Halifax hosts beach volleyball championships
A Halifax parking lot has been transformed into a sandy beach for the top junior beach volleyball players from around the world.
The FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch junior world championships start Wednesday in Halifax. It marks the first time the tournament will be held in North America.
"I'm really excited. My dad is seeing me play for the first time in four years. It's exciting for him to come out here. He was able to because it's in Canada," said Victoria Altomare, a member of the Canadian women's team.
There are teams from about 25 countries. All of the competitors are under 21.
About 2,000 tonnes of sand had to be trucked to the waterfront to create six volleyball courts.
Garrett May, from Toronto, will try to defend his championship title. He has a new partner this year: Danny Demvanenko.
"A month ago we paired up and it's been a great partnership so far," said Demvanenko.
Together they are the top-ranked men's team in the tournament.
"It takes some time to get used to the different styles of play with Danny and myself getting used to each other. But with a guy like Danny and me, I think we naturally have some good chemistry," said May.
The venue can hold about 2,000 spectators a day. Organizers say they've sold about 500 full-week passes so far.
"We've only put about 1,000 out for that. The rest we wanted to hold back for walk-up so there would be tickets available for when people come down," said Derek Martin, with Sports Entertainment Atlantic.
The tournament runs until Sept. 4.