COME TO ASPEN!?

We have had so many of you tell us that you want to come to Aspen rain or shine or Virus…

Unfortunately, and despite our best efforts, significant interest and strong early registrations, the 2020 Motherlode is not going to happen.  The realities of the pandemic and the continued and further restrictions on gatherings (Pitkin county health has just reduced the maximum gathering size from 50 down to 10) , make it impossible for us to host a tournament this year.  We appreciate the strong support from the volleyball community and will work to ensure a great event, including all the normal festivities, will return next year.

It is with great sadness that we have concluded to cancel for this year.  We hope that if you have made arrangements to be in Aspen, you will still consider a visit, but we clearly understand that many will decide to “save it for next year”.  We believe that finalizing our decision more than 30 days before the start of the event ensures everyone has ample opportunity to make alternate plans.    If you still plan on being in Aspen, social distancing and other restrictions will likely be in place in town.  Enforcement and adherence to local laws will impact the normal Aspen experience.  With that in mind, the spectacular outdoor options and opportunity to gather with long time mintonette players or make new volleyball friends will be there as always.  Those of us who are in town will do everything we can to make the trip as memorable and  fun in spite of Covid-19.

To be clear and for anybody that is interested, we know that many of our normal participants will be gathering over Labor Day weekend out of habit.  Motherlode 2020 will simply be more about getting to Aspen and enjoying the mountains and running into old friends.  For those who want to play, we expect there will be opportunities, it will simply not under the guise of the Motherlode tournament.  If you decide to go, your travel and lodging decisions should not depend on the volleyball details. This is an ASPEN trip first, and a chance to be part of the Motherlode legacy during the year of COVID19!

With that in mind, for anyone that preregistered, we will be issuing full refunds through BracketPal.  Please give us a few days to complete this task.  Please feel free to reach out to us if you have questions or need more information.

Please check these links for more information about Covid-19 restrictions and other useful Aspen information:

https://covid19.colorado.gov/mask-guidance

https://covid19.pitkincounty.com/

https://www.aspensnowmass.com/plan-your-stay/tickets-and-passes/sightseeing-and-tickets

https://cityofaspen.com/1279/COVID-19

Started as a barbeque 49 years ago

The Annual MotherLode Volleyball Classic is one of the oldest, continuously run outdoor volleyball Tournaments in the Country.  Entering into its 49th year of being an “end-of-the-season” celebration of the sport, the Labor Day Weekend event originally started with a few friends as a barbecue with volleyball – pure and simple.

The sponsor was a popular local Italian restaurant called the Motherlode and the prize was dinner… in time the draw of the town and its people grew the Tourney to epic proportions which drew amateur/recreational and professional outdoor volleyball players from all over the United States and Canada.  They came for the world class bars and restaurants, for the outrageous parties and for the experience of playing volleyball in one of the most beautiful and exciting ski/summer Resorts in North America.

New Management

The ‘Lode has a new management team in place as of 2019. Since the event has been a longtime success we don’t plan on changing the formula much, but we do have a bullet list of additions below:

  • Guaranteed cash purse for open divisions
  • Social media live stream play and updates
  • Online bracket system with accurate forecasted play times
  • Special attention given to the grass divisions to enhance the playing and awards experience

The MotherLode has survived many incarnations of “pro beach volleyball” by staying true to the game and fostering a special player experience for each and every athlete. Our Masters division is the most competitive in the world, and our BB grass division in arguably one of the most fun.

MotherLode Up

Aspen is a great fit for a season ending Tournament; Playing against good competition, meeting new volleyball friends and re-uniting with old ones, all while surrounded by some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world.  Your part is simple:  SHOW UP and play in one of grassroots volleyball’s oldest Events.  Register soon, make your lodging reservations and bring your family and friends.  We believe in The ‘Lode.  We hope that you do, too.

SIGN UP
LODGING
FAQ

Registration

The event begins on Wednesday, September 3rd.
Online credit card registration deadline is the Monday preceding the event (8/31) at 5 p.m. (MT). On-site registration is available at the event (space permitting). An additional $20 late fee (cash only) applies. Teams can register for Thursday, Friday or Saturday divisions beginning at 7:30 a.m. on the day of that division. You can also register on-site or check in early from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Thursday or Friday at Koch park.
Pre-registered entry fees:

$60 for single-day divisions ($80 on-site)

$80 for multi-day divisions ($100 on-site)

$150 for Open
All pre-registered teams must check-in in person.
Pre-registered entries, received by the deadline can confirm their entry here.

