You've got to be kidding. Beach volleyball requires more than just size. This guy will never be able to pass at this level. They will serve him every time and he will never be able to side out.

      And don't talk about Wilt. Wilt played sixes, not twos. The game is completely different. Even great sixes players like Steve Timmons were just average on the AVP tour. Karch, of course, is the exception.

     But the struggling AVP Tour - actually it was cancled last year and I think has just four tournaments this year - needs all the publicity it can get.

     If you are in LA at the end August, check out the tournament. Admission is free and beach volleyball live is an incredibly exciting sport.

of being six-pcked by Karch. And he doesn't really hit all that well IMO. Man i'm old.


I didn't care for B-Volleyball in august honestly. I enjoy an indoor court much moreso. I'm not tall so I usually played a 5-1 offense.

I played pick up ball with Michael Jordan.

     And you don't think he hits well? You play at a much, much higher level than I do.

Jealous of ex-Bruins being more successful in the NBA, and outside the NBA, than your Blue Devils. It's not fair to compare the beaches and scenery of SoCal to the back country of NC. Make sure you wear plenty of zinc oxide on your pasty white face. The sun will be shining in August, but then it always does in SoCal.

P.S. If you're looking for something different than pick-up BB in Manhattan Beach, try Pepperdine University. Great games and even better scenery.

-- Modified on 7/26/2011 10:14:50 PM

Make sure you don't "disappear" from the Boards that week. I'm planning to post the score every 10 minutes.

      But, yeah, I'll give UCLA the nod in all things volleyball. As I ruefully learned, A level from the East Coast is like C level at Manhattan Beach.

    Frankly, I was more competitive playing B ball with the brothers out there than I was with anything in the sand against the white kids.

     In the mid 1990s, I remember losing to a UCLA girls' team even playing on an 8 foot net.  Pretty much killed my chances with Holly McPeak, the best UCLA beach player,  on whom I had a major league crush in those days. (sign).

I forgot to mention that I saw Gabrielle Reece at my local Costco a couple weeks ago. Next to her I'm vertically challenged. She is at least 6-3, but still hot looking.

I was never much into playing volleyball, but hanging at just about any SoCal beach in the summer watching girls volleyball was fun to watch.

High School volleyball in SoCal is big time. I don't know if you've heard of Mira Costa HS in Manhattan Beach, but it's basically a feeder program to UCLA or USC. You have some dominate HS programs in Orange County, i.e. Newport and Laguna, as well as up the coast in Ventura and Santa Barbara.

Unfortunately, I don't deal with tall women very well, so she was never on my lust list. Oddly enough, I was reminded about Gabby just the other day when reading a piece on Laird Hamilton, the super surfer. Turns out they are married.

    But you have got to love a sport where the cheerleaders wear bikinis.

That was many years ago and it was just a pick up match. A friendly one at that. He is a much better player than I that is a given. Having practised with Varsity teams though(strictly as a setter)I wasn't all too impressed with Karchs' play. Keep in mind though, that we were ALL just playing around, nothing serious.

I have played in many church groups, AAU as well but nothing was as much fun as being on practice squads; again only as a setter  I'm too short to ever play as a hitter. I HATE THAT!

Give yourself credit for enjoying the game. It is a wonderful TEAM sport. I don't enjoy sports that have the potential for a show-boat to monopolize the game.

Good for you guys! It was fun watching you guys speak of a game I love so much.

I'm strictly for the game though. Fashion doesn't cross my mind when i'm watching that Tachikara coming my way!

even I was A level East Coast beach player. Running a 5 1 means you are setting every time and you have to be able set 1s, 2s, back sets and read the block at all times. I'd get the "bad hands" call for sure.

     Even in a pick up game, if I ever saw Karch getting ready to spike in my direction I'd be ducking, not digging. I've seen him crush the ball many a time against 6 '7" Mike Whitmarsh at Manhattan Beach.

     But at least I'll know how to recognize you at this year's Duke- Maryland game. You'll be the guy with "Tachikara" tattooed on his chest.

and was a top player on the AVP tour for yeqrs. He played B Ball for San Diego State and was drafted by Portland but never made the team. He did play professionally in Germany before joining the tour.

     Kiki Vandewegh's brother was also a top AVP player for a few years and reach the finals of Manhattan Beach one year.

     And finally don't forget the one beach volleyball movie -Side Out - whose premise was that a college B ball player who never played volleyball could beat the pros and win the girl (Courtney Thorn VAnce when she was very young).

      Great job to score 10 points against the pros. You must have a hell of a jump serve or a great block- those guys sideout forever.

I actually qualifiied for the Manhattan Open many years ago, when they still held a few spots open for qualifiers.  They held a two day qualifier on Wednesday and Thursday, and the tourney was Friday thru Sunday.  This was back when you had to serve to score a point, but we held our own.  Went out uno dos, but scored 10 points in each game (games were to 15).

Yes, Wilt would never play doubles. He was big in six man and four man on the beach. And he was way overrated.  He was a decent hitter (at 7'1'', he hardly had to jump), a poor blocker (no technique) and could not dig a ball if his life depended on it.  But he was entertaining. And if you were on his team, you were his best friend.  He held court at the Santa Monica pier for a few years.

I have seen a few NBA players give beach volleyball a shot.  Jud Buechler (played with the Bulls) was a very good player.  Brent Barry is pretty good too.  But they will never be near the level of the lowest ranked pro players.  The biggest difference between a really good local beach player and a pro is ball control and being able to play in the elements.  Those come with a lot of experience.

I believe you will find that Loyola High School has won more CIF titles than any school in SoCal over the past 30 years.

How could I forget Whit, may he rest in peace.  He was a good guy.

Side Out..there is a great movie....HA.  C Thomas Howell just could not pull off playing a volleyball player.  Peter Horton was actually pretty good.  I believe he was asked by a pro to play in an event sometime in the early 90's.  Don't think they won a game.  You want to go back...check out a movie caled 'Spiker'.  Could very well be the worst sports movie ever made!!!  I had some friends who were asked to be in it.  

I am 6'5" and could jump pretty well (39" vertical indoors).  My partner was 6'4" and one of the best blockers I have ever played with.  We could side out with the best of them, but pro experience goes a long way.  It was the shots that beat us.  We both contemplated going pro, but there wasn't much money in it back then. Little did we know that just a few years later it would take off!!!