Marines Hit Beach, Then Ball at OTL

The Marines came ashore Saturday morning and took position on Fiesta Island, where the 38th World Championship Over-the-Line Tournament was threatening morality and tranquility.

“Damn it,” bellowed the public address announcer, “we told the Marines they couldn’t play this year and here they come anyway.”

Over a berm on the south part of the island, the Marines arrived, all right--in an amphibious assault vehicle.

For the first time, this most quintessential of California beach parties incorporated a military division. As a result, the tournament was put in jeopardy of being taken seriously.

“There’s one team here in the losers’ bracket that should be in the winners’ bracket,” explained OMBAC’s Pete Peterson. “They’ve been practicing for three months up there (at Camp Pendleton).”

The threesome of Skip Wagner, Steve Nash and L.V. McRee practiced for a reason. Some overzealous guy up at Camp Pendleton, Col. Jack Kelly, told them to “win, or don’t come back.”

“That’s basically it,” Wagner said as he clutched a mug of beer.

“He doesn’t like second place much,” added Nash.

Wagner, Nash and McRee, like most of the Marines and Navy personnel on Fiesta Island Saturday, were involved in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The months in Saudi Arabia preceding the war gave rise to their participation.

Seems the troops were getting a bit restless before the assault began when someone had the big idea of exporting Over-the-Line.

“One thing they had there,” Peterson said, “was plenty of sand. So we thought we’d get them playing Over-the-Line.”

Since it was thought the troops would have lots of time to practice, Peterson went ahead with the idea to have a military division at this year’s tournament.

“At that time, the conflict hadn’t started,” Peterson said. “We thought of this in December, and it just snowballed.”

Which brings us back to the Wagner-Nash-McRee trio.

OMBAC allotted only 32 slots in the military division, which proved insufficient. So a preliminary qualifier was held two weeks ago. Wagner, Nash and McRee lost their first game in that double-elimination tournament, too.

“So we’re not worried,” Wagner said. “It’s like something has to wake us up.”

All divisions resume play at 7:30 a.m. today. The Men’s Open championship should begin about 1 p.m.