From costumes to quirkiness, there’s nothing like this weekend’s final Gillis beach tourney

The Gillis. There’s nothing like it in beach volleyball. And now after 50 years … 

Playa del Rey, California, is often overlooked in the discussion of beach volleyball history, but it shouldn’t be. Granted, PdR is located just north of the nexus of Redondo/Hermosa/Manhattan, the powerhouse South Bay beaches that just roll off the tongue, and just south of the “West Side story,” the Palisades, Santa Monica, Venice and Marina del Rey hot spots. 

And yet, this small enclave of 16,230 residents has definitely carved its niche into the lore of the sport. The main beach in Playa, Dockweiler, has been a CBVA staple for over 50 years. The iconic Gene Popko, always ran a tight tournament there, and come to think of it, may, in fact, have run more beach tournaments than any person on the face of the planet. An 11-year-old Karch Kiraly competed there with his father Laz. They are among the greats who were shaped by their experiences in PdR.

Just south of Dockweiler is a small stretch of beach just down from tiny Gillis Street, which 50 years ago pioneered the concept of combining sports and entertainment long before the letters ESPN became part of the global vernacular. In the intervening years since then, gaining entrance to the invitation only “Gillis Tournament” has been known to be a highly coveted treasure, the golden ticket equivalent in the volleyball world.

But, all good things must come to an end, or at least that is how the adage goes. This year’s tournament, this weekend at Toes Beach off Culver Boulevard, and spitting distance from the legendary “Shack” restaurant, will be the 50^th and last one (more on that in a bit).

The humble origins of the Gillis date to 1971 and a “fetish” that the co-originators Dave and Steve Cressman had. 

“My brother and I were always fans of homemade trunks,” Dave said. “We were new to volleyball and all of our friends were new to it. Just a small group of us playing on a metal court that the county had put in at Gillis Beach. And we wanted to have a volleyball tournament and the players had to wear homemade trunks.” 

Understand this was an era when volley wear was non-existent. There was no such thing as Quiksilver, Off Shore, Sideout, Mossimo or other brands that were soon to take the sport by storm.

So, the 17-year-old Cressman and his 15-year-old brother Dave, by virtue of being the popular kids in class, were able to attract 17 teams that first year. It…