CAMP Outrageous

What began as a pick-up volleyball game fifteen years ago has turned into a bonafide Rehoboth beach tradition, famous enough to be mentioned when USA Today anointed Rehoboth as the best gay beach around.

If you’ve never been to the infamous Drag Volleyball Game at Poodle Beach on the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, or even if you have, you might wonder exactly what it’s all about.

(Team - 1999*)

Drag Volleyball is part entertainment and part athletic contest. Not only are the players serious about their drag routines, but they are fantastic, even nationally ranked volleyball players as well. It’s a combination that’s difficult to explain but not difficult at all to appreciate.

Brent Minor, a founding member of the team considered the Originals, recalls that the game started in 1988 with eight players playing a pick-up game against nine lesbians. A year later, a second volleyball team with players in drag joined the contest and the competition was on.

Picture a beach full of spectators ringing the volleyball court, speakers blasting music, and a boardwalk full of overflow viewers stretching from Prospect to Queen Street and beyond. City police officers guard the dunes—and enjoy the game—as the entire beach comes alive with spikes, serves, cheers, dancing and the occasional very naughty sight gag.

(Team - 2000*)

The teams are way past garden variety drag, with carefully developed themes, remarkable costumes and often, song and dance routines. Brent’s team is remembered for themes ranging from Famous Queens (a natural!), Debutantes, French Maids and a complete wedding party.

"It started out as a fun way to end the summer," says Brent, "but now it’s like the weed Kudzu—completely out of control."

The opposition is a team which might be called The Other Girls. Chris, their current leader is on his sixth summer with the team. Over the years, they have had routines depicting Cher and Madonna in the different stages of their careers. One year they all portrayed hilarious "alternative" Barbie Dolls—varieties you will certainly never see at Wal-Mart.

(Team - 2002*)

The team, made up of teachers, an insurance adjustor, computer techs, and a therapist, among others, is as serious about their routines and costumes as they are about their volleyball.

"We love it," says Chris. "It gives us a real sense of community. And it’s really liberating to be up there doing the routines. I’ve never done any kind of performing—it’s very freeing to look out and see everyone enjoying the show. Of course, it helps that no one is recognizable!"

The teams are determined to keep this a simple tradition. Although the routines are complex and the volleyball match is incredibly competitive, simplicity is still the key. The players get dressed in vans in the ocean blocks at Prospect and Queen streets, and keep the whole event completely free of commercialization.

"People have wanted us to do fundraisers and things, but we’ve always turned them down," Brent says. "We just want to celebrate our Rehoboth community."

Both teams have players who’ve been part of this tradition for years and years. In fact, sometimes, their reputations precede them.

"I was down in Key West and met some people from Iowa," says Chris. "They were telling me that they heard there was drag volleyball in Rehoboth and that one player was dressed as Madonna from Evita. That was me."

Brent, who competes as a triathlete all over the world as well as in the Gay Games has had fun with this annual event. "The year after we did the Ballerinas, I ran in a charity triathalon and somebody said they’d give me $100 to do it in the ballerina outfit. The charity made lots of money that year because people were determined to beat the ballerina."

On Drag Volleyball Sunday, both teams have to be careful that they don’t wear themselves out during their musical and comedy routines. "You really have to play volleyball," Brent says. "The year we were the French Maids, the Can-Can was tough. Now we’ve learned to rotate one player out of the game as we go along to conserve our energy."

The genius behind the very first drag volleyball game, Forrest Park, still lives in Rehoboth and is still involved. According to Brent, he was the seamstress for the entire team that first year and has been their inspiration. "The whole thing started as a lark," Brent says, "and now we couldn’t stop it if we wanted to."

The tradition has continued non-stop since 1988, with the exception of summer 1990, when Rehoboth went through a spate of ant-gay sentiment. "We didn’t play that year, because of all the problems in town," Brent remembers.

But since then, thanks to the efforts of CAMP Rehoboth, other local organizations, and many, many people in the community, Rehoboth has melded into a truly diverse home town with room for all. In fact, the herds of people gathering at Poodle Beach for the annual drag volleyball game are as diverse as the town. Gay, straight, young, old, resident and visitor, they are all there for this annual event.

To borrow an oft-used phrase, the crowd "looks like America" as people line the steps down from the boardwalk, applauding the entrance of the teams and cheering for the players navigating through the sand in full and glorious drag.

Last year the weather didn’t cooperate, but the teams didn’t cancel. They merely moved the game from Sunday to Labor Day Monday.

So what’s in store for this year? "We can’t reveal any state secrets," says Chris of The Other Girls.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

One year, as the players waited for the entrance, a small plane flew overhead, having changed its advertising banner from hawking a local restaurant to announcing "Free Dorothy." Minutes later, an entire volleyball team dressed like the Wizard of Oz heroine took to the court. You just never know.

So be there yourself this year, Sunday, August 31, at 1 p.m. to share the laughs and cheers. It’s amazing what happens when these athletes trade their spike heels for volleyball spikes and hit the sand serving.

It’s faaaaabulous!