Jennifer Boss and John Hyden Win AVP MVP Crowns
Monday, September 29th, 2008HYDEN, BOSS CROWNED BEST OF THE BEACH AT SEASON-ENDING AVP CROCS SANDERSON FORD BEST OF THE BEACH PRESENTED BY RIDENOW POWERSPORTS
John Hyden smashes a shot past Phil Dalhausser
GLENDALE, Ariz. September 27, 2008 - John Hyden and Jen Boss won the right to be called the Best on the Beach Saturday night at the AVP Crocs Tour’s All Star Game and final event, the AVP Crocs Best of the Beach presented by RideNow Powersports.
Hyden, 2007 God of the Beach and the No. 10 seed for this tournament, chose gold medalist and No. 2 seed Phil Dalhausser as his partner for the finals against Jake Gibb, who selected AVP veteran and 2004 Olympian Stein Metzger (ranked eighth going into this week’s event) as his partner for the final. Hyden was victorious with a score of 21-17, 21-17.
“The hardest part is getting to the finals,” said Hyden. “Once you pick up Phil, it’s all downhill from there.”
“It turns out this is his event,” said Dalhausser of his partner’s repeat victory.
The last time a male player won consecutive individual format tournaments was in the early 1990’s, when Karch Kiraly won in 1991, 1992 and 1993. This week, Hyden went 6-0 in matches, losing just one set (in his first match of the event). He has never played with Dalhausser in a regular AVP Crocs Tour event.
Fifth-seeded Gibb, who entering the final went 6-0 in matches and did not lose a set in second-round pool play, has played 20 regular events with Metzger, winning four times and playing in seven finals. In 2005, they were the AVP team of the Year and won the Manhattan Beach Open.
“It was a no-brainer for me,” said Gibb of his choosing Metzger. “We’ve always played well together.”
Jennifer Boss at Mariners Point in Mission Beach 2008
On the women’s side, No. 3 seed Jen Boss selected two-time gold medalist and top seed Kerri Walsh to join her in the finals, while No. 6 seed Nicole Branagh selected Tyra Turner, ranked eighth this weekend. Boss claimed both the event title and her first career AVP Tour victory with a score of 19-21, 21-17, 15-10.
“It means a lot,” said Boss of her win. “It was like fourteen times [in the finals], you start thinking, ‘Geez, I’m a jinx.’ I just honestly couldn’t believe it.”
Boss went 3-0 in matches this weekend and is the only player (male or female) to earn a bye in the first round and still make it to the finals. She has never played with Kerri Walsh in a regular season event.
Branagh went 5-1 in matches, losing in her last match of the event prior to the finals. Saturday marked the second straight day of having to play three matches in one day. She has two AVP Crocs Tour wins this season (Charleston and Cincinnati), finished fifth in Beijing (with regular-season partner Elaine Youngs). She has never played with Tyra Turner in a regular event.
The AVP Crocs Tour will resume in January 2009 with the return of the Hot Winter Nights Tour. The 17-stop indoor tour will bring a taste of summer to cities snowbound in the dead of winter. The tour begins January 15 at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. For complete winter tour dates and information, please visit avp.com.
2008 AVP MVP Jennifer Boss in South Mission Beach
View more 2008 AVP tour photos at www.socalbeachmag.net
