Two thousand tons – approximately four million pounds – of high-quality sand was delivered this week to Atlanta’s new Atlantic Station development in preparation for the AVP Atlanta Open, July 6-9. The best male and female professional beach volleyball players in the world will hit Atlanta’s “17th Street Beach” for four days of AVP CROCS Tour competition that is as much beach party as volleyball tournament.
“The AVP CROCS Tour is a fast-growing lifestyle-type sport with a tremendous fan base,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Sports Council president. “If you’re looking for an up-beat, fast-paced sport that’s all about sand, sun and fun, this is a can’t-miss event.”

Following completion of the sand load-in, a 3,000-seat main court stadium will be built to house the featured matches and the men’s and women’s finals.

Teams expected to compete include the top-ranked women’s pair in the world, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh and the top-ranked men’s duo, Phil Dalhauser and Todd Rogers. Atlanta-area native Ty Loomis and partner Ed Ratledge (11th ranked) are also expected to appear.

In addition to the great on-court action, fans can expect an abundance of off-court entertainment options to keep them occupied. The tournament’s interactive sponsor booths will include music, Xbox gaming stations, volleyball speed serve, swimsuit modeling, AVP CROCS Tour merchandise, and even a Paul Mitchell booth where fans can get a quick haircut in between matches.

Tickets for the AVP Atlanta Open are now available online at www.AVP.com for the two Friday sessions (July 7), the two Saturday sessions (July 8) and the Sunday Finals session (July 9). Admission to the Thursday qualifying session (July 6) is free.