Our venerable Old Mission Bay Athletic Club has crowned the new victors of the 57th Annual Over the Line Tournament! In the first weekend of the tournament July 10 & 11, more than 1,200 teams competed in the opening rounds of play for trophies in 10 divisions, awarded after the final rounds were completed July 17 & 18 on Fiesta Island in Mission Bay…

Teams arrived from around the world and some players, were third or fourth generation family members to step up to the plate in this much anticipated competition!

The winners…

Men’s Open Division Winners – All Hours Bail Bonds

Women’s Open Division Winners - Got Sand

Men’s Century Division (Teams whose ages total 100+) – Open Bar

Canardly Division (Teams of players 40 years+) -  Sanjo

Cannever Division (Teams of players 50+) – Retro Sports

Cadaver Division (Teams of players 60+) – Take It To The Limit

Camummy Division (Teams of players aged 70+) – Ancient Mariners

Fox 5 News Photo Album of the Event

Think you’ve seen all there is to see of San Diego’s nightlife?  Try out the Bahia Belle Boat Cruise, a Mississippi-style sternwheeler sailing Mission Bay nightly (July – August)  with stops at the Bahia and Catamaran Resorts.  Public is welcome to board at either location after purchasing tickets at the dock.  Hotel guests can hop on at no charge…

Adults are $10 and children are $3.  Family cruises begin at 6:30 p.m. and go until 9:30 p.m., when all people on board must be over 21.  The boat makes its last stop at the Catamaran Resort at midnight, and docks for the night at the Bahia at 12:30 a.m.  Enjoy cocktails, live music and DJ’s while you cruise Mission Bay, or use it as a mode of transport from south Mission Bay to Pacific Beach!  The Bahia Belle cruises daily through Labor Day, Friday & Saturday evenings September through April (excluding December), and Wednesday through Saturday in June.  Click the link to learn more about San Diego’s historic sternwheel boats. Tom Sawyer never had it so good!

After weeks of rumor and speculation around the whale tank water cooler – the change of ownership is now official. SeaWorld San Diego, and other parks formerly held by Anheuser-Busch InBev under the leadership of Busch Entertainment Corporation (10 in all), have been acquired by Blackstone Group.

“They sold Shamu to a bunch of magicians?”

Not hardly. One of the world’s largest private equity firms, and partial owner of numerous other amusement park holdings including Merlin Entertainments (Legoland & SeaLife Aquariums) and Universal Studios parks, Blackstone has indicated that they intend to maintain the BEC in their position of leadership of the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks. Over time, it is expected that BEC will continue their work under the new name ‘Worlds of Discovery‘.

Plans underway are expected to continue, and park visitors should notice little change when they return to SeaWorld and other favorite parks, with one notable exception.  The beloved Busch Clydesdale horses and their exhibit are slated to be relocated from the Busch Gardens.  Currently, there is not expected to be any shared rates or discounts among newly (if distantly) related parks, such as Legoland California or SeaLife Aquarium.   A big question however is if the new affiliation with the Merlin parks will change the standards of care for the animals of SeaWorld. Currently, Merlin has a strong commitment to not using animals in entertainment shows and the like, beyond portraying them in their natural habits & environments. How will this affect the thousands who come to see Shamu and the rest of his  slippery cohorts delighting audiences with breath taking leaps and watery antics?

Annually, SeaWorld welcomes more than 4 million guests, many of the return visitors. Many marine mammals rely on the care of the staff and facilities that are available there. All marine animals benefit from SeaWorld’s 45 years of work researching and preserving ocean life, as well as their extensive rehabilitation & release programs. The animals of SeaWorld have become accustomed to captivity and constant care. We trust our San Diego ambasadors will enjoy the same level of protection and care under the Blackstone Group, and continue to teach and delight generations to come.

…………………………………………………………..©SanDiegoSunCoast.com

Can’t decide whether you want to swim, kite surf, sail, bike, or cook up some burgers?  Head to Mission Bay and do it all! Nothing is better than a day spent around the water, then  around a bright bonfire as the sun dips over the horizon.  Mission Bay is San Diego’s  very own answer to New York City’s Central Park. Winding its way through 27 miles of sand, resort hotels and marinas, Mission Bay spreads over a diverse 4,000 acres of water and green-space. Nestled between urban and beach, Mission Bay offers a plethora of outdoor activities, sandy coves and water from bay to ocean.

The parks and beach areas situated along Mission Bay welcome everyone.  Parking is free, handicapped resources are generally available, picnic facilities abound, and water sport rentals are close at hand.  Here you can still find fire pits [for now...]

“No more fire pits, why not?” Read on…

The city of San Diego, in an effort to cut back operating costs, has eliminated fire pit maintenance from their budget.  Upon hearing of this sudden cut, an anonymous donor gifted the city enough money to keep these bonfires alight until June 2010.  The city has established a website to solicit more funds. However,  the site is largely unknown, and is far from reaching it’s goal with just a few months left.  We may soon be left without the crackling welcome of the beach bonfire at our  twilight gatherings. A tradition up in smoke? We hope not.

Ride the waves or your favorite horse…

On Fiesta Island, dogs are allowed to participate in all the beach fun normally reserved for their humans.  Almost all of Fiesta Island is a leash-free area, so pups are welcome to splash, sniff, and play until they are weak with glee.  On a recent visit, dogs were nearly outnumbered by horses, [see photo above] as Fiesta Island played host to a day-long equestrian outing, attended by nearly 50 horses and their riders.  It’s official:  dogs aren’t the only four-footed critters eager for a romp in the waves!

Off the shores in Fiesta Bay, water sports rule, with jet skis and speedboats churning up waves in the Bay and creating regular ’surf’ as the wakes break on the beach.  Sail Bay is devoted to sail boats and sports, where they can catch the wind in the calmer waters.

For little ones eager to swim, there are some sheltered coves along the Bay, but in general swimmers must be very cautious of the drop-off. The depth can change suddenly, with water once knee-deep, now overhead.  Areas with the most regular lifeguard staffing are Bonita Cove near Mission Beach, and Leisure Lagoon & De Anza Cove off Mission Bay Drive on the eastern side of Mission Bay. None of these however are under constant supervision, so swimmers must always beware.

Bike miles of traffic-free paths, hike, sail, ski, go boating, fish, romp or play. Picnic, gather, soak up the sun or just hang with a good book, Mission Bay is definitely the ‘Central Park’ of San Diego’s recreational diversity!

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