NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- It's an up and coming sport that we may see in the Olympics before too long and Hampton Roads is viewed as the center of its growth.
Beach wrestling's 2024 summer campaign kicked off Saturday on the sand by the Ocean View Fishing Pier. About 70 participants made their way to the beach, some to give a new sport a try, others to see how far they've come since they've started.
"This is our first event in [Norfolk] for the season and we're looking forward to coming back," said Ed Duncan, director of USA Beach Wrestling. "We've got the Joe Boone Classic later this fall in August and it's going to be a great summer of Beach Wrestling here in [Norfolk]."
Matt Rosen is the head coach at Northside Middle School in Norfolk. He brought some of his student-athletes out to the event to help keep them sharp and experience the local wrestling community.
"Kind of getting these guys to continue on with wrestling, staying involved instead of sitting at home laying on the couch not being prepared," he said. "We're trying to bring this program and this area back up to where it used to be, so we're putting in the work and just continuing to have fun and working hard at the same time."
Beach wrestling grew in popularity last year and made its Hampton Roads debut, with weekly competitions at the Virginia Beach Field House and other events throughout the summer. The Joe Boone Classic, which will once again be held at the Ocean View Fishing Pier in August, will feature participants from all across the country.
For more information on beach wrestling, click here.
