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Home  >  Blog  >  Beach Volleyball in Austria

Beach Volleyball in Austria

Trish Burgess Posted on18/08/201309/08/2016 Austria 22 Comments

It was only after I had booked our flights and accommodation in Austria that Dougie discovered the European Beach Volleyball Championships were going to be held in Klagenfurt at the time of our holiday. He was beside himself with excitement and not, you might be thinking, for the chance to look at fit, tanned female players leaping about in the sand. Hadn’t even crossed his mind. No, his interest was purely on the sport front, he assured me. He has been an indoor volleyball player for most of his life and, in his current role as ‘setter’ for the Spalding Volleyball team, has proudly been honoured with the prestigious Player of the Year trophy in four of the last seven years. Of course, he’s getting on a bit now and has to wear all manner of support garments to protect his old knees and ankles.

I noticed he had quietly secreted his knee pads into the case.
“Just on the off chance they might be in need of a substitute,” he said casually.
“Ha! You think in the EUROPEAN championships they might just ask if anyone in the crowd wants to step in?”
“You never know.”
“And you don’t think they might have other alternatives to an injured Scotsman who’s teetering on the edge of the big 5-0?”
“No, I realise that. Only kidding. I might get involved in a game at the resort amongst the other holiday-makers,” he blustered unconvincingly.

We decided to go along to the championships on the second day when we hoped it might not be too busy. Entrance to the main stadium was free but on the final two days we would have to get there very early and, most probably, queue for an eternity. As it was, we had an easy half hour drive, parking was far easier than we had anticipated and there were no queues to get in. There was, however, a strict bag search at the entrance, confiscating everyone’s water bottles. Thankfully they didn’t find two of Dougie’s but a further search inside the stadium by a rather scary ‘bouncer’ spotted his contraband: he allowed him to take them in as long as he removed the caps. What’s that all about?

We had dressed fairly conservatively and, we thought, appropriately for a sporting event: shorts, T-shirts and trainers. We were, therefore, rather surprised to discover that most of the spectators, particularly as the day progressed and the heat intensified, had come dressed in very little. It looked as if they had just stepped off the beach which I suspect is just what they had done as the stadium was right by the lakeside.

All around us were young girls in teeny bikinis and men in shorts (not budgie smugglers this time. I hasten to add). It was a very young, happy crowd and their enthusiasm was infectious. At the end of every point the latest club dances were played, so everyone joined in singing and performing the actions. I can’t remember what they were although the lyrics of one said something about ‘to the left’ and ‘to the right’ and I know for certain it was neither Agadoo nor the Hokey Cokey.

Klagenfurt, European Beach Volleyball 2013

The men’s games were very exciting. We watched Austria v Norway, Russia, Sweden and Italy. There always seemed to be a home team in the main stadium to excite the crowd, other matches being played on three other courts. We were also able to leave our seats and visit the promotional stands in the vicinity, picking up a mini-lilo and three water pistols, which we inadvertently carried through customs on our return flight.

An hour or two into the day, it became obvious why everyone was dressed in their beach clobber. At a given moment, four huge industrial scale hoses were turned on, spraying everyone with a welcome burst of cooling water (here’s what we experienced: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPbCMVJtA4s) Whilst everyone else leapt up and danced in the refreshing shower, we three Brits made fruitless efforts to keep our clothes dry. In the end, we gave up and happily allowed ourselves to be soaked, but sitting on a hard bench in soggy knickers is not pleasant.

We did watch a women’s game but my boys had seen sufficient female flesh in the seats around them to ensure they wouldn’t be missing out if we took our leave and headed off.

Dougie was a happy bunny for the remainder of the day and the following week, trying to recreate the club dances in his own unique way, more often than not singing a totally different tune.

“That’s not the words or the tune, Dad, and it’s not the right rhythm either,” exclaimed an exasperated Rory.
“Ah, maybe not, Son, but I’ve still got it,” he replied, shaking his booty as he shimmied around the apartment in a towel and a promotional baseball cap on his head…peak facing backwards.
.

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22 Comments

  1. BavarianSojourn Reply
    18/08/2013 at 10:27 am

    Brilliant! Completely not what I would have expected them to wear either!! 😀 PS. Having just come back from Italy, I can confirm that budgie smugglers are in fashion over there too. I have to say that only the very best looking men managed to pull them off (not in real life though unfortunately) but only just! 😀

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      18/08/2013 at 2:17 pm

      You're right, only the buffed men, without the belly overhang, can really make them easy on the eye.

