LYNN — Saturday’s 9th Annual Lynn Shore Showdown, a beach wrestling tournament between Lynn and Nahant Beach, reached new heights with 105 sign-ups across youth, high school, and open divisions.
Hosted by Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson and Beat the Streets New England, a regional non-profit that uses wrestling to engage inner-city students, the event’s turnout was its largest to date.
“It was pretty awesome to have that number. It’s definitely our biggest year,” said Beat the Streets Director of Operations Brett Poirier. “It’s running really well.”
With money going back into local wrestling programs, Nicholson said his goals for the event are to highlight the sport, give an opportunity to young people, and spotlight the beach.
“We’ve been able to do that in a really exciting way for some time now,” he said.
Nicholson, who wrestled at Princeton University, added the day is “a true collaboration.”
“We rely heavily on Beat The Streets and their young people to run this tournament,” he said. “And the Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach and Save The Harbor/Save the Bay are great partners in helping us secure the location. And, of course, the DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) for hosting us and all the work they do.”
Beat The Street’s CITs (Coaches in Training) from Boston and Providence “run the tournament,” according to Poirier.
“They’re being trained and mentored to be leaders,” he said. “They’re the brains of the operation right now and running the whole system. It’s an awesome program for them.”
As it was for wrestler David Czartoryski, who heard about the event from Ludlow through word-of-mouth.
“It was pretty fun and I liked it a lot,” he said. “The beach is beautiful and it’s a super nice area. I like the houses and everything on the coast.”
When asked if he’d return for another year, Czartoryski was quick to respond.
“I definitely would. Yes,” he said.
Carmen Rondosh, another wrestler, said he looks forward to the event every summer.
“I’ve been involved with Boston Youth Wrestling, now it’s Beat The Streets, for a long time,” said Rondosh, a wrestling coach at Northeastern University. “I’m having a lot of fun.”
Better yet, he enjoys bringing his four kids to enjoy the beach with him.
“It’s a great place to spend time and you don’t spend a lot of money to do it,” he said. “We’ll stop and get a little bit of ice cream after, so I like it a lot.”
When asked about the balance between fun and competition, Nicholson – who also wrestled on Saturday – told all participants to “know where you are.”
“We’re at a beach. This is a fun day,” he said. “I think people have fun when they compete, but we also want to make sure everyone is safe.”
CHAMPIONS
Open
Oisin Cullen
Tai Philippe Harris
Carmen Rondash
Malakay Lewis
High school
Daylianette Sanchez Cardona
Jesus Gomez
Thomas Nguyen
Isaiah Garcia
James Rocco
Jhayvon Napoleon
Owen Pavao
Youth
Grayson Sylvaria
Marvin Vasquez
Deizyiah Taylor
Moses Destiny
Logan Fontana
