Surfing will be held at Pelican Beach Park in Satellite Beach on both days
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The 2022 Sunshine State Games, presented by Amazon, International Beach Games, returns for the first time since 2019. Included in the SSG International Beach Games are three sports never contested in the 43 years of the State of Florida’s Olympic Style Sports Festival.
While Beach Volleyball has been played in the Beach Games, Open Water Swim, Stand Up Paddleboard and Surfing will be offered for the first time in Satellite Beach on Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25.
Surfing will be held at Pelican Beach Park in Satellite Beach on both days, with Pro Divisions being contested on Saturday and Amateur Divisions on Sunday. The competition begins on both days at 8:30 a.m.
Local and nationally-recognized athletes will be competing in the Pro Divisions Saturday. Some of the nation’s top Qualifying Series World Surf League surfers are competing this season to advance to the East Coast Championships, In New Smyrna Beach, on October 22-23 and the championship event held in Puerto Rico, scheduled for December.
Top QS competitors like Michael Dunphy, 12-time East Coast Champion and New Smyrna Beach resident, Evan Gesielman, Chauncey Robinson, Tommy Coleman, Robby McCormick, Chase Modelski, and Zoe Benedetto all compete in Eco Pro competitions. USA team members Ryan Huckabee, Carl Burger, Kepa Mendia, along with developmental team members, 12-year-old South Florida phenom. Sophia Gamboa, Kole Mozzarella, and Shea Edwards. In addition, Austin Clause from the Ultimate Surfer TV show is a competitor in the Eco Pro events.
Beach Volleyball will be played at Satellite Beach High School with Adult Men’s and Women’s Divisions and the AAA Division on Saturday. Sunday’s action features the U18, U16 and U14 Juniors Division and possibly a Coed Division. Play each day will begin at 8:30 a.m. with games continuing until 3 to 5 p.m.
Between the two days of Beach Volleyball, approximately 50 teams will be on the courts.
Stand Up Paddleboard athletes will be on the water at Paddling Paradise on the Indian River, with more than 40 athletes currently registered.
The competition will feature Men’s and Women’s individual starts beginning at 9:00 a.m. The format resembles a cycling time trials event, with paddlers going off in 30-second intervals, paddlers making two laps on a ¼-mile course three times. The times will be added together and the lowest overall times will determine the top finishers.
Athletes range in age from teenagers to 50+ and will not be grouped in age groups or skill levels. All athletes will use All Around Class Boards. This format is very unique, according to event director Dan Smith. “With the number of athletes competing, we’re doing some new things we’ve not done before,” Smith said.
Open Water Swim, to be contested on Sunday, September 25, has been changed to Rotary Park in Melbourne due to the active Atlantic Ocean caused by Hurricane Fiona. The one-mile triangular-shaped course will have individual starts for athletes in five-year age groups beginning at age 12.
Among the more than 40 athletes registered to compete are Boone High School and Highlander Aquatics swimmer Jacob Hamlin, and his father, Paul, of Orlando.
Sunshine State Games International Beach Games Schedule
Saturday, September 24
■ 8:30 a.m. – Beach Volleyball, Satellite Beach High School (Men’s and Women’s Adult Divisions, AAA Division)
■ 8:30 a.m. – Surfing, Pelican Beach Park (Men’s and Women’s Pro Divisions)
■ 9:00 a.m. – Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP), Paddling Paradise on the Indian River
Sunday, September 25
■ 7:30 a.m. – Open Water Swim, Rotary Park at Suntree, Melbourne
■ 8:30 a.m. – Beach Volleyball, Satellite Beach High School (14U, 16U, 18U Youth Divisions)
■ 8:30 a.m. – Surfing, Pelican Beach Park (Men’s and Women’s Amateur Divisions
The Sunshine State Game, presented by Amazon, now in its 43-year year, is a program of the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the State of Florida. The Sunshine State Games are the longest continually-running State Games in the U.S., dating back to 1980.
For more information about the sports of the Sunshine State Games, visit www.SunshineStategames.com.
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