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PRESS RELEASE
August 23, 2010
Sporting Event: Beach Volleyball
38th Annual MotherLode Volleyball Classic
Aspen, Colorado
Contact: Leon Fell, Producer
970-948-0395, leonfell@rof.net
PAUL MITCHELL SIGNS ON FOR 4 MORE YEARS!
MOTHERLODE TO HAVE STRONGEST FIELD EVER!
Paul Mitchell (JPMS hair care systems) has agreed to a four-year contract extension as Presenting Sponsor of the vaunted MotherLode Volleyball Classic (Aspen, Colorado/Labor Day Weekend) running through 2013. Paul Mitchell has been a prominent Sponsor of volleyball events for over 20 years and has been a prime player in helping to move the long-running Aspen volley fest into national prominence.
Although an unlikely location for a beach doubles volleyball tournament, the MotherLode Volleyball Classic has been held every Labor Day Weekend in Aspen for the past 38 years, making it one of the longest, consecutive, running beach volleyball tourneys in the Country. Rated by Volleyball Magazine as one of the top Pro-Am Events in the sport, The ‘Lode has become the largest beach doubles volleyball tournament in the United States drawing upwards of 600 teams, annually, competing in 17 different divisions including pro beach players, legends, and top amateurs from all over North America.
The ‘MotherLode’ has been the most exciting beach volleyball competition in Colorado for many years. And, this year promises to be the “best”, ever, as more Top 50 pro beach players will be competing for the $20,000 ($10,000 per gender) prize money awarded in the men’s and women’s open divisions than ever before.
Both of the 2nd place finishers in the storied Manhattan Beach (California) Open (held last weekend) will be competing – Kathryn Babcock/Erin Gray as well as pro beach volleyball’s “bad boy”, Dana Camacho. On the Women’s Open side, Babcock/Gray will have tough competition in the form of the winners of the last two years MotherLode titles, Paige Davis-Jensen/Jenelle Koester as well as a bevy of former AVP pro beach players such as Kristen Batt/Brooke Sweat, Diana Pascua/Noelle Frohman, and Christina Hinds/Joanna Papageorgiou. However, there will be no three-peat for Jensen/Koester as both players will be competing with different partners – Jensen with Christal Morrison-Engle and Koester with Saralyn Smith.
On the men’s side, Camacho (who will be playing with Mike Bruning) will have his hands full with last year’s Men’s Open Champions, John Moran/Jesse Rambis (son of ex-Laker, and current Timberwolves head coach, Kurt Rambis), the winners of the last two Corona Wide Open Tour tournaments, Ty Loomis/Casey Patterson, as well as Joey Dykstra/Andy Mcquire, Albert Hanneman/Seth Burnham, and Vince Robbins/Jason Wight.
The MotherLode has all the passion for the game that volleyball fanatics love. All in a setting that rivals any beach community of southern California or Florida. And…there is something unique about The MotherLode – just as at Wimbledon, the winners of last year’s Tourney have the automatic #1 seed, no matter what their “fortunes” may have been since then.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 15, 2010
Contact: Leon Fell
Producer, MotherLode Productions
970-948-0395
Photos attached!
BEST OF THE “YOUNG GUNS” TO COMPETE IN ASPEN!
In an unprecedented move, Colorado’s premier beach volleyball tournament, Aspen’s MotherLode Volleyball Classic, has invited the best of beach volleyball’s up-and-coming stars to compete at the annual Labor Day volley fest.
Already one of the most exciting tourneys in the Country, The ‘Lode has invited the winners of a series of qualifiers around the United States to “test” themselves against a bevy of pro beach players from all over North America, making this tournament a “must attend” Event for volleyball aficionados everywhere.
The MotherLode Volleyball Classic, which is going into its 38th year of competition(s), is North America’s largest beach doubles volleyball tournament, drawing upwards of 600 teams, annually, to this mountain hamlet to celebrate the sport of beach volleyball. Adding the “young guns” to men’s and women’s open competitions makes this “a spectator’s smorgasbord of beach volleyball and fun”, according to Producer, Leon Fell.
“For years, The MotherLode has been one of the gems of grassroots volleyball, and, now, it is also a cornerstone of the sport”, said Mike Dodd, former beach volleyball star.
“The MotherLode is an ideal fit as one of the largest outdoor volleyball events in America”, said former AVP Pro Beach Tour grassroots manager, Jonpaul Roepke.
The MotherLode has been held every year since 1973 and has grown into one of the most comprehensive beach doubles Pro-Am events in North America. Last year’s tournament drew 523 teams from 36 states and British Columbia.
38th Annual MotherLode Volleyball Classic
Labor Day Weekend – September 2-6, 2010
Aspen, Colorado