MOHAMMAD ALAVI The Venice Boardwalk hosts a multitude of sports including gymnastics, skateboarding, handball, weightlifting, basketball and rollerblading.
By Joshua Mason
Daily Bruin Staff
If you’re looking for summer sports action, Venice Beach is the place to be.
From surfers to hoopsters, muscleheads to chess enthusiasts, bicyclists to bladers, Venice Beach has it all.
Just a few hundred feet from the Santa Monica Pier lies perhaps the most competitive sporting venue at Venice Beach – Chess Park. Lined with oversized chess pieces in the background, Chess Park is a haven for some of the Los Angeles area’s most competitive chess players.
Even if you don’t know a pawn from a rook, the high-stakes action at Chess Park is worth checking out.
“For a lot of the guys out here, these games are a matter of their livelihoods,” said Adrian Pepper, a self-reputed regular at the park. “It’s always fun to sit back every now and then and watch the more experienced players go at it.”
Some of the most interesting matches involve cash stakes, complete with hand timers and trash-talking from both ends of the table.
“A lot of the time it comes down to two cons trying to con each other,” Pepper added. “It’s definitely fun to watch.”
Venture farther along the bike paths and you’ll come across Muscle Beach, one of Venice’s most notable features. “The athletes here are certainly part of the scene,” said Markus Reinhardt, a professional bodybuilder visiting Venice Beach and its open free-weight gym called Muscle Beach for the first time. “I couldn’t imagine this place without the weightlifting or the basketball players.”
Muscle Beach attracts some of the world’s most noteworthy bodybuilders, not to mention the occasional movie star or model. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Lee are among those who once took part in the lifting atmosphere at Muscle Beach.
“The outdoor gym here is a great opportunity for people who want to get into bodybuilding or who just want to maintain their physique,” said Kevin Darkes, a member of the Muscle Beach facility.
Neighboring Muscle Beach are the Venice Beach basketball courts, another popular area frequented by sports stars. It was on these very courts that Kobe Bryant sprained his ankle in a pick-up game the summer prior to his rookie season. Even notable Bruins such as Bill Walton and Gale Goodrich have come to play in summers past.
“These days, the pick-up games are a lot different than they used to be,” said Felix Lerma, a beach-goer who has been playing basketball at the Venice courts since 1959.
According to Lerma, there has always been raw talent playing in the pick-up games at Venice.
“There are some pretty good players that play here, but most of these guys are just a bunch of park ballers,” he said. “Out of five guys on a team, two of them will take all of the shots.”
A thing that makes Venice Beach so popular for onlookers is the fact that watching is completely acceptable; in fact, it is a regular feature of the popular beach’s setting.
Seating is set up all along the beach for visitors to watch the athletic staple of their choice. One can choose to view a pick-up basketball game, watch the skaters do their tricks at the skate park, or simply stare at the flexing bodybuilders at Muscle Beach – all are on public display.
“Whether you’re working out or just strolling by, Venice Beach is just one big party for everyone,” Darkes said. “People like to watch people, and it’s up to you whether you’re one of the people doing the watching or one of the people being watched.”
If you’re still not satisfied, the beach caters to other sporting interests, including beach volleyball courts, a smashball court and a beach-long bike trail frequented by bicyclists, roller bladers and skaters alike.
If that still doesn’t do the trick, Venice Beach offers one of the most eccentric beach cultures on the California coast. Its outer strip is lined with shops, musicians, psychics, massage therapists and plenty of other unique characters.
You name the sport, and Venice Beach has it.