It's another perfect summer day in south Miami Beach, a seedy but resurgent art deco district where the sand meets the street. The surf is tame, the water inviting. But most beach goers are sitting with their backs to the ocean. They gather by the thousands around a dozen volleyball nets where the bronzed gods of the beach--pro volleyball players--leap as high in the air as Michael Jordan and pound spikes that travel at the speed of a Nolan Ryan fastball.
Mike Rudicel, director of operations for Penrod's, a restaurant that runs the South Beach concessions and is the top beach volleyball promoter in Florida, smiles with satisfaction.
On the court, his team is winning. Mike Ryan digs a spike off the sand and serves it up to his partner, Kenny Haan, who leaps at least three feet into the air and rears back to attempt his own spike--only to deliver a "dink" (a soft shot that fakes out his opponent) that dribbles harmlessly to the ground. Music blares, banners fly, tan young women strut past, and best of all, spectators swarm Penrod’s beach concessions for beer, sodas, hamburgers, and hotdogs.
Penrod's has caught on to what other companies in California have known for more than a decade, and what others around the country are beginning to learn: Pro beach volleyball is an exciting sport that draws an attractive crowd. It's good for business.
"When we first came down here two years ago to run the beach," says Rudicel, "you could shoot a gun and not hit anybody. Now look at this crowd. Volleyball gives us exactly the image we want. And it looks to me like this could be the breakout year for pro beach volleyball nationwide."
Beach Vs. Indoor
Aside from having two instead of six players, the rules of beach volleyball are little different from the indoor variety. The court size is the same (30 by 60 feet) and the net height is the standard eight feet. The women's game lowers the net to 7 feet 4 inches, but otherwise retains the same rules. What distinguishes the outdoor game are the conditions under which it is played. Because two players have responsibility for an area ordinarily covered by six, beach players must develop better all-around skills. Specialization, common indoors, is impossible on the beach. Players have to be equally adept at digging, passing, setting, spiking, and serving.
Whereas indoor players wear athletic shoes and play on a firm surface, beach players perform barefoot on shifting sands subject to wind and sun conditions. A heavier ball is used to withstand the elements, and players must be prepared to adapt their play to the changing weather conditions. Scoring is the same, but while most indoor matches are the best two out of three games, beach matches are single games of 15 points. Indoor teams play only one match at a time, but in a weekend double-elimination tournament, beach teams may play as many as five matches a day--spending up to eight hours on the sand.
While Karch Kiraly, star of the U.S. Olympic team, is a champion both indoors and on the beach, there's not as much crossover from one variety to the other as you might think, says Matt Gage, Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tour director and
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