It's summertime, and the wrestling community has turned its focus to Beach Wrestling competition. There is a busy month of USA Wrestling Beach Wrestling tournaments in August, all leading up to the first USA Wrestling Beach National Championships in Florida. This weekend will feature a pair of new Beach Wrestling events in the East, one in New Hampshire and another in the Albany, N.Y. area. The TNT Northeast National Beach Wrestling Championships in Caroga Lake, N.Y. on Saturday, August 5. Organizers have indicated that there has been great response to the new event, and expect a strong turnout in all divisions. Visit the TNT Northeast National Beach Wrestling webpage at http://tntwrestling.org/beach.aspx Another event this weekend is the New Hampshire Beach Wrestling Tournament on Hampton Beach, N.H. on Saturday, August 5. This is a very popular beach in New England, and the organizers are looking to introduce Beach Wrestling to their region. For information, contact Jaime Sullivan at 603-926-8492. The next weekend brings the return of the successful ASICS East Coast National Beach Championships will be held on Long Island in Long Beach, N.Y., Saturday, August 12 and Sunday, August 13. This tournament was a major success last year, with well over 200 participants in just its first year. Organizers have added a second day of wrestling to the competition, and have included a Veterans division along with additional age-groups. There is a comprehensive video online which shows what Beach Wrestling is all about when you visit the website for the championships. For information, visit the ASICS East Coast Beach Wrestling web page at: http://www.mwausa.org/usa-beach-wrestling-championship-2006.htm These events serve as tune-up events for the next weekend, when USA Wrestling hosts its first U.S. Beach Wrestling Nationals in Riviera Beach, Fla. on Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20. On the Senior level, the U.S. Beach Wrestling Nationals will serve as the qualifying event for the U.S. team that will compete in the World Beach Wrestling Championships in Antalya, Turkey, November 3-5. There will be a number of divisions in the competition for men and women including Schoolboy, Cadet, Elite, Senior and Veterans. All wrestlers from across the nation are encouraged to come to Palm Beach County, Fla. to compete in the first Beach Wrestling Nationals and become a part of wrestling history. The tournament will be held alongside the first U.S. Sombo National Championships. For more information, please visit the U.S. Beach and Sombo Nationals website at: http://www.palmbeachsports.com/Events/USA%20Wrestling/Untitled-2.html The beach schedule for the month wraps up with an event in the Southwest, the first Southern Sand National Beach Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, Okla. on Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26. The tournament will be held on the Beach Volleyball Courts in Tulsa, and is already gaining considerable attention in the community. There are numerous age groups, starting with Kids wrestling divisions and going all the way up to Senior and Veterans divisions. There will also be live music at the competition, and a variety of family activities that will make it a n enjoyable weekend. For more information, visit the Southern Sand National Beach Wrestling website at: http://www.okbeachwrestling.com/ Beach Wrestling was added as a new style of international wrestling, starting in 2005. Athletes compete on sand, in a style that features takedowns within a ring. The sport is gaining in popularity as more people are trying the new style. For information on Beach Wrestling, contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-598-8181 or via e-mail at gabbott@usawrestling.org AUGUST BEACH WRESTLING SCHEDULE August 5 - TNT Northeast National Beach Wrestling Championships at Pine Lake Park in Caroga Lake, N.Y. Divisions: Senior, Junior, Novice, Midget. Contact Tom Bergami at 518-346-1130. August 5 - New Hampshire Beach Wrestling Tournament at Hampton Beach in Hampton, N.H. Divisions: All ages. Contact Jaime Sullivan at (603)926-8492. August 12-13 -- ASICS East Coast National Beach Wrestling Championships in Long Beach, NY. Divisions: middle school, high school, college, veterans, girls and women. Additional information can be obtained by calling TW Promotions, Inc. at 631-588-4343 x104, or by e-mailing ASICSBeach@aol.com August 19-20 - U.S. National Beach Wrestling Championships at the Singer Island Hilton in Riviera Beach, Fla. The Senior division is the qualifying event for the World Beach Wrestling Championships in Turkey. Divisions: Schoolboy, Cadet, Elite, Open, Veterans. Contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-598-8181. August 25-26 - Southern Sand Beach Wrestling Championships at the Beach Volleyball Courts in Tulsa, Okla. Divisions: Veterans, Senior, University, Junior, Cadet, Schoolboy/girl, Novice Midget, Bantam. Contact John Nix at 972-816-3876.