FEELING THE LOVE
Champs get to play at home
It was a header.
Melissa Humana-paredes sent her ceremonial opening serve of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event off the ball cap and into the face of Mayor Don Iveson, who went face first into the sand.
Sarah Pavan and Humana-Paredes weren’t sure what the reception would be like coming home as the only world beach volleyball champions in Canadian history but having the mayor falling at their feet like that was, ah, well … memorable.
And memorable is what the freshly-crowned world champions expect it to be here this week in the only FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour stop in either Canada or the USA this year and the first one in our nation since 2011 in Quebec City.
After arriving Monday night from Switzerland and spending the morning at Northlands Park — the old horse racing venue turned into an unlikely beach volleyball venue for the week — they say they’re already feeling the love.
“Thank you for having this event,” Pavan told the mayor, assembled local officials representing K-days and presenting associations and volunteers assembled around centre court in what used to be the paddock.
“We haven’t had the opportunity to play together in our own country before and this comes at a very good time,” she added.
“We couldn’t have possibly planned this any better,” said Humana-paredes in her turn at the mic.
“Being able to bring this back home and play our first event in Canada together is so exciting. I can’t wait to see the turnout.”
After doing a few TV interviews and posing for pictures, the two sat down with your correspondent to consider the venue and the week ahead.
“We can feel the love already. We can feel it quite a bit,” said Humana-paredes.
As for the venue, with three courts lined up down the homestretch on the track, they give it four thumbs up.
“It’s unique and I think most of the players are excited to play in it,” she added.
“I think the people here did a great job,” said Pavan, who said most of the internationals on the 91 teams from 28 countries had no idea that the venue would be inside a racetrack.
“They are pretty surprised. I was surprised with the way they put it together.”
While the competition doesn’t start until the qualifying sessions Wednesday, the early reviews are positive.
“Delegates from FIVB are pretty happy so far,” said organizing group head John May.
“They say they like the unique location. Everybody is happy.”
Venue builder Ron Pauk said the response from the athletes has come in one of three words.
“Good. Great. Excellent,” he said.
“If they didn’t like it, I’m sure we would have heard about it.”
Summer of their lives
The way it’s worked out, it’s more a celebration week for the world champions than a competition week.
Pavan and Humana-paredes have been enjoying the summer of their lives, although after winning Canada’s first ever world championship in the sport and US$60,000 the week before, they stumbled in a quarter-final in Switzerland last weekend in a four-star event and settled for $12,000 to divide between the two.
“We lost to the top team from Brazil. I think the emotion of the world championship just caught up to us,” said Pavan.
“We had a letdown. We didn’t play well in that game. And against that team, if you’re going to win, you have to play your best.
In all, on the tour since April they’ve won $120,000 together.
But while $60,000 each in prize money so far this summer seems pretty good — and it has a good chance to hit six figures each by September — they have to pay their own airfare, hotel, food and other costs.
They most certainly are favoured to be around Sunday to play for first place in the $150,000 event here that pays the men’s and women’s winners $10,000 per team for finishing first.
The tour events are each given a star rating.
Two of them are five-star events. Another dozen are fourstar competitions. Five are threestar. Eight are two-star. And 29 are one-star.
Edmonton is a three star. There’s also a four-star event this week in Portugal offering $300,000 in prize money, double the amount in Edmonton.
Obviously, Pavan and Humana-paredes are the stars of the show and ranked No. 1. But who else here this week is anybody? Not many.
The other top teams in the world are staying in Europe for double the prize money and minimal travel expenses.
Emily Day and Betsi Flint of the United States are ranked
26th in the world and the third favourites are the Mcnamara Twins, Megan and Nicole, from Vancouver. They are ranked 40th in the world.
So there’s definitely room to enjoy the week for Canada’s newest sports stars.
“I think it’s going to be fun for us to come here every day. But that said, we’re going to have our own personal pressure,” said Humana-paredes.
She didn’t have to define what that is. But it ought to be obvious. They have to look like they’re world champions.
Being able to bring this back home and play our first event in Canada together is so exciting. I can’t wait to see the turnout.