The Just Bet/TVJSN beach volleyball tour got off to a bright start despite rainy conditions at Long Bay Beach, Negril, on Saturday.

A thunderstorm, which lasted approximately two hours, did little to dampen the spirit of the male and female beach volleyball players. Despite the conditions, over 50 matches were completed on the day.

The competition, which is organised by the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA), is in its second year and unlike last year when the competition was centred at Barbican beach facility on East Kings House Road, this year JaVA has made a concerted effort to take the show on the road to different beaches across the island.

Major Warrenton Dixon, president of JaVA, in highlighting JaVA’s reasons for the format of the competition this year, stated that the primary objective is to raise the visibility and profile of the sport.

“There is little point putting in all the effort necessary to organise an event like this if only players and organisers are going to see the event,” emphasised Dixon. “We have had to make some significant financial sacrifices to take the game to places where people who appreciate the leisure and beauty associated with the beach are already gathered, and also to get it on the television for those who may not be able to make it to the beach.

“We are therefore extremely thankful to Just Bet, Jamaica Blue Spring Water, and Fire Blade Energy Drink for their support in easing the expenses of the broadcast cost and to the RJR Group for absorbing responsibility for the brunt of those charges.”

In Saturday’s first leg of a three-part open circuit, defending female champions Shedeiky Hamilton-Barnes and Kai Wright confirmed their favourites tag by winning the event with a 21/14, 21/11 victory over Renae Temple and Cherie Thompson.

Winning the final was sweet revenge for Hamilton-Barnes and Wright, who had lost to Temple and Thompson in the preliminary round of the one-day event. Cherine Richards and Cheryl Daley closed out the podium finishers in third place with victory over Fiona Binns and Jacqueline Sabal.

In the male division, there was a mild upset as last year’s winners of all beach volleyball events held locally, Gatasheu Bonner and Ryck Webb, were beaten into second place by Dellan Brown and his new partner Christopher Walters, 15/12, 15/11. Bonner and Webb did not look their indomitable selves, losing even in the preliminary round.

On the other hand, Brown, who had partnered with Donovan Richards for second place in the 2012 competition, and Walters, put in a workman-like performance to dispatch their highly-favoured opponents in straight sets. Delford Morgan and Shayne Dwyer took third place over Oliver Reid and Alex Talgio, a Canadian national.

The second in the series of three one-day open events will take place at Cornwall Beach in Montego Bay on Saturday, and the third leg at UDC Beach, Ocho Rios, on September 21. The two remaining legs are opened to any team who wishes to enter the tournament. At the end of the circuit the top six teams in both the female and male divisions will advance to the three-week play-offs, which will be played between Fort Clarence and the UWI Beach Court, on September 28, and October 5, 6, 12 and 13.

There is a total of $300,000 in prize money available to participants on the circuit, and another $300,000 for those who advance to the play-offs. Other prizes and surprises are also on offer to both players and spectators.