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The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, June 23, 2011
Eye Street
Index The Bar-Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Ghost tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Luau Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 “Curtains” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Movie trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 The Lowdown with Matt Munoz . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28-31
Editor Jennifer Self | Phone 395-7434 | e-mail jself@bakersfield.com
These teams can play dirty It’s more about mud than volleyball here, but that’s OK BY JENNIFER SELF Californian lifestyles editor jself@bakersfield.com
I
n mud volleyball, finding a way to keep your shoes on is every bit as important as a perfect pass or spectacular spike. “That shoe is going to come off,” said Doug Valdez, an office volunteer at the Epilepsy Society of Kern County, which runs the annual event. “I can vouch for that.” Valdez, himself a former player, coordinates the tournament, now in its 19th year. In that time, he’s seen players resort to some pretty elaborate methods to keep hold of their shoes and socks, most of them involving duct tape. Others give in and go commando — no shoes at all — while the old pros opt for waterproof footwear. But whatever your personal preference, Valedez does offer one key piece of advice: “Don’t wear your best new tennis shoes.” Things are expected to get “muddy and gruddy” — the slogan of this year’s tournament — when the dirt adjacent to Stramler Park is transformed into a huge mud bath Saturday. It takes Rain for Rent, which donates its services, three days and an estimated 25,000 gallons of water to get the muck just right. As of Monday, Valdez said 85 teams had signed on for the community slip and slide, including last year’s winner, the Scallywags. “The tournament is scheduled on my calendar way in advance,” said Scallywags player Nathan Ives, an engineer at Chevron. “The two years I didn’t play, I went on a family vacation out of state and the other time I went to Mexico to play in a sand tournament. I look forward to it every year, spending the day with your friends and the social part.” Ives, 52, acknowledged
Tuesday that the six members of his team are pretty serious about volleyball — all play at least once a week. But the mud tournament isn’t really about competition, he said, because all are welcome, no matter their skill set. After all, the mud and water have a way of leveling the playing field. “What happens is that in the morning it’s such a big mix of players that everyone is having fun,” Ives said. “Towards the end, there’s alcohol involved, and all of the sudden (the competitors) want to call a rule that hasn’t been called all day, or something isn’t fair and they’ll go home if they lose. You’ll get some squabbles, but it’s usually just good fun.” Players must be at least 18, and each team consists of six to 10 players, two of whom must be women. The games last at least 30 minutes and the first team to 15 — with a lead of at least two points — wins. Teams that lose two games are eliminated. All the rules of volleyball apply. Mostly. “Commonly, the rules are not enforced like regular volleyball rules. Don’t expect to have a game called like a referee would do it,” said Ives, who said that players from other teams are enlisted to call the games. “You’ve got a ball that’s wet and muddy, and you can’t control it like a nice clean indoor ball. “We like to try to enforce the rule that keeps people from touching the net. If you keep them from touching the net, you keep them from getting under the net and falling on you.” Another factor that keeps players on their toes — or their backs — is that conditions vary on the 16 courts because the grounds are sloped a bit, making one end more watery than the other. In the center, it’s pretty much a mud pit. “We prefer to play in the mud,” Ives said. “The water can be knee-deep, but the mud is only 6 inches deep. It’s easier to pull your foot out and take a step.” And though the players try to stay upright, it makes for
CALIFORNIAN FILE
Rick Hikson of the team Dirty H smacks the ball toward the Bakersfield Fire Department’s team during the 2010 Mud Volleyball Tournament.
19th annual Mud Volleyball Tournament When: Gates open at 7:30 a.m., play begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Teams may register the day of the tournament. Where: Stramler Park, 3805 Chester Ave. Cost: $375 per team; free to spectators Information: epilepsysocietyofkern.org or call 634-9810.
pretty good viewing when gravity and goo land their one-two punch, Valdez said. “There are some courts full of water, and they go diving and water goes all over, especially if the player is extra large.” Valdez remembers only two players whose injuries were serious enough to prevent them from continuing. And, surprisingly, it’s not the mud or water — or even the falls — that present the biggest hazard, Ives and Valdez said. It’s the rocks,
those sharp little devils lying in wait for the unwary player. Hall Ambulance donates emergency medical personnel for just those eventualities, Valdez noted. As for game strategy,the muck, rocks and mess pretty much render that a moot point, Ives said. He and his team do try to stay as clean as possible in the early rounds, when play isn’t as strenuous. It isn’t terribly pleasant to be caked in mud all day, he said, though showers are available. “Physically, it’s not as competitive as playing two games in an indoor tournament,” Ives said. “But you’re all out. It’s 7 in the morning until 7 in the evening. You’re burnt for the day.” But it isn’t the level of play that draws Ives anyway. He sees old friends and watches the other games when he’s not playing. Plus, knowing that the money is helping the epilepsy group puts the competition in perspective. “All you get is a medal. If you lose and you don’t get the medal, OK, you’re out the medal.”
TIPS FROM THE CHAMP Nathan Ives, whose team has won the tournament several times, agreed to give newcomers some help with preparation: Shoes: “Don’t use duct tape — it does not work. I get water shoes that have a loop in the back on the heel and tie a string through that loop around my ankle. It keeps the shoe on all day,” said Ives, whose feet problems forced him to find a shoe solution after he played barefoot the first 15 years of the tournament. “Going barefoot is fine, but you’re going to have stickers and cuts from the little rocks.” Clothes: “Whatever you wear, throw it away. It’s not washable. It’s going to still be brown when you’re done. I usually wear a hat, not during play, but there’s a lot of time in between. There’s no shade around where they’re playing. “I do recommend that everyone wear sunglasses (during play) to keep the mud out of their eyes.” Pace yourself: Alcohol is available, but Ives no longer partakes. “I have in the past and if I do and I lose, I feel guilty. It’s such a long day — I’ll just drink water.” The game plan: “We don’t play near at the level we usually do (at other tournaments). The strategy is different. Instead of getting the third hit to kill the ball, you’re better off getting it over the net and letting them make a mistake. “You can settle most disputes by saying, ‘Let’s do a replay.’”