Titles Defended in Men’s & Women’s Elite Doubles at 30th Luxembourg Beach Open

From Friday 25 to Sunday 27 July 2025, Esch-sur-Alzette hosted the 30th edition of the Luxembourg Beach Open (LBO) at Gaalgebierg Park, bringing together beach volleyball, live music and community engagement in a festive sporting atmosphere.

Speaking to Chronicle.lu, LBO co-organiser Gérard Thein reflected on the event’s evolution: “It all started in 1995 with a group of enthusiastic locals who had a crazy idea - to bring the summer spirit to Esch through beach volleyball. Now, 30 years later, and even after a few difficult years with COVID, we’re still here.”

He went on to explain the current tournament structure, which includes a mix of formats such as two-a-side, mixed doubles and four-a-side matches with reserve players. “In total, we have 70 teams - around 400 players competing for the title. But in fact it’s just for fun. So first it’s fun and second is sport, but the two together with some drinks are amazing.” Gérard Thein added: “We also have the Luxembourg championship [Lux Beach Tour 2025] taking place as well. We’ve just had the first, second and third places decided. And we also have a prize for the best offensive team and the most amazing team.”

The event also aimed to raise awareness of social causes. Over the weekend, several associations, including Plooschter Projet, Fondatioun Wonschstär and Madame Witzeg, were present to engage with the public.

On Sunday, under persistent rain, the winners of the elite-level men’s and women’s doubles competitions were decided as part of the Lux Beach Tour 2025. For the third consecutive year, Colin Hilbert and Steve Weber secured the men’s national title for the Grand Duchy, following a straight-sets victory over Isaac Barnes and Raphael Viens.

In an interview with Chronicle.lu, Steve Weber shared his emotions following the victory, describing how much the achievement still meant to him: “I said the first one was very special, but even now, the third one still feels amazing.”

Reflecting on this year’s tournament, Weber noted that the overall level of competition was higher than in previous editions, including in the qualification rounds. He acknowledged that their opponents in the final had not been at their best on the day, but added that they remained strong contenders. The pair is now preparing for their next challenge at the Budapest Futures, part of the Beach Pro Tour, scheduled from Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 September 2025.

Looking ahead, Weber said: “Our biggest goal right now in the Futures category of the beach volleyball tournament is to reach a quarter-final or semi-final. I think that would be amazing for Luxembourg, because of the size and the level that we have. It's really, really hard, and I think if we work at it, we can make it.”

In the women’s competition, current champions Eline Delcourt and Rebekka Klerf retained their national title with a win over Kelsey Chambers and Elisa Vasta in the final. The duo had previously finished as runners-up at the Games of the Small States of Europe (JPEE) in Andorra at the end of May.