Fans of esports and competitive video games will soon take over The Hangout at Broadway at the Beach.
The third annual Boost at the Beach esports tournament is coming to Myrtle Beach, and tournament organizers are excited about the impact it could have for both video game lovers and esports newcomers alike.
The tournament is a collaboration between Coastal Carolina University, Syracuse and Shenandoah — three schools that have taken competitive gaming seriously over the course of the last decade.
The event will be held at the popular Myrtle Beach entertainment location on March 8-9, and it will feature teams from all over — including the University of Kentucky, the University of South Carolina and the University of Maryland.
The highlight of the event will be a 12-team collegiate Rocket League showdown, which will be run alongside a Super Smash Bros tournament. Both are popular video games — Rocket League is a vehicular soccer video game released in 2015, while the popular Super Smash Bros fighting game by Nintendo was debuted in 1999.
Nick Matawa, an esports subject specialist at Coastal Carolina, said the on-site tournament will provide guests to the free-entry event at The Hangout an opportunity to learn more about competitive esports competition that currently exists at the collegiate level.
“Everybody knows that video games are a big thing, just period,” Matawa said. “We know that it is a massive industry. We know that it has captured the hearts and minds of youth for about a decade now. In this, you’re going to see what something a lot of people believe is unstructured and a waste of time, this is what it looks like when it has supervision. This is what it looks like when you put all of that energy and you push it into a positive direction.”
There will be $5,000 of prize money up for grabs in the event, and it is set to feature some of the best talent from South Carolina and more of the Southeast.
Matawa said the rise of competitive video game play has been instrumental in creating new opportunities for students and all individuals looking to be involved in a worthwhile hobby. He said he believes it can even be a viable career path for certain students interested in pursing esports full time.
“This is no different than kids who love football and are wanting to go into the NFL,” he said, commenting on the financial opportunities that video games can provide at the highest levels.
“And, you don’t have to worry about concussions. We are keeping our kids safe and helping students who sometimes wouldn’t be involved in extracurricular. Sometimes, it’s due to factors they can’t even control.”
Visit Myrtle Beach is supporting the event, and executive director of sports tourism Jonathan Paris said the event does fall under the umbrella of sports tourism.
It’s a unique way to engage fans, but Paris says the event’s growth and demand has been evident.
“Esports is an exciting new area of sports tourism, and we’re excited to partner with Shenandoah and Syracuse to bring this award-winning event back to the beach,” Paris said. “Over the three years of the event, we have seen the event double in size and evolve to now also include a Super Smash Bros competition as well.”
The Hangout offers a somewhat-ideal location for the event, with large screens surrounding the expansive space that acts as a perfect place for an “esports party” to take place.
Alyssa Duran, who directs esports at Shenandoah University, said she has enjoyed seeing Myrtle Beach be a host to a fast-growing sport.
She estimates that since 2018, there has been a growth of somewhere near 800% as it relates to colleges taking leaps in esports participation, whether though scholarships or hiring full-time staff members relating to esports.
Duran said Myrtle Beach acts as the perfect place to be the backdrop to the competitive action.
“I love coming down to Myrtle Beach,” Duran said. “This is our most popular event that we have every year. I get asked about Boost on the Beach all year from players, coaches and all of the schools. They come up to me and they say, ‘I want to go to Myrtle Beach in March, how do I get invited’… They see the crazy videos online of people at The Hangout dancing on the tables and holding the trophy in their air with the streamers.
“It’s a very appealing atmosphere. Being in Myrtle Beach in the fun area, there are so many fun things to be a part of to do with your team. We think it is holistic in terms of the experience, and that is what we value when we are planning for the event.”
The event will also feature a high school Super Smash Bros division. Darlington High School and Ashley Ridge High School are two South Carolina schools that are already set to have representation.
For local residents who are unsure whether or not they want to spend some time checking out the action, Matawa encourages keeping an open mind.
He hopes that once fans enter the space and see the fun, they will want to stick around to see what the buzz surrounding esports is all about.
“This is going to be one of those things where seeing is believing. Some people are still naysayers,” Matawa said. “This is a place where people can take their kids and they can tell them that maybe the career they really want isn’t impossible… In life, we’re not static characters. We are dynamic. We are always seeking to learn about new things. This should be no different. If you are already in the area, you should definitely drop by because this could be a new experience.”
More information on the event can be found on the event on X @BoostOnTheBeach.
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