Glasgow River Festival

Shelly (my partner) and I were invited to participate in the Urban Beach Volleyball Tour in Glasgow at the River Festival this past weekend. The top four women's and top four men's beach volleyball teams were invited. Here is the venue from our motel room. You can see the court next to the Clyde River in Glasgow.


Because it was such a big event with sponsors and such, they gave us free "clothing" to wear. When we showed up, they handed us bags with two different colors of bikinis!! There was quite a bit of mixed emotion on what was going to be worn.

Saturday, it was round robin, so we played everyone. Half of the girls wore bikinis, I wore a bikini top and shorts that matched. My partner and I didn't play the best on the first day, but it was pretty amazing. They had set up a beach volleyball court on the edge of a parking lot. We were surrounded by booths and boats and fire engines and every 30 minutes or so, a tour bus would drive by!! Here is some if the action. I am getting ready to pass the volleyball.


That evening after a hot shower and a bit of TV vegging, we went out to an Indian restaurant and had some curry. Indian food was new to Tim and I, but everyone else that came loved it! I didn't like the spicy HOT appetizers as much, but my main course of chicken was great (Only because after I ordered, Iain (a volleyball buddy) yelled across the table, "MILD, make hers MILD!")

Sunday, we played the semi-finals and the finals. Well, I did it then- I showed off my body. The shorts came off and there I was, playing half naked in front of (what felt like the whole city of) Glasgow! It seemed like everywhere I looked there was another wide angle zoom lens! One photographer told Tim, "look Amy is playing in a bikini! Do you want me to get photos? I can get some from the front and the back!" Tim said "Yeah, that would be great!" I think I know when they had this conversation, because at the beginning of the match, when we were announced onto the court, I looked over toward Tim and a small group of people around him were laughing! Here is the match, I am on the left. Don't look too close at the cottage cheese on my bottom!


Unfortunately, we didn't play 100% and lost that match, but I can truthfully say I played in a bikini! We ended up winning the 3rd place match though. It was great to end strong! If you're going to finish the weekend 2-7 in games, you might as well win the last two. I don't have pictures of the third place game because Tim was referring. Isn't he cute in his little referee outfit? He got to keep the hat.


Tim wants everyone to know that he missed playing in the tournament himself by one lousy point (he had 63.5 points and the fourth-place men's team had 64.5 points) He figures he got jobbed by the officials in the qualifying tournaments, so he officiated this one in revenge. If you can't beat 'em...

After the final, it was really neat, because they brought out a podium for an awards ceremony. Here some Scottish bagpipers are "piping in the players".


The closing ceremony presented another conundrum for me. All but one of the other players was wearing their bikinis and I figured I would skew the picture if I didn't match. So here is a picture of ALL of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams... the things you do for a £25 check (that's, like, fifty bucks!). Haha!

Here are all of the girls on the podium...


All in all, it was a lot of fun and one this is for sure, I can pretend like I was professional. After all, I played in a bikini!