Beach Wrestling National Championships, Seaside Soccer Classic set for this weekend

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - New Hanover County will host athletes and families for the 29th Annual Seaside Soccer Classic and the 2023 Beach Wrestling National Championship this Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21.

The Seaside Soccer Classic is a youth soccer tournament sanctioned by the N.C. Youth Soccer Association and will take place at several local fields. Per Wilmington and Beaches, Wilmington Hammerheads Youth FC will host over 250 teams with over 4,000 players in this year’s tournament.

“The Seaside Classic often serves as an end-of-season tournament for our participants and families that allows them to celebrate their season while also visiting and spending time in our great city and at our beautiful beaches,” said Carson Porter, executive director of the Wilmington Hammerheads Youth FC.

You can learn more about the tournament on the Wilmington Hammerheads website.

Also this weekend, the 2023 Beach Wrestling National Championships will take place near the Boardwalk on the Carolina Beach strand.

“Events will begin with the Ultimate X International Duals at the Lazy Pirate on Friday night, prior to the day of competition. This event will feature a head-to-head matchup of athletes from Barbados and Jamaica taking on an all-star team from the United States. In addition to attracting walk-up crowds, sand wrestling tournaments offer participants, families, and spectators the opportunity to enjoy a weekend of sun, sand, and fun,” states an announcement from Wilmington and Beaches.

The event is the first stop on the USA Beach Wrestling Tour of America, and this year’s event is emphasizing qualification for the World Beach Championships. Around 300 people are expected to participate in several brackets.

“Beach wrestling is the fastest growing style of international wrestling, and we are proud to call Carolina Beach the home of our US National Championships,” said Ed Duncan, event director. “Much of the growth of the style has happened because of the great event put on in Carolina Beach each year, and we look forward to this year’s event being the best ever!”

You can learn more on the USA Wrestling website.

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