LIFE'S A BEACH MARLA O'HARA, WHO WON THE MANHATTAN BEACH OPEN 14 YEARS AGO, IS STILL KICKING SAND AT 45.Byline: TOM HOFFARTH MANHATTAN BEACH Manhattan Beach, city (1990 pop. 32,063), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1912. It is a residential and beach community with an oil refinery and nearby factories that produce transportation and electrical equipment, computers, and pottery. - It's 9:30 on Friday morning as the main draw for the women's bracket of the AVP's Manhattan Beach Open is about to get underway. As a decent crowd filters into the portable stands on Court 1, most recognize Holly McPeak Holly McPeak (born May 15, 1969 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California) is an American beach volleyball player. As of 2005, McPeak has 72 career beach volleyball titles and $1. , the second seed and one of the game's legendary figures, warming up partner Nicole Branagh Nicole Branagh (born January 31, 1979 in Orinda, California) is an American volleyball player. She played internationally for the US National team in indoor play and is currently on the AVP tour playing beach volleyball professionally. . On the other side of the net, most are hardly even aware that Agoura Hills' Marla O'Hara -- with the wild blonde-tipped bush of hair, gold hoop earrings and turned-up old-school black cap, whipping the ball around with partner Lisa Marshall -- is something of a beach legend herself. That the 45-year-old O'Hara actually won this event known as the Wimbledon of beach volleyball For the ball used in this sport, see . Beach volleyball is an Olympic team sport played on sand. Two teams, positioned on either side of a net which divides a rectangular court, hit a volleyball, usually using the hands or arms. 14 years ago and has her name on a plaque at the nearby pier is probably lost by these onlookers, along with the fact she has competed in more pro tournaments worldwide than all but three other women in history. But then, even most opponents who are less than half O'Hara's age aren't up to speed on the player known affectionately as ``Cavewoman'' for her rep over the past 18 years as a screamer screamer, common name for gregarious, aquatic birds comprising three species in the family Anhimidae. Although they are related to the ducks and geese, they do not resemble them in outward appearance. and grunter. ``I should just build a sand igloo igloo (ĭg`l  ) [Inuit,=house]. The Eskimos traditionally had three types of houses. on the beach and live here, I've been around this place so long,'' O'Hara says to a couple of old-time beach fans who recognize her. For a mother of two teenagers itching to move out and a varsity coach for the boys' team at Agoura High and the girls at Calabasas High, O'Hara admits that whatever income she scratches together now from volleyball goes toward family snowboarding vacations each winter. An L.A. Sheriff's pension left from her late husband since 2000 is enough financial security. So why bother still getting sand kicked in your face just for a couple of hundred bucks a season? ``It's always been a lifestyle and a passion of mine and always will be,'' said O'Hara, the mother of 18-year-old Kellie, who plays volleyball at Ventura College Ventura College is a California-state funded community college located in Ventura, California. Established in 1925, the college has a 112-acre campus with an enrollment of 13,000 students. The college is part of the Ventura County Community College District. , and 16-year-old son Michael, an incoming senior at Agoura High. ``The real difference now is I can enjoy it all more. When I was younger, everything was `Win, win, win.' I see the game, and myself, so differently now, and I'm very realistic. ``And after being through so many tours folding and others sprouting up, I'm just grateful there's a play.'' A three-sport athlete at El Camino College El Camino College is a two-year public community college located in the city of Torrance in Los Angeles County, California. It is commonly referred to as "El Co" or "ECC". It consists of 37 buildings spanning an area of roughly 26 acres (105,000 m²). , Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills with a brown belt in karate, the hard-body O'Hara was first coaxed out to the beach by former college teammate Marie Stilo. But the then-27-year-old, who trained at the time with tour stars like Jackie Silva Jacqueline ("Jackie") Louise Cruz Silva (born February 13, 1962 in Rio de Janeiro) is a retired beach volleyball player from Brazil, who won the gold medal in the inaugural women's beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics, partnering Sandra Pires. , PattyDodd and Linda Chisholm, didn't have a handle on the two-player game. As her boisterous, aggressive nature took over, O'Hara found playing as a way to escape a difficult environment created by an alcoholic husband. She earned the WPVA's most improved player In some sports, a Most Improved Player award is given to players who have improved the most over the year.
