NO PROFESSIONAL SPORT WOULD BE WITHOUT ITS VERSION OF THE SUPER BOWL OR WIMBLEDON. IN THE EARLY 1960s, BEACH VOLLEYBALL WAS THE MANHATTAN BEACH OPEN. LEGENDARY MATCHES PLAYED WELL INTO THE EVENING IMMORTALIZED MERE MEN. THE CROWDS WERE MASSIVE, AND THE PROXIMITY TO THE PIER WAS PICTURESQUE. AT FIRST, SEVERAL NORTH BAY PARTNERSHIPS DOMINATED, THEN AS THE SPORT PROFESSIONALIZED, MORE SOUTH BAY GUYS ROUNDED THE OUT ACTION AND BEGAN DEFENDING THEIR TURF.

BY THE 80s, THE MANHATTAN OPEN HAD A BECOME QUITE THE WARFIELD. LOCATED IN THE SOUTH BAY’S BACKYARD, MANHATTAN BEACH WAS THE HOME TO ONE OF THE ERA’S MOST POWERFUL DUOS, MIKE DODD AND THE CITY’S ADOPTED SON, TIM HOVLAND. FROTHING AT THE MOUTH WERE THE LOCALS WHO COULDN’T WAIT FOR THE NORTH BAY’S SINJIN SMITH AND RANDY STOKLOS TO MAKE IT TO THE FINALS. AND MAKE IT THEY WOULD, MEETING 7 TIMES. EACH FINAL WAS AS THRILLING AS IT WAS NASTY. THE AUDIENCE LOVED TO ANTAGONIZE RANDY AND SINJIN, WHO IN STORIED RESPONSE WOULD TURN AND GIVE IT RIGHT BACK AND DOUBLY SO IF THE HECKLERS WERE PART OF COMPETITOR BRENT FROHOFF’S POSSE, THE APTLY NICKNAMED, “FRO’S BROS.”

THEATRICS ASIDE, THE MANHATTAN BEACH HOLDS A GREAT PLACE IN EVERY BEACH VOLLEYBALL PROFESSIONAL’S HEART. THERE’S SIMPLY NOT ANOTHER EVENT QUITE LIKE IT.

(Photos courtesy of Kevin Goff - www.kevincgoff.com)