The finals are scheduled to start at about 2 p.m.
“The tournament has always been a great way to celebrate Pride,” said Anton Mulvaney, who is the commissioner for the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association’s (CMSA’s) Friday night beach volleyball league and one of three chairman for Queen of the Beach (with Kevin Hansen and Bill Helton).
“Traditionally, the tournament has had a lot of guys dress up [in drag while playing] ; there really has been a fun element to the event,” Mulvaney said. “Now, there’s not as many people dressing up, but there’s still a lot of fun and there’s much more competitive play.”
The event has been a predominantly male event, but Mulvaney noted that there are several all-female teams in the four-person division this year.
“I think the event will be very well attended,” he said.
Players will range in age from their 20s to 40s, or maybe even a drop older, Mulvaney said.
And to top it all off, local superstar Tony Akers will also be there.
“When I think of beach volleyball in Chicago, I think of Tony. He just plays a lot of beach volleyball,” Mulvaney said.
The CMSA’s Friday night beach volleyball league (open division) has ballooned to 162 teams, up from 111 and 140 the last two years. However, the female division is down three teams, to 18.
This year, there also is a new two-person division, with seven teams, on Fridays.
“With six divisions [in Friday’s open division], we have everything from ultra recreational players to others who are extremely competitive,” Mulvaney said.