Now, O'Hara scrambles to survive through a grueling daylong qualifier just to get to the main draw at each AVP AVP arginine vasopressin. event, since she lacks enough points for a regular Top 25 seeding. With 60-plus teams trying to get in during Thursday's Manhattan Beach prelim, O'Hara and Marshall grinded out two nasty come-from-behind wins -- three in all -- to nab the 31st spot in the 32-team main bracket. Friday, after some moral victories in a 21-9, 21-13 loss to the second-seeded team of McPeak-Branagh, O'Hara-Marshall were bounced out by 15th-seed Angie Akers Angie Akers (born 30 June 1976 in Fort Wayne, IN) is an American professional beach volleyball player. Angie currently resides in Redondo Beach, California. In 2007, during Rio Pan American Games, Angie published in her blog concerns about Rio, their people's living and Heather Lowe, 21-9, 21-6. Committed to a full season to nurture new partner Marshall, a 32-year-old from Ohio who has been inconsistent on the tour the past five years, O'Hara's teaching skills have been an asset. The two also use former beach star Liz Masakayan as a training coach for workouts at nearby Zuma Beach. ``I feed off her energy and she gets me riled rile tr.v. riled, ril·ing, riles 1. To stir to anger. See Synonyms at annoy. 2. To stir up (liquid); roil. [Variant of roil.] Adj. 1. up,'' Marshall said of playing with O'Hara. Last weekend, O'Hara and Marshall split a $5,000 winner's check at a FIVB FIVB Federation of International Volleyball invitational satellite event in Korea, and they have three more AVP events to figure out if they'll play together again next season. McPeak, who has butted heads with O'Hara for three decades and will probably end up listed with her as Nos. 1 and 2 for most domestic tournaments played by a pro beach woman, marvels at the effort these days from O'Hara, eight years her senior. ``We know she's always going to play with a lot of passion, and to go through qualifying week after week, you know she's a diehard,'' said McPeak, who finished third in the Manhattan Beach Open. ``It's great that she's still around.'' O'Hara, who has stayed injury-free all these years, figures the only way she'll leave the beach is kicking and screaming. Just as she is on it during a match. ``I'm sure there are kids we're playing who look at me and say, `Who's this lady?' '' O'Hara said. ``They think they're just going to roll over us. No way. ``As long as I believe I'm going to win and get it done, I'm here. Those `W's will come. And I still want to win.'' thomas.hoffarth@dailynews.com (818) 713-3661 CAPTION(S): 7 photos, 4 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) "I should just build a sand igloo on the beach and live here, I've been around this place so long." -- Marla O'Hara (2 -- color) Marla O'Hara of Agoura Hills competes in the Manhattan Beach Open. O'Hara, who coaches the Agoura High boys' volleyball team and the Calabasas High girls' team, continues to play competitive beach volleyball at 45. (3) A plaque on the Manhattan Beach Pier commemorates Marla O'Hara's victory in the 1992 Manhattan Beach Open. (4) At 45, Marla O'Hara of Agoura Hills still is active on the AVP Tour. She celebrates a point with teammate Lisa Marshall during a qualifying match Thursday for the Manhattan Beach Open. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer (5) JAMIE GOLD Jamie M. Gold (born August 25 1969)[1] is an American television producer, an experienced talent agent, and poker player, based in Malibu, California. He is best known for winning the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and currently divides his time between his (6) ROGER GOODELL (7) MAURICE CLARETT Box: (1) TOURNAMENT TESTED Source: AVP, bvbinfo.com (2) FANTASY BASEBALL - Bryan Fowler (3) SUNDAY PUNCH (4) The Pop Quiz |
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