Tybee beach volleyball tournament could boost tourism

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2008 EVP men's finals in Golf Shores (Courtesy: www.EVPtour.com)

By Tim Guidera - bio | email

TYBEE ISLAND, GA (WTOC) - They wear very little clothing, attract a lot of eyes and the attention they draw could help rebuild tourism in Tybee Island and Savannah.

Professional beach volleyball is on its way to Tybee, the Savannah Sports Council announcing today it has secured an Extreme Volleyball Professionals Pro Beach Tour event to be played here this spring.

"It's professionals, people who compete on a regular basis in the summer and travel with these tours and circuits and hopefully make it big and move up,'' said Ben Wilder, director of the Savannah Sports Council. "This isn't your largest tour in the country, but it's one that is well organized and one that we're proud to have.''

The event will also have an amateur division for local teams to compete in.

But its real value to this area could be in the exposure it creates elsewhere. The one-day tournament will be filmed and produced as a 30-minute broadcast that will run on cable networks nationally.

That formula has been popular in other EVP markets from Charleston, West Virginia to Panama City, Florida.

"That's one of the key factors,'' said Wilder. "Hopefully people will see it and want to come down.''

And be drawn into new and old Tybee traditions.

The tournament will utilize volleyball courts built for the Miley Cyrus movie The Last Song and played on the same weekend as the beach bum parade.

"The EVP is excited,'' said Wilder. "They're going to promote it as a beach bum weekend for their event, hopefully get people to come in a day early and participate in the water fight and the parade on Friday, then turn around and play a bunch of volleyball on Saturday.''

If that doesn't work, there's always the more traditional beach volleyball sales pitch of hot sand and, well, hotter bodies.