When was Beach Volleyball Invented?

Have you ever thought about how beach volleyball with its sun-soaked courts was invented? Sandy volleyball is a game synonymous with spirited competition, courage, sand and sun. The story is as interesting as the game. It is a contemporary game that started officially about 25 years ago. It began in Hawaii around 1915. It became popular due to easy access to beaches and cheap equipment. Many intriguing developments and milestones shape its journey. Read this piece of writing to explore the evolution of this volleyball which led to the rise of it as a demanding game.

Table of Contents

Where Did Beach Volleyball Originate?

Can we find traces of this Volleyball in a specific place? It was first played in Hawaii, an American state. It was the time when the Outrigger Beach and Canoe Club arranged a court on Waikiki Beach. But, most people believe that it started in Santa Monica, California. At first, it was just family fun. But with the passage of time, during the great depression, it got boosted. The great depression was an era of no money. So, people preferred to play the sport–which cost them no money.

How Did Beach Volleyball Evolve with Time?

How did volleyball evolve from a normal beach activity to an organized sport? It was when beach tournaments started. In the 1930s game competitions were held in popular places in France, Bulgaria, Latvia, and the Czech Republic. Sponsors came forward to sponsor the game which increased its popularity. In 1950, the first tournament of Volleyball which consisted of five individuals was created. The connection between games, fun, and energy became stronger with the popularity of beach volleyball. It was introduced to the whole world in the 1992 Olympics–but added officially to the Olympics in 1996.

90’s; The Boom of Beach Volleyball

Do you want to know how beach volleyball started to gain international recognition? Ok. The first Beach-volleyball demonstration tournament was held in 1992 in Spain. It was just a demonstration tournament. But, in 1996 it was nominated as an Olympic game in Atlanta. After mid- 1990s the number of international beach volleyball tournaments increased drastically. The USA won their first Olympic beach volleyball gold medal. Afterward, the first championship for volleyball on the beach was held in 1997.

Rise of Beach Volleyball during The Millenium

Just with the beginning of the new millennium, the second beach Volleyball championship took place in Sydney. As time went by, the story of success continued to develop with the Olympic games in Athens in 2004. The popularity of this Volleyball also increased with the 2008 Olympic games. When the 2012 Olympics were held in London-the tickets of beach volleyball were amongst the most popular game tickets. From 2015 onwards-Beach Volleyball’s new series, which was a joint venture between Red Bull and ACTS aimed to create a sensation of joy among spectators by watching it on-screen. 2016 and 2017 were a step further. After The succession of beach volleyball in the world Olympics World Tour Finals began to promote intense competition. 2017’s World Championship hosted by Vienna where almost 200,000 fans enjoyed the great competition–probably the world’s most exciting volleyball competition.

Rising Young Stars

Previous tournaments and seasons of Beach volleyball belong to so-called old players. With the advent of 2018, the World observed the sport youngsters introducing themselves to the world. The case was with young Norwegians Ander Mol and Christian Sorum. The energetic pair was 21 and 22 years of age. They wrote history by winning a beach major series tournament at the youngest age. They then back-to-back won in Vienna, got the European title, and then won the final title of the season in Hamburg. Girls also did their best to make a name in the history of Volleyball. Twenty-year-old Duda wrote her name in history books by becoming the youngest World Tour Final Champ when winning in Hamburg with Agatha. In the 2019, Beach Volleyball World Championships–there were almost 1,30,000 spectators, breaking all German records. New personalities around the world are emerging in the field of volleyball.

Game Rules

Let’s know the rules and regulations associated with this amazing Volleyball. Federation Internationale de Volleyball has published the official rules of this Volleyball -approved by FIVB congress. It provides the settings for how to play this fantastic volleyball internationally. However, the rules have changed over the course of years. The court size has become smaller than before.

Court Of Beach Volleyball

Its court seems interesting. It is played on a rectangular sand court. The court is 6 by 10-surrounded by a clear space. The clear space should be almost 3 meters wide from all sides. Seven meters is the minimum height clearance for the court. The sand in the court should be leveled and free of hazards such as rocks and harmful organisms. Moreover, the court is divided into two halves by a net. An antenna is attached on both sides of a net-marking a boundary for volleyball. Two sidelines and two end lines are used to delineate the court.

Conclusion

To summarize, beach volleyball is not a very old game. It was invented almost a century ago. It evolved with time–and has seen many revolutionizing eras. It was first played in Hawaii. Then, with the advent of time, its popularity began to increase. Until the 1990’s, it was not included in the world Olympics. From 1992 to 1996, beach- volleyball evolved as an Olympic game. During the millennium, it flourished as youngsters took part in it and made history. The current situation of this volleyball is exciting because of the increase in enthusiasm.
Picture of About David Muse

About David Muse

Hi, I'm David Muse, the founder of Volleyball Spikes. My days are spent with workouts and article writing, mostly for Volleyball Spikes. With 15 years of expertise and a history of competing on an international scale... It's fair to say that my knowledge of volleyball is pretty good.