PRO BEACH VOLLEYBALL
By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Steve Li teamed hammers a kill at last year's
Emporio Armani event.
The beach game means
big crowds and bigger prizes
By Cindy Luis
Star-BulletinTHINK beach. Think volleyball.
Think beach volleyball. Lots of it.
While the indoor game has failed to attract solid following outside of Hawaii and a few pockets on the mainland, the beach is booming. The traditional B's of the Beach -- Babes and Beer -- have been replaced by Big Bucks.
There's a number of castles being built with grains of sand from Clearwater, Fla., to Kalapaki Beach, Kauai. The domestic tours are a mix of alphabet soups and bartenders' bests -- AVP, WPVA, Bud Light 4s and Cuervo Gold Doubles.
It's no surprise that the bucks -- and pro tours -- all stop here. Just ask Sports Illustrated, which used Kauai as a backdrop for part of this year's swimsuit issue.
The surprise is at the lack of venues in the islands to host some of the world's premier players, not to mention the growing numbers locally.
The only public beach with permanent anchors and room enough for four courts is Queen's Surf Beach, home to the Oahu Volleyball Association's doubles series. Queen's is adequate but not overly spectator-friendly, with fans vying for space along with beachgoers and surfers.
A victory for history was a loss for the future when funds were recently approved for the restoration of the Natatorium and its saltwater pool. Volleyball organizers had eyed the World War I memorial as the perfect site for beach ball, complete with viewing stands and a priceless view from Diamond Head to Ewa.
"We were really disappointed with the decision for the pool to be restored," said OVA president Paul McCurdy, whose hopes were to replace the pool area with sand courts. "What a showcase for the sport the Natatorium would have been. You had the ability to control crowds, charge admission and sell Hawaii all in one place."
It also was a shame, according to player and tournament organizer Jon Andersen, that the recent revamping of Kapiolani Park to eliminate the driving range didn't include a few sand courts. Playing space is at a premium, particularly this year during the nine weeks between Aug. 2 and Sept. 28 when three professional and four large local tournaments are scheduled.
Andersen, who dominated the doubles scene here for more than a decade, will celebrate his 42nd birthday by sponsoring the 10th annual Riggers Beach Invitational Aug. 9-10 at Queen's. The August sand madness begins with the OVA championships Aug. 2-3 and continues with the Emporio Armani State Championships (Aug. 16-17) and Daddy Haine 4s Tournament at Outrigger Canoe Club.
The pros hit the beaches here with the Bud Lite 4s, Aug. 23-24, and Cuervo Gold Doubles, Sept. 6-7, both at Ft. DeRussy/Hilton Hawaiian Village. The WPVA concludes its season at Kalapaki Beach, Sept. 26-28, with The Best of the Beach.
The only U.S. pro tour not making a stop here is the Miller Lite/AVP. The men's circuit ceased its annual migration to Hawaii when it found the state's $9,000 rental fee for beach use and related expenses (security, bleachers, sound system) too high.
The AVP had its biggest payday June 15 when Dain Blanton and Canyon Ceman split the $60,000 first-place check after winning the AVP Hermosa Beach Grand Slam. The event drew 64 teams.
By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Last season's college player of the year, Angelica Ljungquist,
is the latest player with Hawaii ties to play on one
of the pro beach volleyball circuits.
Familiar faces
By Cindy Luis
on the pro tours
Star-BulletinSUNSCREEN ... Check. Cold beverages ... Check.
Umbrella ... Check.
Sand chair ... Check.
Being a spectator at a beach volleyball tournament is not just a day at the beach. It requires preparation and patience, even if you're going no farther than your living room papasan.
Finding pro beach volleyball on television means participating in another beach activity: surfing. Channel surfing.
The sport IS being broadcast. Sometimes on ESPN. Sometimes on ESPN2. Sometimes on (pick all of the following) ABC ... Fox Sports ... Prime.
Rarely live. Rarely even same-day tape delay. You might have to get up at 4 in the morning sometime in October to catch the WPVA's Sept. 26-28 Best of the Beach on Kauai. It might be easier to fly into Lihue and drive over to Kalapaki Beach.
The advantage of living in Hawaii is if the remote won't bring the pro tour to you, you can go to the pro tour in person. More of an advantage is that you actually might know who most of the players are, having seen them during their college careers either playing for or against the University of Hawaii.
Currently, there are about a dozen players with island ties scattered around the various pro circuits. Former UH players on the Bud Lite 4x4s tour are Allen Allen, Carlos Briceno and Angelica Ljungquist, along with ex-Punahou, Stanford and U.S. Olympic standout Mike Lambert. Mark Presho of UH is an alternate,
Playing in the AVP are ex-Rainbows John Hanley, Albert Hannemann, Leif Hanson, Jeff Rodgers and Dan Vrebalovich. Sean Scott is on the qualifying tour, teaming with former UCLA and Punahou standout Stein Metzger. Hawaii prep products Lee LeGrande and Kevin Wong also are on the doubles circuit.
Former Wahine Karrie Trieschman Poppinga is one of the rising stars on the WPVA along with former prep standout Danalee Bragado. Former Chaminade women's coach Janice Harrer will be playing in several WPVA tournaments on the mainland, but not enough to qualify for the Kauai stop; she is still getting back into playing shape following the birth of her second child three months ago.
Melissa Barker Allen, former Wahine basketball player, has recently retired after a brief pro stint following another knee surgery.
Making it to the tour is not as hard as staying on the tour for island players. Without a sponsor, the travel costs alone are prohibitive. Many simply relocate to the mainland for the season.
"It would be hot to have a full-on Hawaii circuit that went beyond Honolulu," said the 36-year-old Harrer, who turned pro 15 years ago. "It's also been neat to see some local sponsors on board for the tours.
"One thing that has changed while I've been playing is the mindset toward the sport. It's become more professional and people are looking beyond it being women in bathing suits. If that's all there was to the tour image, I wouldn't still be playing."
"I think the beach game has gained a lot of credibility, especially after it was made an Olympic sport," said Barker Allen, who is living in San Diego. "You've seen the change in professionalism and that comes with money and the acceptance of the sport worldwide.
"It's a credibility that the 4-man hasn't attained yet."
Upcoming Events
Oahu Beach Association
What: OVA series championship
Riggers
Emporio Armani
Bud Lite 4x4
Daddy Haine
Cuervo Gold
Evian WPVA
