Beach volleyball grabs attention

Action in the men's competition at Mt Maunganui. Picture / Alan Gibson

Hot bods - both on the courts and in the stands - captured the attention of spectators at an international beach volleyball competition in Mt Maunganui yesterday.

A crowd of several hundred gathered under the blazing sun for the fourth round of the More FM Beach Volleyball Pro Tour series, played on the sand by Mt Maunganui Surf Club.

Chants of "Kiwi" filled the air as top-ranked New Zealand players Jason Lochhead and Kirk Pitman spiked their way to victory against Germans Kjell Schneider and David Klemperer in the men's competition.

The number of spectators grew as the game progressed, with beachgoers leaving their towels on the sand to join the throng in already packed stands.

Four friends enjoying a break at the Mt Maunganui campground after finishing high school found the muscly male players impressive.

Auckland student Amy Dodds, 17, said beach volleyball was not a sport they got to see every day.

"When you do watch it, it's a great thrill," she said.

Another member of the group, Ashley Davies, was happy the action was only a short walk from the beachfront camp.

"It's just a great location," she said.

The men also earned the admiration of a male spectator, albeit for a different reason.

"What a hell of a job going round the world doing this, all these lovelies in the crowd," the spectator sighed.

Lochhead and Pitman, both Tauranga locals, after battling to their fourth consecutive victory in the series.

"It's really sweet to have my first win at home," Lochhead said.

Germans Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig won the women's final against Americans Tracey Lindquist and Courtney Guerra.

It was also their fourth consecutive series win.

Yesterday's matches ended the fourth of five rounds in the pro tour, which has been played in Matarangi Beach in the Coromandel, Wellington, Ohope, and the Mount.

The last round begins on Friday at the ASB Tennis Centre in Auckland.