Those Boys of Summer, the Drag Volleyball Crew
Anybody who knows summer in Rehoboth Beach knows there are two long-time volleyball squads, mostly, but not exclusively men, practicing their game and thinking about high heels, high hair, and their improbable 28-year history of drag volleyball.
And they are at work, right now, making plans for spike heels and spiked volleyballs.
What began as a volleyball pick-up game on Poodle Beach (at the South end of the Boardwalk) in 1988 has turned into a Labor Day tradition attended by thousands of fans. One year someone took an aerial photo and was stunned by the size of the crowd, estimated at 2000 or more.
Even the stalwart USA Today mentioned Rehoboth’s famous Drag Volleyball when naming Rehoboth as one of the great gay beach towns.
Now, 28 years later, there are still two volleyball players, Brent Minor and Mark Kimble who’ve played in every game.
“You should see me,” says Brent, “I’m wearing two knee braces. I’m turning 60 soon!”
Like Brent, there are other long-time players, who have played the serious volleyball games and performed in the not-so-serious skits and entertainments over the years.
Wayne Knaub has played for the last eight years for the team that plays opposite Brent’s team. “We really don’t have names,“ he laughs, “just call us the ‘better team.’”
Wayne recalls spending time at Poodle Beach playing volleyball and when a spot opened up on the team he was invited to join. He’s been amazed at how many fans show up each year, really early, with their chairs and coolers, to claim a spot on the sand.
“It’s free entertainment, and there’s not much of that. I am happy that the people who come to watch appreciate the event as much as they do,” he says.
Brent agrees. “People have wanted us to do fundraisers and things, but we’ve always turned them down. We just want to celebrate our Rehoboth community. Besides some things should be free to go to!”
When Wayne is asked, he admits that his favorite theme was a few years ago—Girls of the Gaga Galaxy. The players dressed all in silver and pink, with each one dressed as another iconic Gaga—from the Gaga caution tape outfit, to the glass orbs, and more.
One of Brent Minor’s favorite themes was the Wedding Party, where he was the Mother of the Bride. And then there was the wonderful year when both teams, without consultation, showed up as Famous Queens in History. Not only did both teams come up with Elizabeths and the like, but each team had a male queen: Liberace for one, and Richard Simmons for the other. It was uncanny.
All around town you’ll hear people talk about their favorite drag volleyball themes. There’s been a spate of Madonnas, Barbies, royals, politicians, and once, when all of the players dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and a plane flew up the beach pulling a banner warning “Surrender Dorothy.”
The famous game day itself boasts hilarious costumes, coordinated routines and a lot of satire. This year, should we expect political satire as the athlete/drag queens play and perform to a diverse crowd?
With speakers blasting music—mostly disco—and viewers lining the boardwalk and sand from Prospect Street to (how appropriate) Queen Street, it’s something to see. 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.
According to Brent (drag name Barbara Ann) the event has been cancelled only twice. First, in 1990 amid some anti-gay sentiment in town “We didn’t play that year, because of all the problems in town,” Brent remembers, “but we should have played!”
Since then of course, things have changed for the better— thanks to 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 volleyball extravaganza are as diverse as the town. Gay, straight, young, old, resident and visitor, they are all there, cheering for the teams.
The event was canceled for the second time ever last year, when the weather was terrible and the beach had been eroded to almost nothing.
“We were disappointed,” says Brent, “but we just went and had brunch and watched Mommy Dearest.”
Wayne recalls the disappointment, too. “If you win, you get bragging rights for a year. And last year nobody took home the honors.”
Happily, there is plenty of sand this year and we can hope for great weather. But at least 26 times the games have gone on in sweltering heat, wind, rain, fog, and worse. “One year, I remember playing in ankle-deep water,” Brent recalls.
If you’ve never been to Drag Volleyball, game day begins early in the morning when the net is put into place, and some chairs, umbrellas and tents are set up. Then comes the sound system, and the players to practice.
By lunchtime the players disappear into their respective “green rooms” to get made up and into their drag personas. One team prepares on Prospect Street, the other on Queen Street. At about 1 p.m. the excitement mounts as the teams make their grand entrances from the boardwalk, sashaying past screaming, cheering, applauding crowds.
And the entertainment begins, followed (surprisingly to newcomers) by a really tough game of volleyball. For the fans, the game is a blast on a holiday weekend. For the teams, it’s friendship, athletics, and high camp.
One of the annual traditions happens after the game. Both teams socialize and watch the video of the team entrances, entertainments, and of course, the actual volleyball game.
“It’s great,” says Wayne, “because whichever team makes its entrance second doesn’t get to see the first team enter and entertain. Everyone gets to watch the whole thing on the video, and we can laugh and have a great time.”
“And of course,” Wayne says, “we are very thankful to Brent and Mark and Flo (Forrest Park) and all the other founders who came up with this amazing tradition.”
Watch this space for reminders of the big event on Labor Day Sunday. In the meantime, in this world of Wikileaks and government leakers, we’re betting those themes will still be secret come Labor Day Sunday morning. Photo by Chris Scinta.