LeiOut is returning to Huntington Beach! It’s back on MLK weekend! But this time the epic party is on the beach and all day long!
What’s new for 2023?
So much! Here are the big ones and there will be plenty more revealed along the way:
- New Grand Master and Great Grand Master Divisions! After 21 LeiOuts, we can’t wait to have 4v4 Mixed GM & GGM.
- All divisions except Maui (Competitive) will be 4v4 for the first time in 20 years!
- This means fields will be smaller as well: 53yd long including two 8yd endzones by 25yd wide.
- For all 4v4 divisions the gender ratio is 2:2. For the only 5v5 division it alternates 2-3/3-2 utilizing WFDF’s Rule A.
- The most competitive division will remain 5v5 to allow WBUC players to get valuable experience prior to the World Championships.
- All 4v4 divisions will have two-pointers!
- Option 1: Endzone to opposite endzone cross-gender completions.
- Option 2: Callahans (defense catches it in the offensive team’s endzone).
- A Saturday bye: seeing all of your friends on different fields or in different divisions is just too fun to pass up, plus maybe a proper hydration and shade break is in order.
- Outdoor party: by hosting the epic LeiOut party on the beach, folks can enjoy the beer tent all day long and then party with the masses until 9:00 PM. Oh, and then we’ll run it back on Sunday for good measure! We have some surprises to keep it fun and funky, all the while keeping it safer outdoors.
- Need a detox from Saturday night? Join us on the beach for yoga & coffee Sunday morning an hour before the first round.
- Planning to bring your kids and want a little time to goof off with friends or simply enjoy uninterrupted competition? We’re contracting certified childcare providers to make your LeiOut just a little more enjoyable this year.
What are LeiOut 2023’s COVID requirements and protocols?
Our local health experts are continually monitoring the COVID situation and providing further guidance to ensure LeiOut 2023 is operated in the safest and most equitable manner possible.
- We are requiring all participants to have been fully vaccinated by December 30, 2022. Proof thereof must be uploaded by December 30th as well. If you are not currently vaccinated that means you need to start the process early in order to be allowed on site by LeiOut 2023, see the important dates table. There are no medical or religious exemptions permitted for this year’s event as we are prioritizing the health and safety of our wider community and the general public. Our health experts highly recommend staying completely up to date with boosters, including the just released bivalent mRNA boosters; but LeiOut 2023 does not plan to require proof of boosters.
- If you have experienced any COVID symptoms or had a direct indoor exposure (15+ minutes in the same room) within 10 days of the event please stay home.
- If you discover any of your teammates are positive on January 14th or later we ask that you alert the TD and have your entire team immediately leave the beach to quarantine back in your accommodations. This is too large of an event to risk transmission.
- We will be adhering to or surpassing all National, state and local COVID-19 guidelines; as such, we ask that you have a mask available when going into enclosed areas. It’s important that we all be prepared for any last minute shifts in guidelines and protocols. Thank you in advance for doing your part to keep LeiOut 2023 and the general public safe.
What do I do if I don’t have a team? What does signing up as a “free agent” mean?
If you don’t have a team you can sign up as a “free agent.” Our staff will approach teams with smaller rosters to see if they need some fun reinforcements and then will assign free agents as needed. Additionally, if there are enough free agents signed up by December 1, 2021 we will start creating free agent teams of 10-12 players. You will be alerted if you’re added to another team, a free agent team, or if you aren’t on a team by December 4 so that you can adjust any travel plans or stay registered and roll the dice that a team will need players in the last 6 weeks. On January 2, 2022 if you haven’t been placed on a team we will issue a full refund.
Alternatively, instead of signing up as a free agent you can peruse posts on our Matchmaker page to see if teams are looking for a player like you; or you post yourself on there as a potential player for a team to pick up for the event.
Do LeiOut and its organizers support the local ultimate community?
