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Professional Beach Volleyball: Big Crowds and Bigger Money
| Article
# : |
15016 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
9 / 1988 |
2,121 Words |
| Author
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Chauncey Mabe
Chauncey Mobe is a writer and editor for the News & Sun-
Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. |
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
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