The San Diego American Flag Football League (SDAFFL) has invited teams from San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta to take part in the first ever Surf and Turf invitational tournament here in San Diego. In addition to the three teams coming into town, the four teams that make up the San Diego league will take part in the tournament, with over 100 players participating total.

Games are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and 2, at San Diego City College. Teams will participate in round robin play on Saturday to determine the seedings for Sunday’s single elimination tournament.

“We anticipate 200 plus spectators and sponsors to attend the games over the tournament weekend,” said John Hernandez, co-chair of the Surf and Turf invitational and captain of the Hamburger Mary’s Cowboys team. “We are very excited about hosting our first invitational as a league, and are planning events and activities with local businesses to make the weekend memorable for our visiting teams as well as for the San Diego gay community.”

The Surf and Turf invitational, which promises to become an annual tradition in San Diego, marks the end of a tremendous 16-month run for the SDAFFL. The league’s first team, the Bourbon Street Hurricanes, was founded in January of 2003 to compete in the Gay Flag Football Super Bowl in Boston. Since then, three additional teams have formed in San Diego and the SDAFFL is wrapping up its inaugural season.

“The San Diego gay community has been extremely supportive of flag football,” said Ivan Solis, commissioner for the SDAFFL. “Community support has helped the league grow as quickly as it has.”

Among the team sponsors for this year’s football season are Hamburger Mary’s, SDHomePix.com, Bourbon Street and Dave & Busters. The league has also hosted events at several community bars, which will continue every night of the tournament. On Friday, April 30, a tournament registration party will be held at Top of the Park, and the fun continues at Moby Dicks with an opening night party. Saturday at 9:00 p.m., Montage will host a rooftop BBQ for the league, and the tournament’s closing party will take place at Bourbon Street on Sunday night.

“The Surf and Turf invitational will give local and visiting teams the opportunity to play each other between Gay Super Bowl events,” Solis said. “Basically, the teams have enjoyed the tournaments so much that we want to increase the frequency we get to play each other.”

Tournament play starts at San Diego City College at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 1. The first round match-ups include The Bourbon Street Hurricanes against the Atlanta Thunder and the Hamburger Mary’s Cowboys against the San Francisco Shockwaves.