December 14, 2012 Racine, Wisconsin – EVP Tour and Upstate Watercross Promotions Tour has signed an agreement with Real Racine for the 2013 Spike n’ Splash event on June 14-15.

The EVP Tour began working with the Real Racine in 2003. The main task of the EVP Tour back then was to bring a national level beach volleyball tour to Racine. Teams as far away as Italy have traveled to Racine to compete against the very best in the sport of beach volleyball.

Well, almost nine years later the EVP has been instrumental in building the largest Midwest beach sports festival including Watercross Championship produced by BSN partner Upstate Watercross.

Real Racine announced today that it is proud of the work the EVP Tour has done to create more national level events in their community along Lake Michigan.

Real Racine President/CEO – Dave Blank says Spike N’ Splash is one of our premier summertime events and is quickly turning into major regional favorite. The staff and athletes with both tours are great ambassadors for their respective sports and we look forward to welcoming them in June of 2013 again.

UWP Commissioner – AJ Handler says UWP is excited about returning to Racine, WI – it is a great community and has one of the best beaches in the Midwest. The athletes love the atmosphere that Racine has to offer; great food, lots of fun and plenty of things to do for visitors.

EVP Tour Commissioner – Ross Balling says “Working with Mr. Dave Blank from Real Racine, Mayor John Dickert from the City of Racine and Tom Molbeck from the Racine Parks are always finding ways to improve the event. Are athtletes and fans feel welcomed! We are excited to build a long term relationship with the City and the Real Racine community. Real Racine knows how to help put on a great experience.”

The voice of the EVP Tour – Keith Jones says “ I’m very excited to be coming back to Racine in 2012 for the EVP Rocks Racine tournament. There was nothing like being around the great people of Racine, Wisconsin. Everywhere we went, whether it was to an amazing dinner at Ivanhoe each night or enjoying the night life at the surrounding bars, we were treated like great friends of the community. “

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About the EVP Tour
The EVP® Tour has established the largest national pro-am volleyball attraction in America. The tour travels to 20 key markets across the country from March to October. The EVP® TV Network has established a national clearance with Comcast Sports Network and will produce 16, 30-minute TV shows which reach over 60 million viewers over 40 states per airing. See current airing dates above.

About Real Racine
Real Racine, formerly the Racine County Convention and Visitors Bureau, is a non-profit corporation. They are the official destination marketing agency for Racine County and their primary focus is tourism promotion and development.

2013 EVP Tour announces New Host Sponsors
Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head

Long Beach, IN (December 17, 2012) Extreme Volleyball Professionals, a premier national circuit, announces the addition of The Outer Banks of North Carolina to its high profile EVP Tour 2013 schedule. The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and Jennette’s Pier are partnering with EVP Tour to host two days of competitive beach volleyball in the town of Nags Head, NC on August 24, 2013.

“Nags Head is a neat coastal town with a lot of character, and the athletes and families that come to participate with the EVP Tour are going to be excited when the news gets out about this partnership,” commented Tour President Ross Balling. “Every time I mention Outer Banks to friends and family, they rave about how many people they know love to travel there for summer fun.”

“The OBX, as the islands have become known in nickname by fans of the area, are emerging as a competitive sports venue on the East Coast and we’re proud to share that energy and momentum with the EVP Tour,” explains Lee Nettles, Executive Director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.

Jennette’s Pier Director Mike Remige agrees. “The beaches surrounding Jennette’s Pier are the ideal location for this event and we’re excited for the opportunity to host the EVP Tour,” he said. “Competitors and fans can jump into the ocean to cool off or hit the showers at our bathhouse. We also have plenty of onsite parking.”

The EVP Tour has been hosting beach volleyball events since 1994 and encourages all athletes and their family members to come out for “a great day at the beach”. You and your teammates may register for the tournaments at www.evptour.com or call 773-387-1198.

2013 EVP Pro Am Beach Volleyball Tour
May 4 Spike n’ Splash, Lake Charles, LA – TV
May 11 Beach Bum Open @ Tybee Island, Savannah, GA – TV
May 18 Boardwalk EVP Island @ Panama City Beach, FL
May 25 EVP Island Holiday @ Vanderbilt Beach, Naples, FL –TV
June 15 Spike n’ Splash @ North Beach, Racine, WI – TV
June 29 Road to Hermosa @ Hermosa Beach, CA – TV
July 4 12th Firecracker Pro Am @ Main Beach, Michigan City, IN
July 13 Spike n’ Sunset @ North Ave Beach, Chicago
July 27 Ocean Beach, Ocean City, MD – TV
Aug. 3 22nd Chicago Pro Am @ North Ave Beach, Chicago
Aug. 10 Independence Rocks @ Buckroe Beach, Hampton VA
Aug. 17 EVP Rock the River @ Charleston, WV – TV
Aug. 24 Outer Banks Pro Am @ Nags Head, NC – TV
Aug. 31 Southeast Championship @ Panama City Beach, FL – TV
Sept. 14 West Coast Beach Championships, Monterey, CA – TV
Sept. 21 National Championships @ Delray Beach, FL – TV

