The Beach set to be a quick hit

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This article was published 02/03/2018 (3008 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

You won’t have to jump on a jet plane to hit The Beach this spring break.

On March 9, The Beach Volleyball Centre will open its doors to the public. The 19,000-square-foot facility at 2600 Wenzel St. in East St. Paul, is home to four full-size sand courts, a licensed “tropical bar” (which will be ready in April) and palm trees.

Taylor Pischke, a member of the Canadian national team, will be holding a beach volleyball clinic from March 14 to 16.

On March 17, Pischke and friends will host the official Beach launch party. Adult, coed, and youth teams can sign up to take part in games throughout the day. Then, at 4 p.m., Pischke will play in an exhibition game with some of Winnipeg’s top outdoor volleyball players.

“Then, from 7 to 10 p.m. we’ll have an open house, anyone can come and check it out,” Bill King, a partner in the enterprise along with Daryl Didyk and Kelly Crar, explained.

While King was excited about the upcoming events, he added that on Feb. 28 there was still much to do before the doors opened.

“The sand will be coming in on Tuesday (March 6),” he said, adding that the four full-size courts will be using the specialty Olympic grade Hutcheson V sand cut, which Kachur’s Sand & Gravel in Oakbank, Man. was able to provide. “There’s 75 dump truck loads of sand coming. Literally, that’s 740 metric tonnes of sand!”

King and his partners are hoping to draw volleyball players from across Winnipeg and beyond to the Beach. The facility, which is the first of its kind in Manitoba, is currently taking league registrations and booking birthday parties, school outings, tournaments and corporate events.

“League registration is open now, and will start on April 2,” King said.

League play will run through the summer. King admitted that while many people opt to play outdoors in the summer, he believes The Beach offers an alluring alternative.

“Outside, there’s wind, rain, mosquitoes and such to deal with.”

The Beach will be offering week long summer camps for kids, and are also offering a spring break camp from March 26 to 29.

Registration for league play and spring break camp, as well as more information on rates and upcoming events can be found at www.thervc.ca