The National Gay American Flag Football Tournament Championships will be held Oct. 7-9 in San Diego. Gay Bowl V will be hosted this year by the San Diego American Flag Football League (SDAFFL) and played at Tidelands Park in Coronado.

This is the fifth annual gay flag football Super Bowl event. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Atlanta have previously played host to the event and now San Diego, America’s Finest City, joins their ranks. Since the first tournament, where just three teams (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston) played, participation has grown steadily, and this year an estimated 1,000 athletes, coaches, supporters and fans will converge on San Diego over Columbus Day weekend. Sixteen teams are expected to compete this year, compared to seven teams last year when the tournament was held in Atlanta.

Players from Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., will participate in the event. Teams will consist of 25 players, with seven offense and seven defense per side. Games will run for two 30-minute halves, with a 10-minute half-time break, and each team is allowed two time-outs per half. Games last between one and a half and two hours long.

San Diego will be fielding two teams, comprised of active players from across the four local San Diego teams. Only two teams have ever won this championship – Los Angeles and the returning two-time champions, the DC Monuments.

Games are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 8, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the overall championship played at 3:00 p.m.

Live radio and TV coverage will be provided all weekend by PrideNation Radio (PNN) and Proud Television.

“This is just another event where we’re proud of community and the positive activities that we involve ourselves in,” said PNN President Allen Edwards. “This is the kind of entertainment that our audience wants to see.”

Other events will be held throughout the weekend at various local bars. Hamburger Mary’s, Bourbon Street and Flicks will all be hosting events in conjunction with Gay Bowl V. A welcome party will be held at the Sommerset Suites, located at 606 Washington St. in Hillcrest, on Friday, Oct. 8, at 6:00 p.m. Phil’s BBQ will serve their award-winning food, and there will be music, cocktails, food, a heated pool and Jacuzzi, and plenty of men. The event is restricted to participants and select sponsors and volunteers.

On Saturday, Oct. 8, a dinner cruise on the San Diego bay takes place aboard the Spirit of San Diego. After the cruise Flicks will hold their hot wet underwear contest, from 9:00 p.m. to close.

Bourbon Street will hold the official awards ceremony and a Team Bare Chest contest hosted by Ophelia on Sunday, Oct. 9, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Hamburger Mary’s then hosts a closing party from 9:00 p.m. to close. Visit the Gay Bowl V Web site at www.sdffl.com/gaybowl/index.htm for more details.

Look for some exciting match-ups, as every team vies for the top spots. Flag football is an exciting sport complete with offensive and defensive strategies, fast-paced running and passing plays, unexpected upsets and conversions, and vocal and supportive fans – not to mention that, since it’s played in shorts without pads, it’s easier to see your favorite athletes in motion. Come on out, bring your blankets, pack a picnic and cheer on your favorite team.

Sponsors for Gay Bowl V include: Coors Light, Pride Nation Radio & Proud Television, Puppy Productions, One Source GMAC Michael Nelson, Bourbon Street, Hamburger Mary’s, Interactive Male, Phil’s BBQ and the Gay & Lesbian Times.

Ivan Solis, Gay Bowl V tournament director, is currently looking for volunteers to help make this event successful. People with various skills and experience are needed throughout the weekend. Contact Solis at (619) 804-9000, or via the e-mail link off their Web site at http://www.sdffl.com.