SOME 150 competitors from newbie youngster to seasoned hard hitters have been wowing the crowds at the Sandbanks Beach Volleyball Festival, which got underway today.

The festival, now in its 22nd year, will see 250 players – ranging from under 12s to adults – come from across the county to compete on the 20 courts set up on the beach alongside the prom.

The event, organised by the management team at SportBU at Bournemouth University and the Wessex Volleyball Club, is always popular with spectators, and hundreds once again turned out for Saturday's games.

Barry Squires, business and partnerships manager at Sport BU, told the Echo they had everyone from children trying the sport for the first time, to fierce competitors playing at an international standard taking part.

He added. "That's great for everyone - the young children can be inspired and see where they want to be in a couple of years."

And despite the wet weather elsewhere in the conurbation, sunny skies held on over the festival for most of the day.

"Most people within beach volleyball are hardened to a drop of rain," he added. "Sandbanks has its own microclimate so we only had about half an hour of rain before lunch.

"It's a little bit windy but the sun is out and everyone is sat around listening to the music and enjoying the volleyball so it's going great so far."

Entry is free to spectators and the competition continues on Sunday.