Australian Footvolley Association: Samba Style on Broadbeach and Surfer’s Paradise

Volleyball has been a popular beach activity in Australia for decades. But, for those endowed with a bit of hand-eye coordination, there

is an exciting Brazilian-flavoured alternative to consider: footvolley! This fun and exciting game was invented on the sands of the

Copacabana in the fifies and has since spread all over the globe. Recently it has landed on the Gold Coast in the form of the Australian

Footvolley Association which organises classes and events for anyone willing to try something new.

Footvolley is a simple variation on volleyball in that the use of hands and arms is forbidden

and the volleyball is replaced with a

soccerball. Instead players must kick, chest or head the ball to get it over the net or to set

up killer spikes for your teammates. The

association currently boasts about 20 footvolley enthusiasts, most of whom are Brazilian

expats. However there are also Aussie,

American and Japanese ‘footvolley-ers’ getting down and dirty on Queensland’s glitter strip.

The organisers are hoping to grow the

sport and snare more local players. As such the Association generously offers free classes

every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Broadbeach in front of the Kurrawa Surf Club from 7AM to 8AM.

So, if you want to join in the fun then head on down to Broadbeach and give it a try. Details can be found at the Association’s facebook

page here. Alternatively you can contact friendly organiser, Sergio Lucena, by phone (0416 775 444) or e-mail

(australianfootvolley@yahoo.com.au). Need to get toned for summer? Why not do it on the beach!

By: Jonathan Winter