It’s getting closer…

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Can you believe it? Just one month separates us from the start of the beach volleyball season!

When we wrote this piece in November, the Fort Lauderdale Major seemed so far in the distant future we never thought we’d see the light of day.

Yet now we can already picture the crème de la crème of beach volleyball doing their thing at the Fort Lauderdale Beach Park for one week of stunning action between 7-12 February.

So with a month to go we’re already ticking off the days and gearing up for an incredible week at Florida’s East Coast which will showcase the world’s best players battling for prize money of USD 300,000 per gender.

With the days now flying by towards the start of the long and thrilling season, here’s five good reasons why you should stop what you’re doing and make a beeline for Florida next month…

1. It’s the first beach volleyball tournament of the season. It’s been too long without beach volleyball. There’s only so many times we can watch every single video on our YouTube channel to remind us of the good times. Finally, it’s coming back. And that’s a good a reason as any to head to Florida and witness the opening shindig of the season.
2. There are new teams to run the rule over. While it will be great to be reunited with all of our favorite players back on the sand, what we’re particularly psyched to see will be the new partnerships which have emerged during the close season. From the new American men’s teams to the Swiss girls – things are going to be really interesting!
3. Women’s gold up for grabs. With Swatch World Tour and Olympic champ Laura Ludwig almost certain to miss to the tournament with a shoulder injury – the destination for the women’s main prize is wide open. Can Kerri and April win on home soil and get their season off to a flyer or perhaps Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré can secure gold in their debut performance on the sand.
4. The tournament’s in Fort Lauderdale! As reasons go, this has got to be high on your list. It might be February, but don’t let that fool you. Average temperatures in this glorious part of the world at this time of year are a cozy 68 degrees. Not bad, for February, huh? Throw in palm trees and the Atlantic sea air and you’ve got the perfect location to kick-off the new beach volleyball season.
5. Revenge mission. Okay so for sure there will be new teams in action, but what about the regulars we know and love? Well one thing you can bet your bottom dollar on is that there will be revenge on the menu for many of them. Whether that’s getting one over another team following a defeat at the Olympics or the Swatch World Tour Finals, sparks are sure to fly.

So – there you have it. The countdown is well and truly on…see you next month, Fort Lauderdale!

*Remember you can experience all the best of the action at the Fort Lauderdale Major by becoming a VIP – click here for all the details of how to add glitz and glamor to your beach volleyball experience.