Above: DVD-Slideshow, "In Memory of The AVP" Including Some Volleyball History.


From the publishers of "Sands of Time" The History of Beach Volleyball, a one-hour slideshow presentation: "In Memory of the AVP" Including Some Beach Volleyball History.

Using the "Ken-Burns" method, this slide-show, narrated by Artie Couvillon, with over
1,000 photos, both historic and contemporary, presents what preceded the creation of the
Association of Volleyball Professionals as well as the creation, existence, survival and the
collapse of the AVP!

As documented in the three book series "Sands of Time" The History of Beach Volleyball,
the slide-show highlights the history of volleyball, prior to the formation of the AVP,
beginning over a Century ago, in 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, when volleyball was
invented by William G. Morgan.

"In Memory of The AVP" continues by citing the Oral history that tells us that the game
of beach volleyball was first sighted on the sands of Waikiki Beach at the Outrigger
Canoe Club, in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Duke Kahanamoku was seen playing the game with various Club members.

The slideshow continues by highlighting the events and players, that took place over the next
six decades prior to the formation of the AVP, from the 1920's through the 1970's. Including
players such as Bernie Holtzman and Gene Selznick, Ron Lang and Ron Von Hagen, Henry
Bergman and Larry Rundle, Mike Bright and Mike O'Hara, Sinjin Smith and Karch Kiraly
to Jim Menges and Greg Lee. And on the women's court there were players such as Jean Brunicardi and Johnette Latreille, Kathy Gregory and Miki McFadden, Jill Durkee and Suzi Jones to Linda Hanley and Nina Matthies.

Included are numerous photos and information of the beach volleyball events and that took
during this over 50 year development of beach volleyball.

"In Memory of The AVP" touches on how, in the 1920's, the game quickly migrated to the beaches of Southern California, especially on the sands of Santa Monica, where beach volleyball games were actively being played on the public beaches as well as the private Beach Clubs. Then, eventually, in the 1930's, when players began to play the "Two-Man" version of beach volleyball. And as the 1940's and 1950's rolled around, how Beach volleyball continued to flourish with recreational play as well as an occasional beach volleyball
tournament.

The slide-show presentation then focuses on a 1957 promotional beach volleyball event
that utilized most of the ingredients of a modern day AVP-Tour event.

"In Memory of The AVP" continues on into the 1960's, when the beach was active with Open beach volleyball tournaments scheduled each and every year, including the inaugural Manhattan Beach Open in 1960. AKA the Wimbledon of beach volleyball.

Through the 1960's and 1970's, "In Memory of The AVP" features the various partnerships that were formed among the outstanding players of the era. Also covered are some of the events that helped the sport of beach volleyball grow, such as the first beach volleyball tournament, that offered prize money and the first indoor beach volleyball tournament.

The slideshow then describes how the "California Pro Beach Volleyball Tour" was launched and then in the following years how the tour expanded nationwide.

The presentation emphasizes the end of the 1983 pro-beach season, when Event Concepts was ousted with a players strike at the 1983 World Championship, in Redondo Beach, California, which brought about the formation of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP). Then in 1984 the AVP's Professional Beach Volleyball Tour was launched in April, with the very first AVP-Tour event.

"In Memory of The AVP" picks-up the almost three decade adventure that is known as the
AVP-Tour, including information and numerous photos, regarding the events and players
of the AVP-Tour. The slide-show focuses on the successes, and failures of the AVP-Tour as well as the top players and teams that played on the tour over the last three decades. Included are the AVP's success at the first four Olympics.

The presentation closes by describing the final AVP event in 2010 as well as a couple of
alternate events that took place after the AVP closed it's doors. And then concludes with
some final facts accumulated over the three decades of the AVP's existence as well as some
information regarding pro-beach volleyball's future!

"In Memory of The AVP" Including Some Volleyball History is now available and sells for $19.95.