Seventeen years ago this summer, Charlie Saikley passed away. Known as the “Godfather of Beach Volleyball,” Saikley was the man who over 43 years ago brought the Manhattan Beach 6-Man Volleyball Tournament to the South Bay.
Saikley’s roots in the South Bay began in the 1960’s, where as a school teacher at El Segundo High School, he also worked in the Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department during his off-hours and summers. Through his work with Parks and Recreation, Saikley created the first city-organized volleyball instruction program in Southern California and worked largely with the city’s youth introducing them to the sport.
Saikley was legendary with the creation of tournaments that focused on the core components of beach volleyball: world-class talent combined with the beach lifestyle. In a nod to his original vision for the event that began in 1974, his family has worked alongside the Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department to bring back the all-age inclusive, family-friendly feel to the event.
2022 marks the eighth year of the Jr. 6-Man, which takes place on August 7, 2022. This is a nod to Saikley’s belief in fostering youth involvement within the sport. It is expected that the youth tournament will also embrace the culture of costume-oriented team participation
