The Ladies Dive Into Asbury Park’s Sand Blast!
On July 20, thousands of gays and lesbians from the tri-state area will converge on the charming little seaside town of Asbury Park for Sand Blast, the annual LGBT party weekend on the Jersey Shore. And this year, event organizers have worked with New York party promoters to plan even more hot parties and activities to appeal to a growing lesbian contingent.
"We have always focused on trying to get women to be a larger part of this weekend," said Sand Blast Executive Director Brad Hurtado. "We had ’Black Bra’ parties, lesbian comedians - the things you would expect. But that changed as we saw what struck people’s interests: ultimately, we realized that a pool party was what women wanted."
Last year, Hurtado organized a lesbian pool party at one of the smaller hotels, with DJ Susan Levine spinning. The party was a smash hit, prompting Hurtado to relocate it to the larger host hotel, The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, this year.
"It was packed last year, and we kept getting noise complaints," said Levine. "I spun for eight hours in 100 degree heat, and although I was under a white canopy, I thought I was going to die! I was pounding Gatorade and even took a dip in the pool. But the women loved it!"
Levine will return to spin for this year’s "Siren of the Sea Women’s Pool Party", and said she will bang out her classic style of commercial House music, Latin House and remixes.
"I hope it’s going to be a hot, gorgeous day, because it’s a pool party, I want them fist pumping, frolicking in the pool and telling even more people next year how amazing this event is!"
The Sirens of the Sand Blast
Joining Levine at "Siren of the Sea" is Jincey Lumpkin, Esq., the founder and "Chief Sexy Officer" of Juicy Pink Box, a lesbian-oriented online porn site. Lumpkin will hold an interactive wet T-shirt contest featuring water guns, sex toys and a $100 cash prize.
"It’s going to be awesome; I’m really excited," Lumpkin told EDGE. "We did a similar wet T-shirt contest at Rapture on the River that was insanely popular. So we are bringing it back this year to the pool party."
Lumpkin said that the contest would feature willing volunteers vying for a $100 cash first prize. The second runner up gets sex toys, and everyone at the party will receive a free, one-month membership to Juicy Pink box. Guests can even custom-make the weekend they want.
"You can buy a pass for the weekend or just go à la carte," said Lumpkin. "Entrance to the pool party gets you two hour access to the beach party, kind of like a two-fer. It is a great value, considering that Rapture on the River was $75 per person at the door for VIP."
Party Envy...Not This Year!
Later that night, Lumpkin will team up with Danielle Presents and Sir Sabrina to host Wet, the all-girl dance party at The Ocean, hosted by GO Magazine and featuring music by DJ Roze Royce.
Although the parties have been very well received, Levine said that women often looked enviously at the men’s annual dance on the beach, disappointed that there was no party by the sea planned for them.
So for the first time this year, on Sunday, women will get their own Sand Blast Beach Party, "Surfer Girl", featuring DJ Whitney Day, and welcoming the New Jersey Women’s Flag Football Team.
"A big hit for the last five years has been our dance on beach, the marquee event of the weekend, where we set up a huge, 50 x 80 ft. dance floor on beach," said Hurtado. "On Saturday it’s for the men, and on Sunday, it stood empty. So this year, we’re launching Surfer Girl, so girls can have their own experience of a beach party."
Throw in brunch and shopping excursions, an Asbury Park art crawl, yoga on the beach, beginners surfing lessons, a women’s jazz brunch on the boardwalk and a Sunday morning fun bike ride sponsored by Out Cycling, and you’ve got a weekend worth splashing in to!
