Rochester will host the U.S. Beach Wrestling National Championships and World Team Trials July 6-8 on Charlotte Beach. Bet ya didn't know that, did ya? OK, you probably didn't know there was even an organized sport called beach wrestling. I sure didn't. But a couple weeks ago, Webster Thomas wrestling coach Neil Cook e-mailed me a press release about the event as a submission to the Webster Herald. I wrote up a short story on it for this week's issue, and I have to say, it's definitely intriguing. Beach wrestling was sanctioned as an international sport in 2005, with the first World Beach Wrestling Championships being held last year. This year's world championships are slated for Sept. 7-9 in Antalya, Turkey. That's right, there ARE beaches in Turkey. So what is beach wrestling? From what I can tell, it's a lot like sumo, except the participants aren't nearly as rotund. The two combatants square off in a ring in the sand, and points are earned takedown-style — you get a point if you knock your opponent off his feet or if you displace him from the ring. According to Cook, matches take place entirely on your feet. OK, here I must add that I really shouldn't be using the masculine pronouns to describe competitors, because women also beach wrestle. (And no, I'm pretty sure that the women don't wrestle in slow-motion, Baywatch-esquely.) The event next month is sponsored by USA Wrestling and the Monroe County Sports Commission, that semi-mysterious council that may or may not be an excuse for political patronage. It'll feature the whole range of weight and age divisions, and, as stated previously, both genders will hit the sand. The event is being directed by SUNY Brockport head wrestling coach Don Murray, and it will include trials for spots on the national team that will compete in Turkey. I'm guessing more than a few wrestling purists frown on the beach version — or just about any deviation from the standard form of the sport. But this beach dealie does seem more than a little unique and fascinating, and it might help attract youth to the sport in general, which is always good. For more information, go to USA Wrestling's Web site at www.themat.com, or contact Murray at (585) 395-6360 or dmurray@brockport.edu.

 

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