Professional Seaside
October 19, 2024
The induction ceremony is Saturday evening! Watch reside: 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 12 months there are 9 inductees, two indoor gamers in Italian Andrea Zorzi and Cuba’s Regla Bell; two seashore 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 12 months: John Kessel is receiving the Mintonette Medallion of Advantage 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’ll hear his cackle earlier than you noticed the acquainted swagger. The large voice penetrating the laid-back calm of a summer time Southern California seashore day. After which, just like the Pied Piper of the South Bay that he was, Tim Hovland would emerge from the encompassing shroud of the Marine layer fog, along with his homies in tow, sporting the Burmy’s neon tank prime (which might get torn asunder by the top of any event), the Oakley shades and the upturned Energy hat that stated merely, “The Hov.”
“I can consider solely two folks within the historical past of seashore or indoor volleyball that earned an article earlier than their title,” stated the legendary Karch Kiraly. “There was no ‘The Stokie’ or ‘The Dodd’. However there was ‘The Hov.’” That’s when you realize you do very particular issues when you’ve got the ‘The’ earlier than your title.”
“The 2 issues I love most of Tim, are that he at all times tells the reality, and has by no means been a hypocrite,” stated longtime associate and fellow legend Mike Dodd. “What you see is what you get, good or dangerous, with no apologies. I feel 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 impression 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 loads of time into this sport, 15 years of labor, and I’m very pleased with the result.
“I don’t suppose anyone had extra enjoyable than I did enjoying seashore 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 go with precision. Nevertheless it was his psychological toughness that actually separated him from the others.
“As soon as we received 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 seashore and USC legend Steve Obradovich has been “mates” with Hovland for over 50 years.
“Enjoying a recreation 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 event, we’d all have dinner, go on the flight collectively and we have been superb.”
Hovland undoubtedly had the little bit of the “thespian” in him.
“Relying on how the sport was going,” Hovland recalled, “if we have been down 5 factors, I wanted to do one thing! If it meant yelling on the gamers throughout the way in which, 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 in the end 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—okay,’ 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’ll be able to again them up with elegant play. Hovland not solely constantly delivered, however most frequently did so within the crucible of the stress cookers of main occasions. He, and his principal associate Dodd, got the apropos sobriquet of “The Huge Sport Hunters.” “Anytime it was a giant event just like the Cuervo’s, World Championships, Manhattan’s or Hermosa’s that’s once you present up, that’s when you need to have that further gear and produce 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 event on the planet.
Hovland made his greatest impression along with his longtime compadre Mike Dodd. Hovland in fact was the “Hearth,” within the relationship. Dodd, as cool a buyer as there was within the winner’s circle, was the “Ice.” Collectively they collected 53 event wins, fourth on the All-time checklist.
“Tim was a troublesome associate,” Dodd recalled. “However he by no means demanded any extra from me than he demanded of himself. He taught me methods to battle and to consider in myself.”
By dint of character, and his excellence on the court docket, Hovland helped elevate seashore volleyball from a predominantly native Southern California curiosity to the worldwide phenomenon it’s right now. 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 loads of followers. The Hov/MD Sinjin/Randy rivalry was an unbelievable one. These 4 gamers have been the one greatest factor to level to within the explosion of seashore 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 large 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 seashore volleyball is among the hottest of all of the quadrennial disciplines.
“We went solely from Santa Cruz to San Diego,” Hov stated. “Now the most effective groups on the planet are in Norway, Sweden and Germany. Should you had stated that 20 years in the past I might have stated you have been loopy.”
In sports activities card parlance, Tim Hovland could be thought of a “certainly 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 crew 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 crew’s star ahead. In volleyball, effectively he was simply unstoppable. He labored out with the Westchester observe and area crew for good measure and Coach Joe Douglas thought he had huge expertise there as a hurdler. Finally, although Hov didn’t select a path to be the following Edwin Moses.
On the conclusion of his prep profession, Hovland beat out none aside 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 12 months 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 enjoying volleyball than soccer or basketball,” Tim stated. “Plus there have been much more ladies 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 have been crushed in epic finals by UCLA in 1979 and 1981. Hovland was named to the All-Event crew 3 times. Apart from 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 warfare each time these two colleges battled it out. Within the summers, Hovland polished his bona fides, touring the globe representing Workforce USA enjoying in “Junior” tournaments (now known 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 crew and spent eight years abroad within the Italian League. Arguably, in 1981, he may very effectively have been the most effective indoor participant on the planet. However he was a little bit of a “free spirit,” and he left the USA Nationwide Workforce earlier than the ’84 Olympics, deciding to separate his time between the Italian League indoors and the seashore recreation. In ’84 he led Kappa Turin to the Italian Serie A1 title and was named MVP.
Hov first plied his seashore abilities at Rosecrans in Manhattan Seaside and he was hooked-instantly.
“After I first noticed the Manhattan Open, and Ronny Von Hagen play, that actually caught my eye,” Hov stated. When he was executed with the indoor season at USC, he would drive all the way 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 seashore event 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 12 months in Boulder, the place they positioned third behind Kiraly/Smith and Andy Fishburn/Dane Selznick.
Like Kiraly, had Hovland been completely a seashore participant, reasonably than splitting time with indoor volleyball, his win whole would have been large. 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 event on the Outrigger Canoe Membership in 1981,” Kiraly recalled. “Hov made this unbelievable 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 online. 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 seashore, Hovland actually began to excel. “Everyone can hit,” Hovland stated. “Blocking is the way you win matches. You set the worry of God within the man throughout from the online. If I don’t block you, you’ll in all probability hit the ball out, or hit it proper into Mike Dodd’s arms.”
“Tim was a giant man who was actually quick,” stated Kiraly. “He would flag a ball down, irrespective 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 maintain this ball alive and provides my associate the very best set?’ ”
Whereas Hovland does not likely give attention to particular person matches per se, I used to be capable of coax him into citing two that stood out in his profession.
“One match no one is aware of something about was the 1992 Hermosa Seaside semifinal. I performed with Adam Johnson, towards Smith and Stoklos,” Hovland recalled. “I in all probability had ten blocks in that one. Then there was the 1986 Cuervo Ventura Open. I used to be enjoying 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.
Depart it to Mike Dodd for the ultimate phrase on the life and occasions of his operating mate. “
Tim has been an awesome pal and associate happening 5 many years. He taught me methods to love, and revel in each win, and of even higher worth, taught me to hate dropping. We did fairly a little bit of each, but when the mud settled we at all times had fun.”