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About The EVP Tour
The EVP Tour has established a national pro-am volleyball attraction in ten key markets across the country from May through September. EVP has a national clearance with Beach Sports Network and will produce six, 30-minute TV shows, reaching over 60 million viewers in 40 states per airing. The Tour reaches and supports local and regional athletes, while EVP Network Members assist the tour’s grassroots efforts by establishing young adult relationships that drive participation in tour events. For more information, please contact Ross Balling of the EVP Tour at rossballing@evptour.com. Please visit www.evptour.com.

About Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau is a public authority charged with encouraging overnight visitation, particularly during the less-than-peak season. The Visitors Bureau is the lead marketing and promotional agency for Dare County, NC and its townships along The Outer Banks of North Carolina.

About Jennette’s Pier
Jennette’s Pier is the fourth facility in the North Carolina Aquariums division, and has a three-fold mission of enhancing education, economics and environment. The main attraction to Jennette’s Pier is recreational fishing, which brings attention to the Platinum LEED-certified design and alternative green energy uses such as wind turbines, solar power and reclaimed water. Educational classes, job creation and much more showcase the multi-tiered approach to this pier of the future.

Pro Beach Volleyball – Team Miami Beach 2013 
Gretchen Duffner-Hand:
EVP Champion, Boxing Champion, Fitness Professional

Born in St Louis Missouri, Gretchen played high school and collegiate volleyball. At a collegiate level, Gretchen was All-Conference, All-Region, and Captain of her team leading the conference in kills and blocks.

Gretchen graduated from The University of Missouri, St Louis where she earned a Bachelors of Science in Physical Education and Health.

In her professional beach volleyball career she has played in the Main draw of the AVP, EVP,NVL, and FIVB International Tour.

Internationally, she has competed in Brazil, Ireland, Thailand, and Columbia.

Gretchen is a nationally Certified Personal trainer, fitness and wellness professional.

She had top finishes in the main draw for AVP, with best finish 15th place (of 500+ teams).

2012 Stats:

Tournament Champion Of Tybee Island EVP Savannah GA

Tournament Champion of Sparkling Ice EVP Seattle WA

Tournament Champion of Naples Classic EVP Naples FL

Gretchen’s Favorite’s:

Quote: Aim for the moon, even if you miss you land with the stars

Magazine: Height Magazine (not just for tall people:) www.heightmag.com

Injury prevention: Life Strength Tape…for any joint that may be bothering you:www.lifestrength.com

Adult beverage: Miami Cocktail Co…pink lemonade and classic mojito :) www.miamicocktail.com

Originally from Houston, TX, Chibuzo Aguocha was a multi-sport athlete, earning varity letters in volleyball, basketball and track & field. She was able to realize her dream of being a NCAA D1 collegiate athlete by receiving a full athletic scholarship for volleyball and track & field from Furman University in Greenville, SC. Chibuzo’s notable achievements include recording 1,200+ kills, top 5 all time in kills per game, being named first-team all-conference for volleyball, triple jump conference champion, triple jump regional qualifier, current school record holder for both long and triple jump, Strength and Conditioning All-American and was named Furman University’s Female Athlete of the Year.

After receiving her BA in Mass Communications, Chibuzo moved to Atlanta, GA for a career in digital marketing and advertising. Her passion for volleyball propelled her to continue playing indoor locally and she quickly was introduced to grass volleyball. She tallied a slew of top finishes in both indoor and grass tournaments along the southeast. Shortly after falling in love with this new doubles format, she made the transition to sand volleyball and has been playing ever since. In 2012, Chibuzo began to pursue her dream of playing professional beach volleyball and played in her first professional tours.

“I love the sport of beach volleyball! I love the challenge it provides both physically and mentally during training and tournament play. To travel across the US, compete against amazing athletes and being a part of the energetic, social atmosphere that the tournaments foster is unlike any sport I know of. It’s AMAZING!”

Today, Chibuzo is dedicated to balancing her career as a digital marketing and advertising professional and a professional beach volleyball player.