As reported by the Cannon Beach Gazette, the Cascadia Cup Beach Handball series returned to Cannon Beach in July after a more than 18 month COVID-19 pause. The Portland Sasquatch and Seattle Handball Club were joined by representatives from Vancouver and Victoria’s Canada Handball in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The annual event was started in 2012, and more than 250 fans were onsite to watch the competition.
For those new to the sport: Handball is a mix of soccer, basketball and arena football, with scores typically like a college football game.
Beach Handball is part of the larger United States, Canadian and International Handball Federation, global committees, that brings this sport, which is top-10 in the world for overall participants. The Portland Sasquatch, ranked No. 16 nationally as a club by USA Handball, and Seattle, a regular regional tournament powerhouse, partner with top British Columbia-based teams to advance the sport at a top-division level in the region.
The Portland Sasquatch are led by head coach Jan Vanderstraeten, and Pacific Northwest handball legends, Joe Bauer, and Horst Niehaus. Seattle is equally staffed by veteran national players from eight different countries. Both teams are proudly co-ed.
To follow the 2021 series or USA Handball clubs, visit www.PortlandSasquatch.com, Seattle Team Handball on Facebook, and/or www.teamusa.org/usa-team-handball
