf Shores. This EVP regional series is open to all athletes ages 12 and up. Individuals may compete in women’s and men’s beach doubles Gold/Open, AA (advanced), A (intermediate), B (beginner) divisions, 18U, 16U and 14U divisions. In addition to representing their hometown, winners in the Gold/Open divisions will earn entry to play in a future EVP Pro Event.

Amateurs wishing to enter the event will pay $30.00 per player (required two-person team) and may register at www.evptour.com.

Best of all, all EVP tour events are free to the public. However, a $29.00 VIP ticket includes an hour long clinic with the professionals (starting at 11:00 am), a lunch of chicken and steak tacos (at noon), volleyball games with a professional as the coach (from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.) priority courtside seating for the finals (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.), a picture with the championship team (5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) and an official EVP Tour T-shirt. VIP tickets are limited to 300 per event and may be purchased online at www.evptour.com.

Sports Commission sponsors represented at this event include The Hangout. For more information on the EVP Tour, visit www.evptour.com.

In addition to the professional and amateur volleyball action, the Pleasure Island community will host the Seaside Shoot Out and Sandlot Shoot Out Tournaments on May 16th and 17th. About 25 youth softball and baseball teams from the surrounding area will compete in this qualifier for the Global World Series events, which will also be held in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area this July. With games being held at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, play begins daily at 9:00 a.m. and spans until the last game starts at 6:00 p.m. Admission is $7.00 per day or $12.00 for a tournament pass.

Also happening this weekend is the Eastern Shore Taekwondo Invitational. Last year, over 300 skilled athletes participated in this United States Taekwondo Center sanctioned event. Action will take place this year from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 16th at the Orange Beach Recreation Center. Admission is $4.00.

The Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission will welcome these upcoming events: 2nd Annual Youth Basketball of America Gulf Coast Showdown (May 29-31), USSSA South State (baseball) Southeast Champions (softball) (June 12-14), USSSA South State Tournament (softball) Kids Pitch State Tournament (baseball) (June 26-28), and the Gulf Shores Adult Tennis NTRP Classic (June 26-28).

For information, please visit www.alabamagulfcoastsports.com, or call 1-800-745-SAND.

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