FUN IN THE SUN

///BY JEREMY MARKLINE

Top 10 Fabulous Thin gs to Do at Sand Blast Weekend

On Friday, July 19, thousands of gays and lesbians will begin converging on the charming seaside town of Asbury Park for Sand Blast Weekend. What makes Jersey Shore’s gay party weekend different from other circuit events is that in addition to the high-energy dance parties, Sand Blast Weekend offers a whole smorgasbord of relaxing activities to enjoy.
“Sand Blast is about discovering Asbury Park as a gay-friendly resort community and making it your own,” says event founder Brad Hurtado. “While most guys come for our killer parties, we want our guests to explore the quirky downtown and boardwalk and enjoy all that this jewel on the Jersey Shore has to offer.” Asbury Park is not just a place to visit once a year. It’s a destination gay men and women can return to again and again. “We like to think of Sand Blast Weekend as the Atlantis Cruise of circuit parties,” Hurtado says. “We have tons of fun activities to offer our guests all weekend long.” Here is just a sampling of the fun things to try at Sand Blast Weekend:

10. Cruise The Boardwalk
Sunglasses, flip flips and a sexy smile are all you need for Asbury Park’s famous boardwalk as you take in the always-changing vista of visiting hotties.

9. Learn to Surf
NJ Surf School is offering beginner’s lessons for both surfing and paddle boarding. Sunday 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., 8th Avenue Beach. $39 or $60 per couple

8. Drink & Draw
Pick up a pencil and sketch some seriously sexy nude male models at an adults-only live erotic art class. Asbury Lanes, Saturday, 10 p.m. $15

7. Take It Off
Classic burlesque from Philadelphia’s “Peek-ABoo Revue” will titillate, tease and crack you up in this retro hot show. Asbury Lanes, Saturday, 8 p.m. $12

6. Asbury Art Crawl
Explore Asbury’s funky downtown as you hit six art galleries on a walking tour through the town’s historic shopping district. Saturday, 6-9 p.m. Free

5. Get Spooked
Explore paranormal secrets of the Jersey Shore with a lantern-led walk through Asbury Park’s historic downtown district. Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m. $12

4. Become a Pinball Wizard
Play every classic pinball and video game from the last century at the amazing Silverball Museum Arcade. $10 for unlimited play

3. Blow Your Own
Put your breath into a one-of-a-kind glass Christmas ornament that you make with the help of one of Hot Sand’s glass artists. $50 for one-on-one 20-minute session

2. Show Your Skivvies
Sand Blast’s Urge Underwear Party strips over 500 men to their bare essentials for a hot night of serious fun. Saturday, 1-5 a.m. $15

1. Dance on the Beach Of course, Sand Blast Weekend offers several opportunities to shake your booty on the sand. Saturday afternoon’s fabulous seven-hour Beach Party with DJs Tony Moran and Hector Fonseca is unmissable fun ($60). Then party all night with a thousand shipwrecked men at Deep Blue, the Saturday night dance party featuring DJs Phil B and Nina Flowers ($30). On
Sunday the Riptide Pool Party with DJ Eddie Martinez & Steve Sidewalk is the perfect way to heat up and cool off with 1,000 swimsuit-clad hotties and a poolside performance of “Gone With the Wind Fabulous” by Atlanta Housewife Kenya Moore from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. $20

112 minutes by train from NYC’s Penn Station to Asbury Park Beach on NJ Transit, $15. Or Exit 102 on the Garden State Parkway.

Sand Blast Weekend takes place Friday, July 19, through Sunday, July 21, in Asbury Park, NJ. Multi-event passes from $110 – $165. Go to SandBlastWeekend.com for tickets, hotel reservations and the latest event details. You must use promo code SAND for event rates at The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel and the Hotel Tides. Follow Sand Blast on Twitter @SandBlastWknd.