Scott Valor Tells It

Pro Beach Volleyball is Alive and Well in the U.S.

2011-09-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

Pro Beach Volleyball is Dead. Long Live Pro Beach Volleyball...

When the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) folded last year days before the Manhattan Beach Open, that tournament, known as the Wimbledon of Tennis, survived because locals stepped up to save it. But what of the professional beach volleyball players left holding the bag? No prize money, few if any sponsors, no future.

Step in USA Volleyball and marketing/branding giant IMG and this year we were blessed with the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Volleyball Series for 2011. Starting in Mahattan Beach, with a stop in Miami's South Beach, then back to California for the finale in Hermosa Beach, the "Cuervo" showcased some of this nation's top volleyball players and put up legitimate prize money to boot.

Not everyone was satisfied. Many of the top Olympic-qualifying pros (read: May/Walsh, Dahlhauser/Rogers) chose to play in Europe in order to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. Others simply boycotted because there was not enough unity in the US. Besides the Cuervo, others stepped up to produce separate, smaller tournaments.

The Corona Light Wide Open and the National Volleyball League offered tournament stops all over the US, although with a smaller "footprint" and arguably smaller draw. Many pros viewed this fragmentation as not healthy and called for unification.

But we are not pros; we are spectators. We come to the beach to see good quality volleyball from top athletes. The Cuervo proved that Pro Beach Volleyball is alive and well. And with its commitment to add more stops next year, the big-money backers of the tour have given us confidence that the show will go on...

For more information on the Cuervo series: http://www.josecuervoprobeachvolleyballseries.com/Splash_Page.htm

Tradition Prevails at Manhattan Beach Open

2010-08-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

The 50th Annual Manhattan Beach Open--the most prestigious volleyball tournament in the country--the Wimbledon/Masters/US Open/Indy 500 of the sport--finished up on a warm, sunny afternoon yesterday.

The winner? The die-hard fans to be sure.

With the collapse of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) less than two weeks before, and the AVP's "cancellation" of the Open, the City of Manhattan Beach and California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) took the bull by the horns and made it happen. Gone was the big stadium on the beach, the numerous sponsor booths, the music, the admission fees, the lack of parking, the "invasion" as some locals called it. Returning was free volleyball, beach chairs, sitting courtside--we're talking right on the court line, and solid volleyball.

Oh yes, some of the top pros may have boycotted because of a return to "old school" rules and courts, but many of top AVP seeds, some of the country's best amateurs, and legendary players coming out of retirement in their late 40s, came together to show what the open was and is all about.

What's "old school"? The current international and olympic rules, adopted by the AVP call for a smaller court, a smaller synthetic ball, and "rally" scoring--where a point was scored every serve. One side or the other received a point when the ball hit the ground. Rally scoring ("new school rules") games rarely last more than 25-30 minutes. Old school rules call for a larger court, a heavier leather ball, and "side out" scoring--you can only score when you serve. If the other team "sides out" your serve, you receive no points and they then have the opportunity. If you side out, then you get to serve again. Side out games can go zero-zero, one-zero, and on for a long time--often 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours at a time.

Now that's a different game altogether with very different strategies. It also requires a great deal more endurance, particularly if you have to play 5-6 games a day in the heat. The MB Open started as an old school tournament. The AVP changed the rules. The rules have just been changed back.

Old school fans prefer it that way. Many young pros do not. For the 2010 MB Open, the score was Fans-1, Boycotting players-0.

In the end, two top former AVP players won, having endured two days of heat, chearing and jeering, good ref calls and really bad ref calls. Victorious, too, were the fans--the hard core fans who know and cherish the game--not those who thought the Open was "canceled" because the AVP folded and didn't bother to show up.

Sitting courtside, watching some of the world's top athletes, and sharing the moment with your friends and neighbors is what made the 50th Annual Manhattan Beach Open a special one. Hope you were there to see it...

Manhattan Open - The Wimbledon of Beach Volleyball

2010-08-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Manhattan Beach, CA - Summer arrives late in Southern California. Gone, finally, is the June/July/August gloom, just in time for the 50th Annual Manhattan Open - the premier event in beach volleyball.

This year, there is an ironic twist to this legendary event. Originally a "local" event where friends and family gathered court side to watch their neighbors (who happened to be some of the best beach volleyball players in the world) battle it out, since 1983 the event has been sponsored by the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP). Gone were the courtside beach chairs, replaced by an on-sand stadium holding up to 6,000 people, sponsor tents, and admission fees. Gone also was the hometown atmosphere cherished by so many.

The AVP folded just a few short weeks ago, another victim of the recession and unrealistic marketing efforts. It canceled the rest of this season's tour, including the Manhattan Open.

Born from the ashes, with just two short weeks to prepare, is the Manhattan Open of old. "Old school" rules, no stadium, no admission fees.

The qualifying round begins today, Friday, August 20, in what feels like only the 3rd day of summer. The main rounds go Saturday and Sunday.

No major sponsors, no real prize money, no worries. They wouldn't cancel Wimbledon, would they?

Stay tuned for more throughout the weekend...