Lucerne, Switzerland, May 12, 2015 - For a first-time event, the US$150,000 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Lucerne Open 2015 is off to an exciting start on the shores of Lake Lucerne.
With the women’s qualification tournament and men’s country quota matches being played here Tuesday, the inaugural Lucerne Open is the second stop on the 2015 FIVB World Tour where 150 teams from 41 countries initially entered the event that is being played at the Lido courts on Lake Lucerne.
The Lucerne Open, which is also the second qualifying event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, is also the first of five-straight FIVB tournaments on the European continent this season. Following a brief stop in the United States for a Florida tournament in mid-June at St. Petersburg, the FIVB World Tour travels back to The Netherlands for the World Championships at the end of June and the start of July.
When asked about the development of Lucerne’s first-ever FIVB event, promoter Marcel Bourquin said it all started in 2011 when he “bumped into my old volleyball friend Siegbert Brutschin at the Zurich airport. We talked about Switzerland securing the 2016 European Championships and he mentioned that two CEV Masters events were needed to be held prior to the continental championships.”
Bourquin said it was a “spur of the moment decision to bring them to Lucerne, but only if Siggi would agree to come on board as the tournament’s director. He is now our Tournament Director.”
Well, one thing lead to another and Bourquin spearheaded the campaign to bring the world’s best Beach Volleyball players in the Swiss community for the first-time. The Lucerne Open is now the first of two FIVB World Tour tournaments in the land-locked European country with Gstaad hosting the second stop in the Alps village in the middle of July.
“We would like to establish a boutique tournament that attracts the world’s best players to Lucerne every year,” said Bourquin. “A small, select tournament that ranks in significance below the world-wide Grand Slam and Major events, but is an important fixture in terms of the available points.”
The 2015 Lucerne Open will be followed in 2016 with the FIVB under-21 World Championships with the “Open” returning to the international calendar in 2017.
“We love events like the under-21 worlds championships,” said Bourquin. “It provides opportunities and support for young athletes. That has always been close to my heart. This is why I can look back on more than 10 years of commitment to Beach Volleyball and other sports. The four courts at the Lido give us the infrastructure and facilities to host events of this kind.”
As for playing in Lucerne, Bourquin said the “Lido lies directly on Lucerne Bay and provides an unparalleled natural arena. I’d compare this location with the nearby Rotsee, the so-called ‘Lake of the Gods’ so popular with rowing sports. I also want to give something back to my city – the tournament is giving Lucerne an additional permanent beach volleyball court and at least a week of great worldwide exposure.”
Bourquin has always been “fascinated with Beach Volleyball. It is a sport that demands skill, technique and a great deal of responsibility from each player. The events usually take place at scenic locations, to the enjoyment of spectators of all ages.”
If he was a player, Bourquin said he “would be a blocker at the net. I’m good at anticipating and making sure I’m in the right position before the action starts.”
Being in the right position suites Bourquin off the court as well. His chance meeting with Brutschin has led to the FIVB sanctioning an event at one of the most scenic spots in the world.
“Marcel has been wonderful to work with,” said Brutschin about the “blocking” Swiss promoter. “Our entire organization, with all its helpers from home and abroad, has accepted this ambitious challenge and will ensure full commitment to a successful process.”
Swiss Volley president Christoph Stern is “excited that Lucerne is firmly back on the Beach Volleyball map. Lucerne hosted the first Swiss Championships in Beach Volleyball in 1992. It was a pioneering event at a time when this now-Olympic discipline was still an emerging on-trend sport. I am confident that this lakeside city provides a perfect setting for one of the leading tournaments world-wide. We look forward to the under-21 FIVB World Championships in 2016.”
From being at the right place at the right time in 2011 by meeting Brutschin, Bourquin has seized the “moment to create an unforgettable Beach Volleyball event at the ‘Vierwaldstättersee’.”