Yes! LeiOut is owned and run by the local adult nonprofit organization LAOUT which is a partner with the local youth
LA Birds of Play at YCC 2022
nonprofit SCYU. LeiOut is LAOUT’s biggest fundraiser every year, and is paving the way for LAOUT & SCYU to grow youth Ultimate in LA by hiring full time staff and running innovative and inclusive programming. The LeiOut Task Force includes Board members from both orgs, and provides stipends for key organizers for all of their hard work.
Additionally, last year LeiOut donated $1,400 from its reserves to help LA’s first ever Youth Club Championship team travel to Blaine, MN and have paid coaches.
This year, LeiOut will also be donating $1,000 to the Huntington/Seal Beach Surfrider Foundation chapter to sponsor a beach cleanup day on December 3, 2022. If you’re in town and want to volunteer for the beach cleanup day, sign up here. If you’re not in the greater LA/OC area December 3, find a local park near you and volunteer to cleanup! Share a photo of you and/or your team volunteering on social media! @leioutultimate #prepartycleanup
Will there be a LeiOut party?
We are planning to have a casual Friday night opening party (our team is working on a few outdoor options), and two epic parties out on the beach on Saturday and Sunday! There will be plenty of music and dancing all weekend long, and we have lots of surprises planned as well.
What are satellite HQs?
For a tournament of LeiOut’s size, one HQ simply isn’t enough. Our satellite HQs offer more teams the same amenities that the main HQ does without the long walk. We want all of you to have accessible water, food, and medical attention.
What is LeiOut doing about environmental sustainability?
Our goal is to use what we have learned over the last two years and expand on our efforts. We will continue to focus on food, waste, and sustainable sponsorships as the clearest path towards making LeiOut more environmentally friendly. Remember that a sustainable event relies on both participants and staff making conscious decisions.
Additionally, we are planning a beach cleanup day on December 3, 2022 that all are welcome to join. And, as we get closer to the event, we will open up a bunch of volunteer slots to help us clean up the beach on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning after the event.
How do I make changes to my team’s roster?
Instructions on how to login and make changes to your team roster will be included as part of the team registration confirmation email. If you are experiencing technical issues, please contact us.
My captain has prepaid for me, do I still need to register?
Yes! All individual players must complete the individual player registration process in order to complete the online waivers before being eligible to play. We will not have paper copies available at the beach and with the new COVID requirements you MUST have everything completed online by December 30, 2022.
What is the refund policy?
Team refunds are available until December 4, 2022 minus a $100 admin fee. Additional individual refunds are available until December 30, 2022 minus a $25 admin fee; we cannot offer refunds to anyone thereafter. If there is a strange phenomenon (including but not limited to: a tsunami, an AQI issue, or a global health threat) that prompts local, state, and/or national authorities to ban large outdoor gatherings on Huntington State Beach, we’ll refund all fees less nonrefundable expenses.
What were LeiOut’s finances in 2022?
Canceling LAOUT’s beloved and biggest nonprofit fundraising event was one of the toughest decisions we’ve ever made. Between all of the hard work and planning our staff had done and all of the logistics teams had to juggle, we made the decision that health and safety were paramount. We did our best to issue partial refunds after expenses were accounted for and our entire team sought out refunds wherever possible. If you have further questions about our 2022 finances, please direct them to finances@leioutultimate.com.
| LEIOUT 2022 FINANCES | |
| Revenue | |
| Initial LAOUT Loan | $ 4,604.92 |
| Revenue | $ 179,727.89 |
| Refunds | $ (127,037.50) |
| Total | $ 57,295.31 |
| Expenses | |
| Repayment of LAOUT Loan | $ (4,604.92) |
| Tournament Budget | $ (5,715.44) |
| Operation Budget | $ (5,866.75) |
| Apparel Budget | $ (11,396.25) |
| Staff Budget | $ (24,000.00) |
| Promotions Budget | $ (5,711.95) |
| Total | $ (57,295.31) |
| Net Operating Revenue for LeiOut 2022 | $ 0.00 |
If you have other questions you’d like answered, please feel free to ask me & the team to include your question in this FAQ page.
Thanks,
Grant Boyd