WE ARE ADAPTIVE WRESTLING-SPECIFIC MEDIA

*    My 91-year-old mother recognized the title pun immediately.  Just because I have been AWOL for the last year-and-a-half does not mean I am coming back easy.  If you must, **.

[I beg the reader's indulgence as the photos may really psuque.  Bright sunlight turning to dusk and then to artificial lighting is not kind to the "Rod and Cone Challenged."]

Crescent City Wrestling and USA Beach Wrestling put on a spectacular show of kids having fun and getting sandy, and older guys having second thoughts and getting contusions, last Saturday night, September 20th, at the Cocoanut Beach Volleyball Complex in Kenner.

Thirty-seven kids ranging from 10U, 14U and Junior Boys divisions competed in nine weight classes.  The "Seniors" filled out 10 weight classes for participants ranging from 130 lbs. to 389 lbs. (Honest!) Serving as Masters of Ceremonies for the event were Ed Duncan, Director of USA Beach Wrestling, and Chad Ravannack, founder of Crescent City Wrestling.  No doubt they were both helped immensely by Jim Ravannack.  Officiating was done by Stephen Rumney, Andrew Mullet and Ed Duncan. The only requirement to participate was a USA Wrestling membership.

The rules were something with which I am not familiar***.  It looked like a takedown scored one point, as did a push-out.   However, if a wrestler took down his opponent to his back, that was three points and "Thanks for coming."

I stole these photos from the CCW Facebook page.  I have no idea of who the kids, and frankly, most of the adults as well, are.

According to Ed Duncan, Director of USA Beach Wrestling, "Beach wrestling is the fastest growing style of wrestling in the world. There is an international championship series for senior level athletes and age group World Championships for the U17 and U20 age athletes.  It is also part of the Pan American games at all age levels."  "Our main goal," Duncan continued, "with the Tour of America series is to introduce the style to people who've never seen it or tried it and let them find out for themselves how much fun it can be. It's great for beginners as well as Old-Timers and it brings the wrestling community together for a fun, fast-paced, competitive opportunity that can be enjoyed by all."  Duncan went on to say that beach wrestling may become an Olympic sport, perhaps for the 2032 games in Brisbane, Australia.

Of the 36 men who rued moving on Sunday morning, 11 of them were LHSAA state champions, accounting for 19 individual titles:

Dustin Appelt Belle Chasse 2009 & 2010	James Baldwin Dunham 2023	Martin Garrett Shaw 2017	Kendon Lee Brusly 2014 & 2015***	Michael Lundin Holy Cross 2018

Jake Rando Holy Cross 2015, 2016 & 2017	Yehia Riles Brother Martin 2014 & 2015	Charles Sauerwin Holy Cross 2021	Austin Schermer Brusly - w/brother Trevor (R) 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012	Jeffry Slaughter Rummel 2005	Jared Thieler St. Paul 2017

*** With Andrew Mullett officiating

[PHOTO LEFT]  New Shaw head coach Richie Dixon with Nathan and Alex Sciambra, younger brothers of Anthony Sciambra (Holy Cross - 2019).  Nathan is an eighth-grader at Holy Cross.  Both young men workout at Clementi's Gladiator Academy. [PHOTO NEAR RIGHT] Jake Rando with Nathan Sciambra. [PHOTO FAR RIGHT]  Stephen Rumney did most of the Senior Men's officiating.

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The individual Senior Men's winners were as follows: 

Michael Lundin vs. Jacob Spahn - 2018 Holy Cross teammates	Lundin vs. Dakota Boesch

Jared Thieler vs. Dustin Appelt	Jeffry Slaughter vs. Ryan Jenkins	Yehia Riles vs. Zachary Cothren

Jake Rando vs. Kelly Leo	Yehia Riles vs. Jake Rando

Quite possibly the Senior Men's 150-154.8 lbs. was the hardest weight class, based on the participants' high school wrestling resumes.  Jared Thieler won a title for St. Paul in 2017.  Jake Rando won three titles for Holy Cross (2015, 2016 & 2017).  Dustin Appelt won two titles for Belle Chasse in 2009 and 2010.  Ryan Jenkins was a state runner-up for Comeaux in 2024.

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I have no idea of who these guys are.

	@usa_beach-wrestling
	@BEACH_wrestling
	USA Beach Wrestling

Duncan said USA Beach Wrestling will try to make the New Orleans area an annual spot in the forthcoming years.

**    In 1959 United Artists released On the Beach, an adaptation of Neville Shute's 1957 apocalyptic novel of the same name, describing the aftermath of a World War III.  It starred Gregory Peck, who two years later would win an Academy Award for his portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, and Ava Gardner, who peaked in 1946 as Kitty Collins in The Killers.  Were I producing The Lord of the Rings movies, without constraints like age or death applied, Peck would be my first choice to play Aragorn, son of Arathorn.  Gardener, whom I have only seen in Seven Days in May and 55 Days in Peking, would be hard put for any roles except, perhaps, Shelob, the spawn of Ungoliant.

***   Bobby Jones, who won 13 major golf tournaments competing as an amateur, said it the first time he saw Jack Nicklaus drive a golf ball.  Nicklaus later said it when he saw Tiger Woods play.

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