Soccer meets volleyball at the 4th annual footvolley tournament at Las Arenas beach, in Malvarrosa (location).

A 21st century mixture of sports (some may call it a ‘mashup‘; very Sport 2.0), footvolley is extremely fun to watch — it’s almost best viewed as an exhibition of skill. Check out some of the footage from 2006’s world tournament, also held in Valencia.

This is the 4th annual tournament… and Brazil will be looking to pick up their 4th consecutive title. Damned Brazilians! What with their samba, partying and domination in all things soccer, they get on my nerves.

Other teams invited this year come from all over Europe and South America. Our sympathies will be with the Germans. The footvolley championship would be a nice consolation prize after the heartbreak of the Euro 2008.

More Info at Spain’s Footvolley Site (in Spanish)

http://www.valenciastreetcircuit.com/

This weekend, Valencia’s new F1 Track will be inaugurated, during the Spanish Formula 3 and GT Open. Saturday will be a day of practice, and 20,000 spectators are expected to turn up on Sunday for the races.

With tickets for August’s Formula 1 race selling for hundreds and hundreds of euros, these inaugural races offer a more affordable way (€20) to see the track in action. As far as I’m concerned, fast cars are fast cars.

I don’t actually know if there are any tickets left, but they’re being sold at El Corte Ingles. Anyone who knows for sure should feel free to leave a comment!

There’s a lot more information about the races and the track at the Valencia Street Circuit website.

Bummed out about the America’s Cup and its questionable status for 2009? If you need a competitive sailing kick, then this weekend you’re in luck.

Image Source: http://www.trofeoreina.com/

From the 10th to 13th of July, the waters of Valencia are playing host to the Trofeo S.M. La Reina Rolex Cup. According to a site that probably knows a lot more about sailing than we do:

A year after the end of the 32nd America’s Cup, Valencia’s waters will once again be the host of top-notch sailing during the Trofeo de la Reina Rolex Cup, the third event of the 2008 Quebramar GP42 Cup. Everything is at stake in this event and practically any of the 8 participating teams can grab the top spot or get a place on the podium. Two new Spanish entries, Caser-Quum and Fermax, promise to make racing tighter and more exciting. (source bymnews.com)

So, while it’s not nearly as important as the America’s Cup, this does seem like a good chance to watch a high-quality regatta, probably at a fraction of the price. Does anyone have details about how best to view the sailing? Until I know more, my advice would be to just go down to the America’s Cup port, and try to ask someone there.

UPDATE: More information can be found here
Official Site: http://www.trofeoreina.com/

It’s always good to keep an eye on the Valencia webcam, pointed at Plaza de la Virgen, on the right-hand side of our blog. Yesterday I noticed this huge crowed gathering there. So, of course, we had to go. It was worth it - we got to see David Villa and other members of the Spanish team being interviewed after winning the EM 2008.

Here a short video of them leaving - no wave no nothing. They must be really busy men.

As you surely know by now, Spain defeated Germany in last night’s Euro 2008 Final. It was Spain’s first major title in 44 years, and Valencia exploded in joy.

Spain wins EM 2008 from Valencia Blog on Vimeo.

We watched the game at a local bar, complete with live entertainment from drunken, crazy fans.

After the tense 1-0 game, people emptied out into the streets. Scenes of pandemonium ensued — thousands of cars honking, fireworks, screaming, singing. It was awesome. Most people were waving flags, bedecked in body and face paint. The crowd was mostly young and, though wild, the celebration was completely peaceful and joyous.

Spain totally deserved the victory. They were the tournament’s best team, and although the Germans put up a good fight, the Spanish victory was well-earned. How often have we seen victors who win with unsportsmanlike conduct (Italy 06) or boring play (Greece 04)? It’s so refreshing to see a team like Spain, who play wonderful, gentlemanly, exciting soccer actually end up on top.

Congrats, Spain! You deserve it!

It’s on!!!

This is the match we’ve been praying for. We just happen to have German visitors in town for the week, and the final falls on my birthday … Sweet! We were already planning on a party, and I think it just got crazier.

Now the question — where is the best place in Valencia to watch the final? Ideally, something central and outside. Please make suggestions in the comments section or in the Hola Valencia forum.

I’m an American who lived 5 years in Berlin, so my allegiances are split … my heart is kind of with the Germans, but I seriously don’t want to miss the party that would engulf Spain, should the Red Fury end up on top.