  2. wellfedfred Reply
    18/08/2013 at 11:24 am

    still chortling over budgie smugglers! what a great expression! (you can see I lead a sheltered life)

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      18/08/2013 at 2:18 pm

      Now I thought you would have had our own name for these, Fred, to add to the Banana Hammocks and Grape Smugglers I've since heard about.

  3. MsCaroline Reply
    18/08/2013 at 11:27 am

    Ha, I was really almost expecting you to say that they DID call him in as a substitute!
    Had to laugh about the clothing situation – here in Korea, the hotter and sunnier it gets, the more clothes you see people wearing especially the women – hats, gloves, long sleeves, jackets, arm and leg gaiters, face masks, visors…you get the deal. Probably why they all have such fabulous skin, I suppose, but still a little disconcerting. Sounds like a great time for all, not just the boys – and the water must have come as a welcome relief, wet knickers or no!

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      18/08/2013 at 2:20 pm

      Yup, the complete opposite, though it was good to see groups of girls all rubbing suncream onto each other to protect themselves. No clothes, but plenty of Ambre Solaire.
      And yes, the shower was a godsend and, as it was so hot, my knickers dried fairly quickly….until the next dousing.

  4. libby Reply
    18/08/2013 at 11:59 am

    Awwww bless his optimistic soul…….packing his pads 'just in case'.

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      18/08/2013 at 2:21 pm

      I know! Poor wee lamb. He didn't even get a game at any of the campsites near where we were staying. It was just too hot to expend the energy: everyone was just flaked out.

  5. Troy Reply
    18/08/2013 at 3:00 pm

    Sounds like a great day out. I used to hate volleyball when I was school but then there wasn't a group of girls rubbing sun cream onto each other.

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      18/08/2013 at 3:52 pm

      They should introduce that in all sports – would improve the uptake considerably.

  6. Steve Reply
    18/08/2013 at 8:19 pm

    Girls in bikinis. See. That's a proper sport, that is.

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      18/08/2013 at 8:35 pm

      Did the crowd wear bikinis at Horseguards Parade during the Olympics, I wonder?

  7. Mums do travel Reply
    18/08/2013 at 10:32 pm

    After sli-ding to the left and sli-ding to the right did every-bo-dy clap their hands? My teen says the song that wasn't Agadoo must have been the Cha Cha Slide, (which we saw last week at SeaWorld Orlando performed by people dressed as a penguin and a whale!)

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      19/08/2013 at 8:00 am

      Apparently not. I asked Rory and he said it wasn't that, although the useless boy doesn't have any other suggestions. Could you ask your daughter if she knows a song which is quite slow and has the words 'my block, my block'? The words might not be 'my' or 'block' ….!

  8. Sarah Reply
    19/08/2013 at 8:25 am

    That sounds like a hugely entertaining day – loads of ambiance, great sport and a nice bunch of freebies. What luck you were there at the same time as the competition! Next time you'll know to go in your cossie though…

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      20/08/2013 at 10:40 am

      ….and flip flops! Essential footwear.

  9. Mary Reply
    19/08/2013 at 8:55 am

    Haha, hilarious. I can´t say I would have thought to turn up to a sporting event in my bikini or swimmers. Am disappointed Dougie didn´t get the call up to compete however :-/

    • Trish Burgess Reply
      20/08/2013 at 10:41 am

      Of course I bet if I go again to a beach volleyball event, I will turn up in next to nothing and everyone else will be in sensible shorts.
      He was gutted 😉

  10. About Last Weekend Reply
    21/08/2013 at 3:48 am

    The fact of watching people leap into the sand is just so hilarious – and so compelling. Sand leaping buff booties (and nary a budgie smuggler. )My mother tells me its a huge sport in new Zealand, wonder why?

  11. Curry Queen Reply
    22/08/2013 at 2:08 pm

    Dougie may still have it, but is it contagious? We should be told….

  12. not from lapland Reply
    23/08/2013 at 2:09 pm

    sounds like an ace day – very entertaining. Shame Dougie didn't get called up tho 🙂

  13. Pingback: Monkey Mountain, Minimundus and Magdalensberg - Mum's Gone To ...

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