Showdown of the bro-downs

Spikeball
The gist For a couple of years, this game—brought back from ’90s obscurity by a few nostalgic dudes from Kankakee—has been giving North Avenue Beach a backyard barbecue feel. A net that resembles a mini trampoline is placed between two teams of two. One team starts the game by slapping the ball into the net. The ball bounces off the net, and the opposing team can hit the ball up to three times—like volleyball—before smacking the ball back to the net. This continues until one team fails to return the ball (and no, you can’t be a d-bag and try to block the other team from the ball). First team to 21 wins.
Bro-to-woman ratio Because the league is dominated by brahs, chicks play free—an incentive to get more coed play.
Best competitor names Poopy McFarts, 7% Squirt, Sand in my Crack
Play on Tuesdays at 6:30pm; drop by casual league play at North Avenue Beach (1600 N Lake Shore Dr). For information or to buy a Spikeball set ($50), go to spikeball.com.
Post-game beer Chat up your fellow Spikeballer over post-match drinks at McGinny’s (313 W North Ave).

Beach Tennis
The gist Played worldwide, this sand sport will finally see some action in Chicago with the Wednesday 16 kickoff of a new summer league. Playing on regulation-size sand volleyball courts, teams of two use paddles to whack a soft, depressurized tennis ball. The point of the game is to keep the ball from hitting the ground, and scoring works just like regular ol’ tennis.
Chicks-to-dudes ratio The simple sport prides itself on being easy to learn for both genders and any age. Beach Tennis Chicago director Donald Smyth reports that in the past few weeks, equal numbers of men and women have been stopping by North Avenue Beach for pickup games.
Best competitor names Team Machete, Team Geriatric, Team Italian Sausage
Play on Drop in on Saturday 12, 11am–4pm at North Avenue Beach (1600 N Lake Shore Dr) for a day of free play. If the sport piques your interest, sign up for a six-week Wednesday, Thursday and Friday league starting Wednesday 16 ($175 for a team or $90 for an individual). Register at chicagosocial.com/leagues/beach_tennis.
Post game beer Like most league sports offered through Chicago Sport and Social Club, drink specials are offered nightly by a sponsor bar, such as Sedgwick’s (1935 N Sedgwick St).

WINNER!
Spikeball. Thanks to its drinking-friendly setup (fits nicely on both beaches and frat-house backyards), we can see how this sport will be the next recreational dude magnet.

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