Three years ago at this time we were watching the sport of beach volleyball implode. The AVP was about to declare bankruptcy and the sport appeared to be dying. Again. Now as we reach the end of the 2013 season it seems time to take a look at what’s transpired in the sport since its demise.
Considering where we came from in the not too distant past, the 2013 season was a very interesting one. Though it is still too early to declare that beach volleyball is back, the sport's re-birth is beginning to take shape.
For the first time in three years we are starting to see where the sport is headed, what it may be able to become and who might lead it there.
It’s not just about ownership now. Yes, we needed someone to come in and take the reigns after the doors closed in 2010. We got that when Donald Sun bought the AVP. But we also needed the sport itself to be a better product. And from what we saw this summer, we may be getting that as well.
The first thing that has changed is the faces. This season we saw some new ones. And the old ones all had new partners. It was a season of upheaval as the teams that dominated the last four years all disintegrated. That could have been a very bad thing, but it turned out to be a plus. Suddenly, nothing was predictable and the competition tightened. We said goodbye to Kerri and Misty and Jen and April and said hello to Kerri and April. We bid adieu to Todd and Phil, Jake and Rosie, Nick and Matt and Sean and John. We said hello to Phil and Rosie, Jake and Casey, Todd and Ryan and John and Tri.
With the new pairings came new energy, new contenders and a bit of the unexpected.
While most would assume that Phil and Rosie would have dominated domestic and possibly international competion, that's not what we got. Instead we saw the rise of Jake and Casey with their four AVP wins and No. 1 American rank. Kerri Walsh Jennings didn't dominate on the women's side either as some may have expected. Instead we saw a glimpse of the future in Summer Ross and Emily Day. Kerri's partnership with Whitney Pavlik yielded just one win, though it was in Manhattan Beach, the biggest tournament of the year. Near season's end, we saw Kerri and April get their first taste of competition with varying results.
Most exciting was the new young talent. On the men's side, rookie big men like Tri Bourne and Theo Brunner burst onto the scene. Though we saw less of him, Ryan Doherty is in this new big man class as well and should eventually find his way to the later rounds. All these guys hooked up with veteran partners, and began to find their way. Think about how long it has been since we've seen new young talent in the beach volleyball world. For the most part, they've been relegated to qualifiers and to bowing out early. But with the upheaval came a new opportunity to pair with proven players and make an immediate impact.
With the new faces came new energy as well. Led by the incomparable Casey Patterson, with his break dancing moves, crazy hair and loud personality, he managed to conjure up images of a time gone by. Beach volleyball used to be chock full of crazy characters like him, but as the sponsors and money came in, the personalities became more subdued. While Todd and Phil were great players and great players are always fun to watch, they lacked the sideshow excitement that the sport was built on.
Casey wasn't the only aspect that conjured up memories of the past. The AVP also managed to throw back the tournaments. By eliminating the stadium at the Manhattan and Santa Barbara Opens and instead asking fans to bring chairs and nestle up to the court, they brought back some nostalgia that felt a little like the good old days. Even a few sponsors like smart car bought in toward the end. That could be a good sign, but we need to see many more dollars besides Sun's next year and beyond if the sport is going to make it.
Most interesting of all was the way the players sounded in interviews. They are starting to talk about beach volleyball's comeback. They are starting to believe again. And for the most part, fans have come along for the ride and they've been excited for these chances to watch great beach volleyball with regularity.
But can we say that beach volleyball is back? Not yet. The sport has a long way to go. But the summer of 2013 was a very welcome breath of fresh air after a few years underwater. If only we could build on it.
Considering where we came from in the not too distant past, the 2013 season was a very interesting one. Though it is still too early to declare that beach volleyball is back, the sport's re-birth is beginning to take shape.
For the first time in three years we are starting to see where the sport is headed, what it may be able to become and who might lead it there.
It’s not just about ownership now. Yes, we needed someone to come in and take the reigns after the doors closed in 2010. We got that when Donald Sun bought the AVP. But we also needed the sport itself to be a better product. And from what we saw this summer, we may be getting that as well.
The first thing that has changed is the faces. This season we saw some new ones. And the old ones all had new partners. It was a season of upheaval as the teams that dominated the last four years all disintegrated. That could have been a very bad thing, but it turned out to be a plus. Suddenly, nothing was predictable and the competition tightened. We said goodbye to Kerri and Misty and Jen and April and said hello to Kerri and April. We bid adieu to Todd and Phil, Jake and Rosie, Nick and Matt and Sean and John. We said hello to Phil and Rosie, Jake and Casey, Todd and Ryan and John and Tri.
With the new pairings came new energy, new contenders and a bit of the unexpected.
While most would assume that Phil and Rosie would have dominated domestic and possibly international competion, that's not what we got. Instead we saw the rise of Jake and Casey with their four AVP wins and No. 1 American rank. Kerri Walsh Jennings didn't dominate on the women's side either as some may have expected. Instead we saw a glimpse of the future in Summer Ross and Emily Day. Kerri's partnership with Whitney Pavlik yielded just one win, though it was in Manhattan Beach, the biggest tournament of the year. Near season's end, we saw Kerri and April get their first taste of competition with varying results.
Most exciting was the new young talent. On the men's side, rookie big men like Tri Bourne and Theo Brunner burst onto the scene. Though we saw less of him, Ryan Doherty is in this new big man class as well and should eventually find his way to the later rounds. All these guys hooked up with veteran partners, and began to find their way. Think about how long it has been since we've seen new young talent in the beach volleyball world. For the most part, they've been relegated to qualifiers and to bowing out early. But with the upheaval came a new opportunity to pair with proven players and make an immediate impact.
With the new faces came new energy as well. Led by the incomparable Casey Patterson, with his break dancing moves, crazy hair and loud personality, he managed to conjure up images of a time gone by. Beach volleyball used to be chock full of crazy characters like him, but as the sponsors and money came in, the personalities became more subdued. While Todd and Phil were great players and great players are always fun to watch, they lacked the sideshow excitement that the sport was built on.
Casey wasn't the only aspect that conjured up memories of the past. The AVP also managed to throw back the tournaments. By eliminating the stadium at the Manhattan and Santa Barbara Opens and instead asking fans to bring chairs and nestle up to the court, they brought back some nostalgia that felt a little like the good old days. Even a few sponsors like smart car bought in toward the end. That could be a good sign, but we need to see many more dollars besides Sun's next year and beyond if the sport is going to make it.
Most interesting of all was the way the players sounded in interviews. They are starting to talk about beach volleyball's comeback. They are starting to believe again. And for the most part, fans have come along for the ride and they've been excited for these chances to watch great beach volleyball with regularity.
But can we say that beach volleyball is back? Not yet. The sport has a long way to go. But the summer of 2013 was a very welcome breath of fresh air after a few years underwater. If only we could build on it.
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