Divisions & Timeline

Labor Day Weekend
September 2, 2020 through Sepember 7, 2020
Wednesday

Mens’ Seniors 60’s & over (sand): Wednesday at Koch Lumber Park. Check-in at 8:00 a.m. Late registration from 7:30 to 8 a.m. (seniors age cutoff = age at time of the event)
Mens’ Seniors 50’s & over (sand): Wednesday at Koch Lumber Park. Check-in at 8:00 a.m. Late registration from 7:30 to 8 a.m. (seniors age cutoff = age at time of the event)
Womens’ Seniors 45-over (sand): Wednesday at Koch Lumber Park. Check-in at 8:00 a.m. Late registration from 7:30 to 8 a.m. (masters age cutoff = age at time of the event)

Thursday

Early check-in & on-site registration for all divisions from 3-5 p.m. at Koch Lumber Park.
Mens’ Seniors 55’s & over (sand): Thursday at Koch Lumber Park. Check-in at 8:00 a.m. Late registration from 7:30 to 8 a.m. (seniors age cutoff = age at time of the event)
Mens’ Seniors 45’s & over (sand): Thursday at Koch Lumber Park. Check-in at 8:00 a.m. Late registration from 7:30 to 8 a.m. (seniors age cutoff = age at time of the event)
Womens’ Masters 35-over (sand): Thursday at Koch Lumber Park. Check-in at 8:00 a.m. Late registration from 7:30 to 8 a.m. (masters age cutoff = age at time of the event)
Men’s Seniors, Masters and Women’s Masters play with same day finals scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Koch Lumber park.

Friday

Early check-in & on-site registration for all divisions from 3-5 p.m. at Koch Lumber Park.
Mens’ Masters 37-over (sand): (limited to first 28 teams): Friday at Koch Lumber Park. Late registration from 7:30 to 8 a.m. (masters age cutoff = age at time of the event)
Standard Co-ed Open (sand), A, BB and B — Reverse Co-ed A and B: (grass limited to first 50 teams per division; sand limited to 16 teams): Friday at Koch Lumber Park. Check-in Friday at 7:30 a.m. at Koch Lumber Park. Late registration from 7:30 to 8 a.m. Co-ed divisions break top team into a single-elimination bracket on Friday. All Co-ed divisions will finish on Friday. (weather permitting; play may continue the following day)
Men’s Masters play with same day finals at Koch Lumber park; Co-ed divisions play with same day finals. All finals scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Saturday

Mens’ and Womens’ Open (sand): Saturday at Koch Lumber and Willoughby parks. Late registration ends Friday at 3 p.m. No new teams will be accepted after this deadline. Both divisions begin play Saturday at 8:00 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Open is limited to 32 teams per divisions. It is double elimination with full match play in winner’s and loser’s bracket. All Open entry fees will be paid out in prize money.
Mens’ and Womens’ A, BB, B: Saturday at various parks around Aspen. Late registration from 7:30 to 8 a.m.
No Co-ed teams allowed in men’s or women’s divisions.
Cleats are prohibited – shoes must be approved by director..
Pool-play info:
All other grass divisions are pool play on Saturday with the top two teams moving into a double-elimination, match-play Championship Bracket; remaining teams will move into a single-elimination, match-play, Festival Bracket. Both played on Sunday.*
All divisions begin play at various locations in Aspen at 9 a.m. (arrive at 8:30)**
*Sunday play is limited to a 64-team bracket in any one division. Contact the director for more information.

Director may adjust the tournament format at anytime.
**Grass start times are contingent on player check-in and park conditions.

Sunday

Men’s Open, A, BB and B, and Women’s Open, A, BB, B continue play at various locations in Aspen. Festival Bracket finals.
 spc

Monday

Amateur Championship Bracket finals at Koch Lumber Park grass court; Men’s and Women’s Sand Open finals at Koch Lumber Park Sand Courts
Amateur Championships – Koch Lumber Park Grass Court
  • 9:00 a.m. – Women’s B.
  • 10:00 a.m. – Men’s B.
  • 11:00 a.m. – Women’s BB.
  • 12:00 p.m. – Men’s BB.
  • 1:00 p.m. – Women’s A.
  • 2:00 p.m. – Men’s A.
Beach Championships – Koch Lumber Park Sand Courts
  • 3:00 p.m. – Women’s Open Sand.
  • 4:00 p.m. – Men’s Open Sand.
    •

    Confirm Entries

    NO CONFIRMATIONS WILL BE SENT BY MAIL or EMAIL

    You can confirm your entry on BracketPal.

    Please verify that your entry has been received; Email the registrar your corrections/changes

    Corrections/changes will not immediately appear on the website list. Please allow the registrar to update your information.

    Entries received after a division closes are placed in the closest available division.