The Gillis Story
The Gillis Volleyball Tournament was started in 1971 by Steve and Dave Cressman at Gillis Beach, in Playa del Rey, California. That first year 17 teams participated, playing on one court. All of the teenage participants were local beach lovers who were new to beach volleyball. Everyone had such a great time that they all wanted it to be an annual event. Over the next fifty years the tournament grew exponentially into the premier summer event in Playa del Rey.
The name of the tournament came from a small slice of body surfing heaven called Gillis Beach. It was named that since it was adjacent to Gillis Street. High schoolers from Westchester High and St. Bernard High learned together what the Southern California beach lifestyle was all about; the sand, the surf, Sun-In, Baby Oil and now volleyball.
This beach shoreline community was wiped out in 1974 by expansion of the LA Airport’s west runway. Although the neighborhood and homes were gone The Gillis tournament continued there until 1980, expanding to ten courts to accommodate the growing enthusiasts. It was that year when the city dredged the marina of sand and dumped it on Gillis Beach, destroying the courts that had been built over the previous 10 years. The tournament was then forced to move to Toes Beach for a run of 25 years. In 2005, due to its continued growth, the county forced another move of The Gillis to the southernmost point of Playa del Rey called Dockweiler Beach. After five years, Steve and Dave decided to move back to their original roots at Toes Beach. It is here that the final decade took place.
Original Gillis Beach
There is great pride that The Gillis was always held in Steve and Dave’s hometown. This history of Playa del Rey and of Gillis Beach is preserved through the tournament as a reunion for those that grew up here. This made the Gillis a “locals” event like no other. This memorial mural holds the memories of those people who spent a good portion of their lives reuniting with family and old friends each summer.
The Gillis was popular for many reasons besides the reunion atmosphere at such a beautiful beach.
As the tourney grew, and some volleyball players got better, some felt that they just wanted to have a good time. New brackets of these folks were created so that everyone could find a group that was at their level. It started with the late Paul Hoffman who called his bracket “The Hoffy.” Then other brackets were added as needed. There were 6-person teams, then father-daughter, then Centurions (with a combined age of over 100 years), and many other new ones. It kept everyone coming back decade after decade.
At the beginning, the tournament added a matching trunks requirement, and they needed to be homemade. Then Pat Turley and Dik Johnson decided they would show up in a classic car on the beach dressed as Laurel and Hardy. They even had a skit that launched a new era of costumes and acts. Then people added themed camps. The evolution of creativity just kept growing. There were awards for Kings and Queens, Best Camps, and more. The acts on the beach became so prevalent that the whole tourney would stop on Sunday for “Showtime.” The best short skits would perform, and an annual toast was given by the previous year’s winners. The local band “Venice” sang The National Anthem at Showtime for over thirty years. All of these nuances created a very unique atmosphere that everyone loved and wanted to join in on.
From early on there were t-shirts and other apparel that were available to purchase with a creative design. These became “collectibles” that people loved to wear around town and to the tourney. The older they looked, the better they got.
The Gillis became a Playa del Rey tradition that took on a life of its own through the personalities and creative efforts of the people who participated. We honor all of our Gillis Greats through our Hall of Fame on this website. Sadly, some have passed away but their memories are enshrined for us to reminisce about. All of the past winners of the many brackets and royalty are also listed below. You will probably know many of their names and faces from the community. They are all considered to be valued members of The Gillis family forever.
If you are reading this and looking at the memorial mural, take time to remember some of your best summer moments at this beach over five decades. If you never had a chance to be at The Gillis, thanks for taking a moment to learn about some of the best times Playa del Rey had to offer.
A huge shoutout to Denny Smith who was at all 50 tourneys, assisted in tournament planning and documented history with thousands of priceless photos you will see on this website.
The artist who created this art from a concept by Dave Cressman was Tim Neil. The mural on this wall was done by an amazing local artist named Hector Rios. This entirely meaningful project was brought about by our amazing Councilwoman Traci Park. The little engine that drove through every strand of red tape was Lucy Han. The Cressmans’ legacy has been enhanced by everyone’s enormous abilities. Thank you seems not quite adequate.
May your Gillis memories last forever!
Love from the entire Cressman family.
