Created in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the New York City Sports Commission, the AVP Crocs Tour Brooklyn Open will take place along the famed Coney Island boardwalk adjacent to the amusement park (enter on West 21st Street). The AVP will construct a temporary 4,000-seat stadium, as well as 13 outer courts that will offer general admission seating. This year's tournament will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the AVP Crocs Tour.

"The AVP Brooklyn Open has quickly become one of our city's most highly anticipated annual sporting events in just three short years," said Commissioner Podziba. "This year's Open will have added excitement as fans will be treated to a sneak preview of the US Olympic Beach Volleyball Team before they head to Beijing in search of Olympic gold. I can think of no better way to spend a summer weekend in New York City than strolling down Coney Island's world famous boardwalk and then being treated to exciting volleyball action on the beach."

"Coney Island is synonymous with summer sports and recreation here in New York City," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "We are thrilled to host, for the third consecutive year, the most celebrated beach volleyball tournament in one of our landmark locations by teaming up with the AVP, the Sports Commission and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. This summer's tournament will offer New Yorkers the ultimate Coney Island beach experience and mark the union of one of the hottest, most contemporary summer sports and one of the country's oldest, most beloved public beaches."

2007 Brooklyn Open champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh will defend their title after recently winning their 15th consecutive tournament at the AVP Crocs Slam Boulder in Colorado. The pair's current match streak is 84 wins. Last year's men's champions Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers will also return this year to defend their 2007 title. The AVP Brooklyn Open will also serve as the final tune-up before the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China for Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh.

"We are thrilled to bring another exciting AVP Crocs Tour Brooklyn Open event to New York City, where we will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Tour," said Leonard Armato, CEO and Tour Commissioner. "Brooklyn is an outstanding market with some of the most loyal and enthusiastic sports fans who have shown how much they enjoy the high energy of pro beach volleyball. The involvement of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment in the promotion of this event is very significant for the AVP and our organizations will continue to work hard to make sure that this continues to be one of the premiere stops on the AVP Crocs Tour."

"Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment is thrilled to continue our relationship with the AVP to bring the thrill of pro beach volleyball to one of the most celebrated spots in Brooklyn," said Chris Brahe, Vice President of Property Sales for BSE. "We are striving to make this tournament an exciting event for the borough and to put on another great show for current and future volleyball fans on the beach. This is also an important opportunity for Brooklyn once again to be showcased on NBC and for the nation to watch six US athletes who will be competing in the Beijing Olympic Games."

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.brooklynavp.com. Tickets for the AVP Crocs Tour Brooklyn Open can be purchased now for each of the three sessions by calling 718-702-5246 or at the event box office on the day of event.

AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Inc. is a leading lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on the production, marketing and distribution of professional beach volleyball events worldwide. AVP operates the industry's most prominent national touring series, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, which was organized in 1983. In 2004, AVP athletes successfully represented the United States during the Olympics in Athens, Greece, winning gold and bronze medals, the first medals won by U.S. women in professional beach volleyball.

Parks & Recreation is the steward of more than 29,000 acres of land - 14 percent of New York City - including more than 4,000 individual properties ranging from Yankee Stadium and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds; we manage four major stadia, 550 tennis courts, 54 public pools, 48 recreational facilities, 17 nature centers, 13 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches; we care for 1,200 monuments and 22 historic house museums; we look after 600,000 street trees, and two million more in parks. We are New York City's principal provider of athletic facilities. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals. For more information about Parks, visit: www.nyc.gov/parks.

The New York City Sports Commission is the mayoral agency charged with attracting, facilitating and promoting professional, amateur and scholastic sports events in New York City. In recent years, the Sports Commission has played a role in creating or developing many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Champions Week, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championship, the AVP Brooklyn Open, the NAUTICA NYC Triathlon, the NYC Half-Marathon, the Union Square Street Sessions presented by Jeep®, the Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race and the Men's Health Urbanathlon.