Who says you need to wait until Halloween to dress in costume?

There was the team wearing the pink wigs, and the guys in toga outfits were turning heads. There was the guy rocking the tu-tu, and then of course the organizers of the wild event wearing Mohawk wigs and dressed as punk rock.

Dodgeball on the Beach in Newport - now in its 7th year – never disappoints, with the teams getting wilder with their costumes, and the action in the cages getting more fierce each year.

The event brings together local businesses and groups to battle it out on the blacktop old school style – way old school, like when you were in elementary school.

“This event is the best event you will see on the West Coast, it only gets better,” said organizer  Stan Dibranos, who created this event with Peninsula Pride owner Khari Johnson. “The best part of the event is the costumes. Every year, teams come out in the craziest, wildest costumes. This is going to be the biggest, summertime beach costume party in the world, right here.”

There were 20 teams this year, with spectators surrounding the metal cages and cheering the teams on, letting out loud “ohhhhs” when someone got nailed.

One of the players the teams were watching out for was Genai Kerr, a former water polo Olympian with a arm that does damage. He entered the event seven years ago, and was back for the first time since.

“I’m here to reclaim the championship,” he said. “I’m still living up to the nickname ‘tattoo’… I’m leaving marks on peoples’ chests. All the teams are gunning for me first, and my team mates are trying to protect me.”

Spectator Don Duran checks out the event ever year.

“This is great, it’s a fantastic event. It’s here on the beach, it just gets better and better. The costumes just get outrageous,” he said. “I tell all my friends about it. With our economy the way it is, why not come down and have a free, fun day at the beach.”

You gotta check out some of the wild costumes that showed up on the sand today, click here or on the image below:

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