APRIL, 2009
AVP Season Opener
The AVP opened its season near the end of Spring Break at Panama City Beach, FL on March 27-29. Despite the great location, the tournament was threatened with thunderstorms that cancelled the first day of Main Draw play. So, a single elimination tournament was held just on Sunday with all 24 men's and women's teams fighting for the victory stand. Once the sand settled, the Beijing Olympians: Todd Rogers/Phil Dalhausser, and Elaine Youngs/Nicole Branagh outlasted the competition in this marathon event.
MARCH, 2009
Look-Ahead at the AVP 2009 Season
Given the change in the AVP management ranks near the end of last season, everyone is hoping for an exciting season of play. The recession, impacting the revenue all sports could typically expect from sponsors and ticket sales, have forced the AVP to cut its tournament schedule for the first time since 2001. With an eye on cost-cutting, 5 of the 16 events will be held in California and a majority of these have been cut to two-day Main Draw contests. As always, the season will be an interesting one - especially given player absences from the tour (see below).
FEBRUARY, 2009
Offseason Report
For those fans just tuning into the sport, here's a quick summary of what transpired during the off-season.
- Mike Whitmarsh’s Passing
The world beach volleyball community weathered the loss of Mike Whitmarsh (Silver Medalist in Atlanta 1996 Olympics, 25 AVP tournament wins). Whitmarsh took his own life on February 17th, dying of carbon monoxide poisoning within a friend’s garage. He was in the midst of an emotional divorce, and his San Diego real estate job was being threatened by the struggling economy. Chris “Geeeter” McGee (AVP emcee) stated, “Never in a million years could I have guessed this would happen.” In mDuring the last few AVP Hot Winter Nights tour events, there was a moment of silence in repect for one of the top beach volleyball players in history. We’ll miss you Mike.
- Sponsor Coming and Goings
During the offseason, there was some turnover in the sponsor ranks – the AVP’s main source of revenue. The clothier Nautica, Speedo, Cuervo, and Hilton bailed. However, in their place, Russell Athletics sportswear, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Malibu Rum jumped on-board. We’ll have to see how long the flagship sponsor CROCS, who’s stock is trading at an incredibly low $1.00, will hang on…
- AVP Goes Off the Record
The typically tight-lipped AVP management team has further distanced itself from the watchful and curious eye. On December 12, 2008, the AVP “deregistered its common stock” thereby ending the trading of its stock shares (hovering around the $1 mark) in the stock market. In a cost-cutting measure, the AVP will no longer need to regularly report its finances to the Securities Exchange Commission. In what will be a tightly-budgeted 2009 season, an approximated $500,000 in expenses can be avoided. And no longer will it need to report all its tournament and overhead expenses, as well as its sponsor and event revenue.
- Throwing in the Gatorade Towel
During the off-season, a few top players decided not to put their bodies through the arduous pre-season training and marathon six-month outdoor season. Das Holdren, 5th place finisher at the Athens 2004 Olympics has called it quits. The fans will certainly miss his entertaining on-court arguments and stalling tactics. Fred Souza’s sizzling serves will not be missed by his competitors - he is sitting out this season and likely his entire career due to unsuccessful knee surgery. Mike Lambert’s nagging leg injuries, that prevented him from pursuing an Olympic bid in Beijing, have prompted his pull-out from the tour this year, and possibly forever. With these departures, new partnerships will emerge this season.
And every season, several promising players drop-out due to finances. And during this floundering economy, we may see more exoduses. First up may indeed be journeyman Hans Stolfus who, despite his middle-of-the-road earnings, is seeking greener, financial pastures. Catch his court grovelings on the AVP tour while you can.
- Hot Winter Nights Tour
In its second season, the AVP held its second Hot Winter Nights Tour. Despite cancelling 3 of the 17 events, the 14-stop tour was a hit among the hit among the fans - approximately 1000 - 2000 per stop. Several men and women players competed in these exhibition-like matches. Gold-medalists Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers were highlights of the tour with fans scrambing for autographs on shirts, hats, and ticket stubs. After round-robin play in which the players traded partners in unisex round-robin play, a "final" was held. To heat-up this finale, the AVP switched the format of this contest to a mixed fours format where men and women competed together. Cool format and fun for fans.