Image Sources: La Jornada & Euro2008.com

Handball on the beach — same hot bodies, more skin.

ebt.eurohandball.com

This weekend (June 6th-8th), Valencia is playing host to the 5th European Beach Handball championships. Though, as an American, the sport of handball is completely foreign to me, I’ve always been entertained when it comes on the tube. It probably has something to do with the general hotness of handballers. But also because it’s a fast-paced sport, whose rules are easy enough to understand.

As seems to be the case with just about every sport worth its salt, handball has been transferred to the beach. If you feel like checking it out this weekend, the place to be is the southern esplanade of the Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencas.

Skeptical? Well, watching this 9-minute introductory video to this new sport probably won’t help: “The most important rule of the game in Beach Handball is Fair Play”. Really?! How refreshing, since most sports emphasize their dedication to rule-breaking and poor sportsmanship.

A Spanish team, BM Playa Barbate, is the reigning European champion.

European Beach Handball’s Official Webpage
More Info at the Valencian Tourism Website

Is anyone else having a hard time following the status of the America’s Cup? On again, off again and constantly rescheduled, the America’s Cup now has a green light for March, 2009.

A judge in New York dismissed some sort of lawsuit initiated by Team USA (Oracle) against the Swiss (Alinghi), and has set a date 10 months in the future for the event. I tried to read the details of the lawsuit, but quickly got bored. Listening to rich children argue about playtime with their expensive toys isn’t a lot more appealing when the children are adults.

Now, I have no idea why an American judge gets to decide when a sporting event in Spain takes place. But regardless, it’s great news for Valencia, for whom the America’s Cup is a huge boon — one of the few chances the city gets to step into the international spotlight.

Last night, Valencia CF beat Getafe 3 - 1, to win the Spain’s Copa del Rey.

Image courtesy Levante

Guests had just arrived for a visit, so we decided to skip watching the game in favor of dinner at El Albero (a decision I had been opposed to — guests schmests, hunger schmonger). Luckily, the good people of Valencia kept us fully aware of the game’s progress while we were eating. When Valencia scored their first goal, I could faintly hear cheering coming from the back of the restaurant. “How nice”, I thought, taking a sip of beer. “Valencia seems to have scor…”

Someone had lit a very loud, celebratory firecracker in the street right next to us. I spilled beer all over myself and the table. Our guests from Germany — whose eardrums haven’t yet been calloused and scarred by the city’s obssession with firecrackers — spent the next 10 minutes shivering. And just when they had calmed down: another goal. This time, Juergen spilled his beer and I watched a thin, bright stream of blood trickle out of Sonja’s left ear.

Oh, Valencia. You’re so cute.

We did manage to watch the end of the game. It’s incredible that they won the cup, considering how horrible their year has been. VCF is near the relegation zone in the domestic league, and had lost their last 3 matches. But last night’s victory means that they’ll get to play European football next year, which is a massive accomplishment.

We went to the VCF-Mallorca match yesterday. It was a horrible game — uninspired soccer from the home team, ending in an embarrassing 0-3 defeat. So, let’s concentrate on something more interesting: The Mestalla.

This is one of the best stadiums I’ve ever been to. We’ve been sitting in the cheap seats — La Grada de la Mar — which is a decision I can whole-heartedly recommend. Only €15 for a good bird’s-eye view of the action, plus an incredible panorama of the city over the stadium’s western wall. If you suffer from vertigo, though, I recommend choosing seats further down. The terrace is incredibly steep.

The Mestalla was inaugurated in 1923, and has played an important historical role in the city ever since. During the civil war, it was used as a concentration camp and storage area, and in 1957 was almost destroyed by the massive flooding that devastated Valencia. But like the city itself, it came back better than ever. Over the years it has added more and more seating (the terraces of La Grada de la Mar are clearly a new addition), and can today seat more than 55,000 spectators.

But if you want to experience a Valencia CF match in the Mestalla, don’t delay, because it’s being replaced. The Nou Mestalla is scheduled to open in 2009, close to the Palau de Congressos (location of future site). Not quite as central as the old Mestalla, but still within walking distance of the city center.

Until recently, I had been privately critical of the new Mestalla. Ridiculously, I (an American, who’d been to 2 matches) had developed a sense of allegiance to the old stadium. Well, my ridiculous loyalty didn’t prove to be very strong — after watching the 2-minute introductory video for the new stadium, I abandoned it entirely. And now, I can’t wait for the future to arrive.

Website of the New Mestalla
Valencia CF’s Home Page