Why Beach Volleyball is So Popular These Days? (Explained)

Beach volleyball’s popularity is seriously competing with indoor volleyball. There are so many factors justifying this …

There are even some pro and semi-pro volley players who has already turned or are tempted to turn to beach volleyball instead, which is really interesting!

In this Post, I breakdown some key elements that justify this popularity growth that sand volleyball has gained as of lately.

How popular is beach volleyball?

Beach volleyball is a mentally challenging sport

Beach volleyball is one of the most mentally challenging sports in the world. Each of your opponents has a totally different set of strengths and weaknesses, and you need to figure out on the spot how to make the most out of them…

Most players enjoy and thrive on the challenge of figuring out a game plan and feel a sense of gratification when they are able to execute it well.

At the same time, you already know that your opponent is also searching for your weaknesses, so you have to be mentally tough to handle this pressure and put your best foot forward at all times.

Most Athletes nowadays are actually looking for such mentally challenging activities.

Tough physical demands

One of the reasons for the beach volleyball growing popularity is that hardcore fans enjoy the high physical demand the sport entails …

With the sun in your eyes, the wind at your back, and hot sand under your feet, you have to move quickly and also cover the entire court area.

It is an epic battle that takes place on the sand, and spectators, as well as players, love this thrill.

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No need for a ton of gear

Beach volleyball does not require you to lug around a ton of gear. You only need your water bottle, sunscreen, sunglasses, and towel …

This is unlike other disciplines that require a ton of gear upfront!

Entertaining factor

Beach volleyball players are passionate about the sport, and their passion gets the crowd going. With only two people on the court to cover a lot of ground and the games being short, each point matters.

Players tend to give it their full effort for each point, which means there are jubilant celebrations all around every time a point is scored.

Traveling perks

You get to travel to some beautiful locations and, of course, some of the most stunning beaches all around the world to play the sport you love. This is a win-win situation all around.

You can also learn about how hard is sand volleyball …

When did beach volleyball get popular?

The game was first played in the state of California in the 1920s. It was in 1920 that special areas were built on the beach in Santa Marta, California, specifically for the public to enjoy playing beach basketball.

Volleyball quickly took off and became immensely popular, and by 1922, there were 11 beach volleyball clubs that opened up in the California area.

Club competitions began to be held by 1924, and this is also when the first beach volleyball tournaments started taking place at other places in the world.

Over the decades that followed, the sport spread throughout the world and grew in popularity. It was in the 1980s that professional beach volleyball took off and became popular almost overnight.

One of the most important dates for beach volleyball as a sport is July of 1996 when the sport became an official Olympic sport for the first time. Beach volleyball was a demonstration event in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The Atlanta Games became a showcase for the best beach volleyball players in the world, and attesting to the popularity of the sport, the stadium saw packed attendance for all the games.

One of the key reasons for the popularity of this sport is the faster pace of beach volleyball when compared to indoor volleyball.

The nature of the game, in which the players have to constantly dive in order to reach the ball, has made it more suited to be played on the soft surface instead of hardwood.

Due to all this, beach volleyball soon upstaged its older brother indoor volleyball, and even now, year after year, the sport continues to gain more fans around the world.

Countries when beach volleyball has the most popularity …

Top three countries where beach volleyball is extremely popular are …

United States

The beaches of Waikiki in Hawaii and California were the primary hotspots for the evolution of beach volleyball in the US.

The sport continued its quick acceleration across America even during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

One of the biggest reasons for why the sport became so popular in the US is because it was cheap to play and also offered people a chance to escape their troubles and head to the beach, especially during the Great Depression.

In California, since its evolution itself, beach volleyball quickly became a part of the local lifestyle.

Brazil

From the United States, the popularity of beach volleyball soon spread to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where the first international beach volleyball exhibition was hosted in 1986.

One year after this, the famous Copacabana coastline witnessed the first international FIVB-sanctioned tournament, which started off a succession of further competitions all around the world.

In fact, so popular is beach volleyball in the US and Brazil that both these countries have won most of the Olympic medals of beach volleyball in the history of the sport since it became a part of the Olympics.

Beach volleyball is the second most popular sport in Brazil, and Brazilians can be found on the top in both men’s and women’s rankings.

From Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro to Praia da Costa in Vila Velha, the golden sandy beaches of Brazil are popular spots for the sport.

Russia

Russia joined the beach volleyball craze in 1993 when the first national beach volleyball cup was played near St. Petersburg.

Later in the same year, a Russian men’s duo also participated in the European Championship held in Spain.

In 1994, a women’s pair also took part to fight for Europe’s major beach volleyball title. There are many domestic championships as well that are held in different cities.

Final Thoughts: Which one is more popular: Beach or Indoor Volleyball?

Without a doubt, beach volleyball remains the most popular variant of volleyball. Beach volleyball also has wide recognition across the world.

In 2016, over 169 countries competed for a chance to qualify for the Rio Olympics’ beach volleyball. With the popularity of the game on social media as well, the reach of beach volleyball is growing every year.

The 2019 volleyball world finals of the Volleyball Nations League had got over 2.4 million views on YouTube, giving a good idea about the popularity of the sport.

Beach volleyball is also much more accessible than indoor volleyball as it requires little to no equipment, fewer players, and you simply head to your nearest beach to start playing.

One last thing, I highly encourage you to check this article on how you can become a professional sand volleyball player …