Beach volleyball history

The history of beach volleyball goes back to the 1920's in California...

Beach volleyball is considered as having begun in Santa Monica, California, in the 1920s.

The sport began as a form of family fun and its all-round appeal and low cost nature meant it soon spread around the world.

The sport was given a boost by the Great Depression. Starved of cash, Americans in their hundreds flocked to the beaches to take part in what was virtually a no-cost pastime and a free source of entertainment.

By the 1950s, tournaments were being held in California. Included on the program were beauty contests and other forms of entertainment.

As the sport continued to grow rapidly it wasn’t long before sponsors were brought in and by the 1970s a fully fledged pro beach volleyball tour was underway.

It was only a matter of time before the International Volleyball Federation had to recognise the sport, and that breakthrough came in 1986.

Since then, beach volleyball’s World Tour has spread from the US into Europe and Asia. Now the prize money worldwide for international and domestic beach volleyball is in the millions of dollars and growing every year. It is estimated that there are now 800 million people playing volleyball worldwide.