There are many moments that draw guaranteed cheers at the AT&T Center: The announcement of the Spurs starting lineup in player introductions. The salute to soldiers attending the game. A shot of David Robinson in the crowd.
And then there’s the moment a fan tries to catch beach balls for H-E-B Gift Cards.
Beach Ball Mania is in its 10th season at the AT&T Center and has been a fan favorite since its inception.
The rules of Beach Ball Mania are simple: a contestant has 45 seconds to catch as many beach balls as they can and put them in an H-E-B shopping cart. There are four types of beach balls: White balls are worth $25, Red balls are worth $50, Red and White balls are worth $250 and the Silver & Black ball doubles the winning total.
These are San Antonio’s Powerballs.
“Ever since I first saw the game, I wanted to try it,” said Zac Treu, who was Wednesday’s lucky contestant when the Spurs faced the Rockets.
The appeal of Beach Ball Mania is as layered as the stripes on the Red & White ball. First, there’s the chance to win H-E-B gift cards, and San Antonians love H-E-B gift cards. Next, there’s the strategy to the game, making all 18,000 fans in the crowd armchair Beach Ball Mania players. When a contestant puts a $25 ball in a cart while a $250 ball hits the ground, an audible groan will occur. This game is high stakes.
And finally, there’s a high possibility that a contestant will fall while diving for a Beach Ball. If only they tried Beach Ball Mania on the ice at a Rampage game.
“I’d fall if I have to,” Treu said. “I don’t mind going all out if that’s what it takes.”
One hundred feet above the AT&T Center floor, four members of the Spurs Game Operations crew are watching the game with 15 beach balls in their hands. It’s no day at the beach for them. The new scoreboard blocks most of their view of the court, but all these guys are concerned about are the timeouts. Standing on the catwalk of the AT&T Center can get quite vertiginous, but dropping the beach balls is a fun part of the job for Jonathan Pesina, Marston Jefferson, Brandon Gutierrez and Horace Armstrong.
“You don’t get used to the height,” Pesina said. “But it’s pretty amazing to see everybody in the crowd go crazy from up here.”
Treu might have been a ringer of sorts. A San Antonian born and raised, he was well-versed in Beach Ball Mania since the game was introduced in 2006-07. Treu is also a soccer player at Trinity University, giving him the athleticism to catch beach balls falling from the ceiling of an arena. As a collegiate athlete, he wasn’t shaken by the AT&T Center crowd judging his performance, either.
“Actually, the crowd was pretty crazy,” Treu said. “I mean, there are more than 18,000 people here. We normally get a few hundred at our games.”
Treu was celebrating his 22nd birthday at Wednesday’s game. At the third timeout of the second quarter, the Game Ops crew springs into action and starts dropping beach balls that might as well be filled with gold for the hungry college student waiting below.
Boosted by a little birthday luck, Treu set a new Beach Ball Mania record by winning $1,100. Not bad for 45 seconds of work.
“I’m about as stoked as I can possibly be,” he said. “There are 41 home games a year, this has been going on for 10 years, and I just set the record? That’s pretty cool.”
The crowd goes crazy, and Treu does a Cam Newton-style dab as a celebration. It’s yet another night of Beach Ball Mania.
Treu’s Tips
Trinity student Zac Treu is Beach Ball Mania’s record-holder after winning $1,100 in H-E-B gift cards last week. Here’s his strategy to win at Beach Ball Mania:
Specials only: The way the game is designed, Treu said disregarding all solid Red or White balls is the best option. “If you just catch the three special balls, that’s $1,000 right there,” he said. “I was lucky to add one White ball on top of that.”
Silver & Black ball gives back: Because the Silver & Black ball, which doubles all winnings, is smaller than the rest, it has a different flight pattern. Be prepared. “The ball will sway two feet one way and two feet the other,” he said. “It’s tricky.”
Don’t go overboard: The pressure of the clock and the crowd can affect a contestant, but Treu said you must stick to your strategy. Trying to catch a beach ball while holding another is a bad idea. It’s also a sprint to the H-E-B shopping cart, so stay fit, and while these are beach balls, flip-flops are a bad choice.
Use the crowd: Treu was about to catch a white ball with less than 15 seconds remaining when he heard a roar from the crowd. A Red & White ball was on its way, giving him $450 more. “I could hear everyone when the big ball was coming,” True said. “I really owe them on that.”
lchan@attcenter.com
Twitter:@lornechan