GOLD MEDALIST KERRI WALSH JENNINGS SPOTLIGHTS SANTA MONICA’S BEACH VOLLEYBALL HISTORY AT 2024 PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (August 8, 2024) – Once every four years, the sport of beach volleyball is center court, spiking the globe’s attention at the Olympic Games. Paris 2024 is no exception, with the sport being one of the most sought after tickets as fans from around the world prepare to watch the final match at Eiffel Tower Stadium on Friday, August 9.
Three-time Olympic Gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings was in Paris for the Olympic Games, experiencing the energy as a spectator and shining the spotlight on Santa Monica’s impact on beach volleyball.
“Not only is Santa Monica the birthplace of modern beach volleyball, it was the place to train,” she said, reflecting on the early days of her career. “The sand is deep and the competition is amazing. The Santa Monica lifestyle is beachy, natural and active – everything my sport represents and something I always aspired to.”
The modern two-player variation of the game that is played today at the Olympic Games was invented in Santa Monica in 1930, but the city’s passion for beach volleyball runs longer than that. The city’s first permanent beach volleyball nets were installed in the early 1920s while the sport was still a new phenomenon. Rapidly rising passion for the sport was apparent, with beach volleyball fans ranging from casual players on the public courts to serious competitors entering Santa Monica’s inter-club competitions beginning in 1924.
Whether you’re new to the sport or the most decorated beach volleyball Olympian of all time like Walsh Jennings, Santa Monica is the perfect place to play beach volleyball. Known as Los Angeles’ beach city, Santa Monica is home to 3.5 miles of sandy beach which has long been a world-renowned destination for outdoor activities of all kinds. Today the city is home to dozens of courts and beach volleyball clubs across the city, including those at Annenberg Community Beach House, a local icon open to the public.
“Santa Monica has always been a pinnacle in my life,” added Walsh Jennings. “Not only is it amazing for beach volleyball, with their 3.5 miles of white sand and attractions like Pacific Park, now as someone who’s a mother and enjoys the experience of being active and wants to give my kids the things I’ve experienced, visiting Santa Monica is a no-brainer. The sand is beautiful, the beaches are wonderful and there’s so much for them to do.”
Pacific Park on the world-famous Santa Monica Pier overlooks the sands where beach volleyball got its start and is home to tons of fun midway games and thrill rides including the world’s first and only solar-powered Ferris wheel. It’s the perfect place to celebrate after a great game. During the Olympic Games, Pacific Park is saluting Olympic nights with the Ferris wheel’s dazzling light display filled with colors, patterns and transitions that honor and commemorate the 2024 Summer Games.
To learn more about Santa Monica and the city’s connection to beach volleyball, visit santamonica.com.
###
About Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) is a non-profit organization designed to increase visitor expenditures, tourism revenues and local employment opportunities through the promotion of Santa Monica as a travel destination. For more information visit santamonica.com, email info@santamonica.com, or follow SMTT on Instagram (@SeeSantaMonica), X (@GoSantaMonica) or Facebook (@VisitSantaMonica).
Media Contact
Lauren Salisbury
Senior Director of Communications
