Professional Seaside
October 19, 2024
The induction ceremony is Saturday night time! Watch stay: https://www.youtube.com/@ivhfofficial
That is one in a sequence previewing the inductees going into the Worldwide Volleyball Corridor of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on Saturday.
This yr there are 9 inductees, two indoor gamers in Italian Andrea Zorzi and Cuba’s Regla Bell; two seaside gamers in American Tim Hovland and Brazilian Ana Paula Henkel; Brazilian coach Jose “Ze” Roberto and ParaVolley coach Hadi Rezaei of Iran; two officers in Argentinian Juan Angel Pereyra and American Sue Lemaire; and Italian Giuseppe Panini, who’s going in as a pacesetter.
There are additionally three particular honoree classes acknowledged this yr: John Kessel is receiving the Mintonette Medallion of Benefit Award; Invoice Kauffman and Ed Chan are being honored posthumously with the inaugural Award for Media Excellence; and Michael Kane, Mike Knapik, Aaron Vega and Don Humason are receiving the Mayoral Award of Excellence.
You’d hear his cackle earlier than you noticed the acquainted swagger. The large voice penetrating the laid-back calm of a summer time Southern California seaside day. After which, just like the Pied Piper of the South Bay that he was, Tim Hovland would emerge from the encircling shroud of the Marine layer fog, together with his homies in tow, sporting the Burmy’s neon tank prime (which might get torn asunder by the top of any match), the Oakley shades and the upturned Energy hat that stated merely, “The Hov.”
“I can consider solely two individuals within the historical past of seaside or indoor volleyball that earned an article earlier than their identify,” stated the legendary Karch Kiraly. “There was no ‘The Stokie’ or ‘The Dodd’. However there was ‘The Hov.’” That’s when you do very particular issues when you may have the ‘The’ earlier than your identify.”
“The 2 issues I like most of Tim, are that he at all times tells the reality, and has by no means been a hypocrite,” stated longtime companion and fellow legend Mike Dodd. “What you see is what you get, good or dangerous, with no apologies. I believe that’s why he’s so beloved by the followers.”
Now, “The Hov” is an Worldwide Volleyball Corridor of Famer, being inducted into the Class of 2024, as a “Seaside Participant.”
However, as you will notice under, that sobriquet solely scratches the floor of his influence on the sport, each the hardwood and sand varieties, and by dint of his “distinctive” persona.
“I’m very overwhelmed (with the honour),” Hovland commented. “I put lots of time into this sport, 15 years of labor, and I’m very proud of the result.
“I don’t assume anyone had extra enjoyable than I did taking part in seaside volleyball. We’d play anyone, anytime, wherever for any quantity.”
Hovland was 6-4 (1.93m), fairly tall for the period. He was a ferocious blocker, positioned the ball effectively, and will cross with precision. However it was his psychological toughness that basically separated him from the others.
“As soon as we bought onto a court docket in observe or matches, I’ve by no means, ever performed with or towards a extra fierce competitor than Tim Hovland,” Kiraly stated.
Fellow seaside and USC legend Steve Obradovich has been “associates” with Hovland for over 50 years.
“Enjoying a sport towards him was depraved,” OB stated. “We’d observe at Marine Road, the place he used to make enjoyable of me. There was a lot hate with him and I. I hated to lose to him, and he hated to lose to me. However after the match, we might all have dinner, go on the flight collectively and we had been advantageous.”
Hovland positively had the little bit of the “thespian” in him.
“Relying on how the sport was going,” Hovland recalled, “if we had been down 5 factors, I wanted to do one thing! If it meant yelling on the gamers throughout the best way, yelling on the referee, that’s what I used to be going to do. The sport goes in patterns. If we’re in a down sample, there’s something I’m going to do to alter the momentum.”
All of those histrionics finally led to Hovland needing a lifetime provide of Burmy’s tank tops. It began when “Mike (Dodd) made a mistake,” Hov recalled. “I yelled ‘f—ok,’ tore my shirt off, and stated ‘Let’s go!’ ”
That spontaneous act, coupled with the chucking of “The Hov” signature Energy model hat, would drive crowds loopy coast-to-coast.
