Splittin' the Diferrence

Loric and I are heading seperate ways this week. I'm writing from the airport in Houston, en route to New Jersey where I hope to get a crack at playing in an AVP qualifier at Seaside Heights. Loric is already on his way up in Colorado, camping out until the big tournament this weekend in Steamboat Springs. Loric will be playing with Matt Akromis up there, a solid player from Denver whom I teamed with last year for a very respectable 4th place at the King of the Mountain in Vail. They should do very well. I'm playing with Jeff from NY at the quali. Jeff and I already played a couple of times this year in Florida, without much success, but I'm hopeful we can turn it around for this event. In fact, I'm hopeful we'll be able to get to play in the event at all. The last two AVP qualifiers I attempeted to play in the past two years were met with rejection before ever being allowed to step on the court. Tempe in 2005 and Huntington in 2006 were both limited draws, and not having the time or resources to follow the quali circuit around the country meant I had not accumulated enough points to gain entry. They are listing a 40 team qualifier in Seaside Heights for each men and women, I'm hoping that many west coast players will not make the expensive trip out and the Thrusday event will keep away many players with regular jobs. It looks like none of the qualifiers have filled up this year. You'd think winning the AVP next open regional championship last year would have been a boost, but the AVP doesn't use AVP finishes. Anyhow, stepping on the court would be a success in that it would allow me to get at least a few points and give Loric and I a much better chance of getting into a future event, perhaps the big one in Manhattan in August. It should be interesting, with 8 main draw slots available and a small q, and the forcast is calling for a good chance of rainy weather. Seaside Heights is not my favorite beach in NJ, but it is where I won my first open tournement way back when I was a 16 year old kid. I might also pick up a partner to play in the GAV event on Saturday, we'll see. After flying back home to NM on Monday, my wife and I will hop on a quick flight Thursday night and head out to Hermosa Beach where Loric and I will reunite and get some practice and hopefully a tourney in against the best competition in the country. I'll keep posting about how things turn up out here, and Loric should be giving me a call to let me know how it goes in Steamboat. Summertime....good stuff!