MOHAMMAD ALAVI The Venice Boardwalk hosts a multitude of
sports including gymnastics, skateboarding, handball,
weightlifting, basketball and rollerblading.
By Joshua Mason
Daily Bruin Staff
If you’re looking for summer sports action, Venice Beach
is the place to be.
From surfers to hoopsters, muscleheads to chess enthusiasts,
bicyclists to bladers, Venice Beach has it all.
Just a few hundred feet from the Santa Monica Pier lies perhaps
the most competitive sporting venue at Venice Beach ““ Chess
Park. Lined with oversized chess pieces in the background, Chess
Park is a haven for some of the Los Angeles area’s most
competitive chess players.
Even if you don’t know a pawn from a rook, the high-stakes
action at Chess Park is worth checking out.
“For a lot of the guys out here, these games are a matter
of their livelihoods,” said Adrian Pepper, a self-reputed
regular at the park. “It’s always fun to sit back every
now and then and watch the more experienced players go at
it.”
Some of the most interesting matches involve cash stakes,
complete with hand timers and trash-talking from both ends of the
table.
“A lot of the time it comes down to two cons trying to con
each other,” Pepper added. “It’s definitely fun
to watch.”
Venture farther along the bike paths and you’ll come
across Muscle Beach, one of Venice’s most notable features.
“The athletes here are certainly part of the scene,”
said Markus Reinhardt, a professional bodybuilder visiting Venice
Beach and its open free-weight gym called Muscle Beach for the
first time. “I couldn’t imagine this place without the
weightlifting or the basketball players.”
Muscle Beach attracts some of the world’s most noteworthy
bodybuilders, not to mention the occasional movie star or model.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Lee are among those who once took
part in the lifting atmosphere at Muscle Beach.
“The outdoor gym here is a great opportunity for people
who want to get into bodybuilding or who just want to maintain
their physique,” said Kevin Darkes, a member of the Muscle
Beach facility.
Neighboring Muscle Beach are the Venice Beach basketball courts,
another popular area frequented by sports stars. It was on these
very courts that Kobe Bryant sprained his ankle in a pick-up game
the summer prior to his rookie season. Even notable Bruins such as
Bill Walton and Gale Goodrich have come to play in summers
past.
“These days, the pick-up games are a lot different than
they used to be,” said Felix Lerma, a beach-goer who has been
playing basketball at the Venice courts since 1959.
According to Lerma, there has always been raw talent playing in
the pick-up games at Venice.
“There are some pretty good players that play here, but
most of these guys are just a bunch of park ballers,” he
said. “Out of five guys on a team, two of them will take all
of the shots.”
A thing that makes Venice Beach so popular for onlookers is the
fact that watching is completely acceptable; in fact, it is a
regular feature of the popular beach’s setting.
Seating is set up all along the beach for visitors to watch the
athletic staple of their choice. One can choose to view a pick-up
basketball game, watch the skaters do their tricks at the skate
park, or simply stare at the flexing bodybuilders at Muscle Beach
““ all are on public display.
“Whether you’re working out or just strolling by,
Venice Beach is just one big party for everyone,” Darkes
said. “People like to watch people, and it’s up to you
whether you’re one of the people doing the watching or one of
the people being watched.”
If you’re still not satisfied, the beach caters to other
sporting interests, including beach volleyball courts, a smashball
court and a beach-long bike trail frequented by bicyclists, roller
bladers and skaters alike.
If that still doesn’t do the trick, Venice Beach offers
one of the most eccentric beach cultures on the California coast.
Its outer strip is lined with shops, musicians, psychics, massage
therapists and plenty of other unique characters.
You name the sport, and Venice Beach has it.