All of these theatrics don’t imply a lot except you possibly can again them up with chic play. Hovland not solely constantly delivered, however most frequently did so within the crucible of the strain cookers of main occasions. He, and his predominant companion Dodd, got the apropos sobriquet of “The Large Sport Hunters.” “Anytime it was an enormous match just like the Cuervo’s, World Championships, Manhattan’s or Hermosa’s that’s whenever you present up, that’s when it’s a must to have that further gear and convey it,” Hovland says now.
Of Hov’s 60 profession victories, 5 got here on the Manhattan Seaside Open, three on the World Championships and three at Hermosa Seaside. He earned 4 $50,000 first-place paydays in Cuervo tournaments, on the time among the many largest purses for any match on this planet.
Hovland made his greatest influence together with his longtime compadre Mike Dodd. Hovland after all was the “Fireplace,” within the relationship. Dodd, as cool a buyer as there was within the winner’s circle, was the “Ice.” Collectively they collected 53 match wins, fourth on the All-time record.
“Tim was a tricky companion,” Dodd recalled. “However he by no means demanded any extra from me than he demanded of himself. He taught me find out how to combat and to imagine in myself.”
By dint of character, and his excellence on the court docket, Hovland helped elevate seaside volleyball from a predominantly native Southern California curiosity to the worldwide phenomenon it’s right this moment. That was due largely due to the singular rivalry between Hovland and Dodd and Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos.
“That was the Lakers versus the Celtics,” Hovland stated.
He estimates the 2 groups performed one another in tournaments effectively over 100 occasions.
“He had a magnetic and riveting persona,” Kiraly stated. “He was ferocious, wore his feelings on his sleeve. He drew in lots of followers. The Hov/MD Sinjin/Randy rivalry was an unimaginable one. These 4 gamers had been the one greatest factor to level to within the explosion of seaside volleyball.”
What got here of their wake? Tournaments began to be held outdoors the confines of the California shoreline. The AVP went nationwide. Dwell community protection on NBC, when the tv universe at the moment contained solely the massive three networks, and a small firm named ESPN. Then these path blazers conquered Brazil. The FIVB took discover. That led to the game’s emergence within the Olympics in 1996, and now it’s on the level the place seaside volleyball is likely one of the hottest of all of the quadrennial disciplines.
“We went solely from Santa Cruz to San Diego,” Hov stated. “Now one of the best groups on this planet are in Norway, Sweden and Germany. Should you had stated that 20 years in the past I might have stated you had been loopy.”
In sports activities card parlance, Tim Hovland can be thought of a “considered one of one.” An athlete that the game has by no means seen earlier than or since. At Westchester Excessive College in Playa del Rey, California, The Hov was first staff All-Metropolis in not one, not two, however three sports activities. He was the Comets’ quarterback, security, kick returner and punt returner. In basketball, he was the staff’s star ahead. In volleyball, effectively he was simply unstoppable. He labored out with the Westchester observe and area staff for good measure and Coach Joe Douglas thought he had massive expertise there as a hurdler. Finally, although Hov didn’t select a path to be the subsequent Edwin Moses.
On the conclusion of his prep profession, Hovland beat out none apart from Rialto Eisenhower’s Ronnie Lott, the longer term NFL Corridor of Famer, thought of the best security in League historical past, as Southern California Excessive College Athlete of the Yr in 1977.
With three sports activities to select from, Hov settled on volleyball in faculty at USC, to play for Coach Ernie Hix.
“I had much more enjoyable taking part in volleyball than soccer or basketball,” Tim stated. “Plus there have been much more women round, it simply appealed to me.”
Hov served with distinction on the Trojans indoor groups from 1978-1981. He received an NCAA title in 1980, and his squads had been crushed in epic finals by UCLA in 1979 and 1981. Hovland was named to the All-Event staff 3 times. Moreover Hov, throughout that epoch, USC had Dusty Dvorak, Pat Powers, Bob Yoder and Steve Timmons. UCLA featured Kiraly, Sinjin Smith, Steve Salmons, Ricci Luyties, Steve “Gunner” Gulnac and Joey Mica. It was a veritable battle each time these two colleges battled it out. Within the summers, Hovland polished his bona fides, touring the globe representing Crew USA taking part in in “Junior” tournaments (now referred to as the U-21s).
