An Unlikely Place to hit the Beach

When Russia’s Czar Alexander I visited Alexanderplatz in Berlin in the early 19^th century and decided to call the former  “Oxen Market” after himself, he could have never imagined that almost 200 years later, this busy inner city square would be transformed into a beach - nor that some upstart Australians would become its rulers!

That’s what happened in 2001 when World Tour Aussie veterans Julien Prosser and Lee Zahner, claimed their first Tour victory at the German Open when they surprised and delighted the packed stadium by knocking out top-seeded Brazilians Emanuel and Tande 3-1 in the semifinal. Then, to snatch the US $ 180,000 purse, the Aussies then smote a stinging 2-1 blow to Swiss brothers Paul and Martin Laciga in a nerve-racking (and often fiery) three-setter that ended when Martin lost his alpine coolness, wrenched down the net and incurred a red card penalty. The Swiss team of Kober/Heuscher then put up a good showing against the Brazilian heavyweights, but Emanuel and Tande went on to win in two straight sets. 

But on of the real stars of the German Open last year was the city of Berlin, with more than 32,000 spectators crowding into the 8,000 capacity-stadium during the days of the competition. This year, organizers will be hoping for a repeat of the perfect cloudless skies for the event (12-16 June) when once more "Alex" as the locals affectionately call the downtown square, will be transformed into a fantastic beach. This is the eighth time that Berlin has hosted an FIVB tournament, proving that it and the exciting side events that come with it can transform Berlin into a Beach Volleyball Mecca.