By the point he completed faculty at USC in 1981 he was in very excessive demand as an indoor participant. He made the USA nationwide staff and spent eight years abroad within the Italian League. Arguably, in 1981, he might very effectively have been one of the best indoor participant on this planet. However he was a little bit of a “free spirit,” and he left the USA Nationwide Crew earlier than the ’84 Olympics, deciding to separate his time between the Italian League indoors and the seaside sport. In ’84 he led Kappa Turin to the Italian Serie A1 title and was named MVP.
Hov first plied his seaside abilities at Rosecrans in Manhattan Seaside and he was hooked-instantly.
“After I first noticed the Manhattan Open, and Ronny Von Hagen play, that basically caught my eye,” Hov stated. When he was carried out with the indoor season at USC, he would drive right down to Sorrento Seaside, on the time the epicenter of the sand sport. He would play towards Von Hagen, Jim Menges, Greg Lee, Tom Chamales, a younger Sinjin Smith and a really tall Wilt Chamberlain.
He received his very first seaside match in his first open, a portend of issues to come back. He and Kiraly partnered and received the Hawaii State Open in 1979 when Hov was simply 20. He performed the primary of 152 tournaments with Dodd later that yr in Boulder, the place they positioned third behind Kiraly/Smith and Andy Fishburn/Dane Selznick.
Like Kiraly, had Hovland been completely a seaside participant, somewhat than splitting time with indoor volleyball, his win complete would have been huge. Because it was, he made 120 finals in his profession profitable 60 and inserting second 60 occasions as effectively.
His competitiveness made an impression on everybody in these early years.
“We performed one other Hawaii match on the Outrigger Canoe Membership in 1981,” Kiraly recalled. “Hov made this unimaginable dig off his chest on an open internet hit. I scooped it up, set him a very nice ball. He had an open internet, nobody up, and he hit it proper into the web. He will get so furious at himself, that he pulls on the web, virtually tears it down after which does a backflip.”
When, in 1981, blocking over was first allowed on the seaside, Hovland actually began to excel. “Everyone can hit,” Hovland stated. “Blocking is the way you win matches. You set the concern of God within the man throughout from the web. If I don’t block you, you’ll most likely hit the ball out, or hit it proper into Mike Dodd’s arms.”
“Tim was an enormous man who was actually quick,” stated Kiraly. “He would flag a ball down, regardless of the place it was, and in doing so, he would go over (courtside) banners, go over chairs. He didn’t care about his physique. It was ‘how do I preserve this ball alive and provides my companion the very best set?’ ”
Whereas Hovland does probably not concentrate on particular person matches per se, I used to be in a position to coax him into citing two that stood out in his profession.
“One match no person is aware of something about was the 1992 Hermosa Seaside semifinal. I performed with Adam Johnson, towards Smith and Stoklos,” Hovland recalled. “I most likely had ten blocks in that one. Then there was the 1986 Cuervo Ventura Open. I used to be taking part in with Tim Walmer towards Kiraly and Luyties. Losers take fifth, and I had eight to 10 blocks in that one as effectively.”
Hov, now 65, has barely slowed down. He’s nonetheless the “Mayor of the South Bay,” performs volleyball three days per week, and swims three days per week. He has been married to spouse Pamela for 36 years and has three grown kids, Tara Blu, 35, and Chiara (Italian for “mild”) 25, and son Hunter, 31. And three younger grandchildren Blake, Lila Blu and Paige.
Go away it to Mike Dodd for the ultimate phrase on the life and occasions of his operating mate. “
Tim has been a fantastic pal and companion occurring 5 many years. He taught me find out how to love, and revel in each win, and of even higher worth, taught me to hate shedding. We did fairly a little bit of each, but when the mud settled we at all times had fun.”
