GODS to GHOSTS Volleyball: Recent Episodes
Scott Boehmke
GODS to GHOSTS Volleyball is dedicated to commemorating and preserving the history of the sport. It is our mission to provide a medium in which the legendary players, coaches, characters, and instrumental figures of the sport from the 1950's through today can be acknowledged and remembered for their transcendent talent, colorful personalities, and contributions to the sport.
Mike discusses: His coaching career, including time at Santa Monica Community College and an epic comeback against Orange Coast Community College and how instrumental all -time LEGEND Randy Stoklos was, some of the heaviest hitters he ever saw, how he developed indoors as a player at places like John Adams Middle School, Pierce College, etc... Playing with Dave Schaeffer indoors, and classic story of "breaking in" filling in for '64 Olympian and Stockton Club player, Chuck Nelson in a tournament with fellow Olympians Rudy Suwara and Butch "4-F" May.
Support the show
Stormin' Normand discusses: The brilliance of UCLA Coach Al Scates, the infamous "CIRCLE DRILL", "The Blue Curtain", CURL OFF in UCLA weight room against Trevor Schirman... His beach volleyball career, including epic 3rd place finish with the only guy with a mustache better than him, the LATE Rick "Bear Dog"" at the '77 State Beach World Championships, and mentoring a young Sinjin Smith to his first win at the '77 Marine Street Open... Plus the LEGENDARY story of when a just out of Santa Barbara HS Karch Kiraly and Marco Ortega competed against him and Sinjin in first round. Karch mouthed off " Choke city", after winning first game, and had the living daylights scared out of him once he got a "load" of STORMIN' NORMAND..... Lesson LEARNED....
Support the show
Stormin' Normand discusses: His youth as a kid, his time as a Green Beret in Vietnam, how he became interested in the sport, and his time at UCLA in '73 and '74.
Support the show
Digger Discusses:
- Some additional memories from his time as a player at San Diego State, including his recollection of how talented Duncan McFarland was, not to mention his other talented teammates he is honored to have played alongside with, how he transitioned from his playing career to the real world as a High School Teacher and Coach , including coaching volleyball for the girls program at Hoover HS in San Diego, and recruiting Tod Mattox to help coach, and the LIFELONG friendship he's had with him since, his time coaching the women's team at Grossmont College, and how grateful he was to be a part of the collegiate sport during the implementation of Title IX, and when women's volleyball became a NCAA sport in '81, his next coaching endeavor at UCSD for the Tritons men's program, and getting to compete against storied programs like UCLA, USC, and Pepperdine, to name a few, the "real life" moment he came to as a husband and father living in Cardiff teaching and coaching, working 18 hours a day and commuting a hour all over the place, (even though he loved every minute of it), and making the decision to relocate to Walla Walla, Washington to become an English Teacher and high school girls volleyball coach so his family could have a better quality of life, what he is doing now career wise with his Socratic Seminars across the country, his amazing family - wife April, daughter Erin, and son Kevin, who the best hitters, diggers, and setters were from his era, and what he is most proud of from his career as a player, coach, and educator.....
Digger's Company: https://www.socraticseminars.com/
Daughter Erin's Company: https://www.luxeengland.com/
Digger's musician son's Kevin Graybill's page: https://graybillmusic.com/
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jay Discusses:
- The '84 player strike at the Jose Cuervo World Championships in Redondo Beach when he and Andy Fishburn crossed the picket line to win the tournament, WHY they did so, the repercussions they faced on multiple levels for years to follow, how he and Andy could have handled it better in hindsight, getting back in the good graces of their peers later on, the talent level of young lions Scott Ayakatubby & Brent Frohoff and the influence Karch had on each of them when he partnered up with both later in their careers and helped them learn what it takes to win, the other young guys that came along during his career that impressed him: Kent Steffes, Mike Whitmarsh, Leif Hanson, and Brian Lewis, and what set them apart from the rest of the young guns when it came to winning, how Selznick, Lang, & Von Hagen were the first TRUE professionals of the sport with their tireless dedication to the sport practicing and playing non-stop, and how they set the precedent on what it takes to win....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Digger discusses:
- Reflections on relationships and friends from Manhattan Beach (Mike Cook, John Gonzalez, Mitch Malpee to name a few), competing indoors in the USVBA for Players Liquor and a fun "trip" competing in Mexico , relocating to San Diego and living on Mission Blvd, competing on the men's indoor volleyball team for San Diego State in '71 & '72, starting and running the Mission Beach Volleyball clinics in '73 alongside friends and teammates, being the catalyst for the Winston Open at S. Mission Beach, some of the memorable people and friends from the San Diego area (George Stepanof, John & Fred Featherstone, Bob Mendoza, to name a few), and a classic story of competing against Bob Vogelsang and Wilt Chamberlin.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Art Discusses:
- Being an influence on fellow lefty Al Scates, growing up in Los Angeles and competing in basketball at Los Angeles high school, being a member of the UCLA Bruins basketball team for legendary coach John Wooden from '48-'51, and what it was like playing for him, learning the sport of volleyball at Sorrento Beach, competing for the prestigious Hollywood YMCA Stars team from '56-'59, where the team won 4 Open Championships, and Art was named a 3 X All-American outside hitter, his memories of his teammates (including Gene Selznick, Mike O'Hara, Ron Lang, Rolf Engen, Walt Schiller, and Bill Olsson), competing on the USA Men's Indoor National team during those same years, including a 4th place finish at the World Championships in Paris, France in '56, what he accomplished in the career world after his athletic career concluded, and his family life, including his 2 wonderful wives, and sons....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Digger discusses:
- Growing up in Manhattan Beach in the 60's, some of his fellow volleyball players he got his start with in the sport, the humbling and exhilarating road of playing in his first tournament at Muscle Beach in '68, to ascending the ranking system from his B to AAA ranking over the coming summers, some of the highlights of his beach playing career, including a 2nd place finish at the State Beach Open alongside partner Marshall Savage in '71, a 4th place finish at the Marine Street Open alongside Dennis Hare in '71, as well as winning the Manhattan Beach 6 man tournament as a member of the Sky King & the Astro Flashes, also in '71.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jay Discusses:
- His time at Pacific Palisades High School competing in volleyball and basketball as a Dolphin - '68-'70, and the amazing athletes that were there at the time, going to Sorrento Beach and seeing legends like Ron Von Hagen & Ron Lang play beach volleyball, and how BIG of an influence they had on him and the other young volleyball players coming up at the time, his time at UCSB playing volleyball and finishing runner up to UCLA in '74 and '75, and the high of winning the '75 USVBA Open tournament with his USCSB teammates in '74 in Knoxville, Tennessee, the process of earning your A, AA, and AAA rating as young player coming up through the ranks with Greg Lee, how talented the Pali high Dolphin's basketball team was in '69 and '70, winning the LA School's city championship in '69, and finishing runner up in '70, and how talented Tom Chamales was as a player.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Alan Discusses:
- A memorable story from the '64 Laguna Beach Open where he witnessed what he considers to be one of , if not the greatest matches he's ever seen (Dave Bordwell & Nate Parrish vs. Ernie Suwara & Keith Erickson), a classic story of Chester Goss, his recollection of the best players at each beach up and down the coast from San Diego to Santa Cruz, a story about playing against Wally Cleaver ( Aka Tony Dow from the tv show Leave it to Beaver), the best hitters he saw, the best diggers, best players, and most underrated players from that time period, highlights of his career playing volleyball on the beach, indoors, and grass, and what he is up to now days living on Mission Beach.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Alan Discusses:
- Growing up as a kid in the 50's in South Mission Beach, San Diego, and becoming a part of the surf and volleyball culture there, including hanging out with surfers like Mike Hynson (from the Bruce Brown film "The Endless Summer", and Skip Frye), the Mission Beach volleyball crew consisting of Nate Parrish, George Stepanof, Jack Henn, Chester and Stevie Goss, Bob Mendoza, Jean Ready Froning, and Jeanne Lenhart, the infamous Corona Del Mar party where things got "out of hand", including Nate Parrish putting his head through the glass window and throwing a couch from the second story onto a Porsche below, playing against legends Mike O'Hara & Mike Bright in the first round, and then Ron Lang & Gene Selznick in the tournament that weekend, and a classic story of competing against Steno Brunicardi and Kent Dorwin where he and his partner made the mistake of listening to Nate Parrish's advice...
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Butch Discusses:
- Some of the better known women's players on the beach from years passed, including Connie Keller, Jean Brunicardi, Patti Steere, Johnette Latreille, Edie Conrad, Eileen Clancy, Kathy Gregory, Nina Gruenwinkel-Matthies, and Nancy Cohen to name a few, what made the mixed game so amazing, including some of the best men's mixed players over the decades, and some fun stories competing against them, the impact Mike Cook had at Marine Street, how far the beach game has come with the players today all over the WORLD, and the two USA women's beach players, Sarah Spocil, and Kristen Nuss, that he feels have infinite potential on the beach...
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Butch Discusses:
- Mike O'Hara and his memories of him from the Hollywood YMCA and what made him an impressive indoor player, the time O'Hara asked Butch to play with him at Corona Del Mar in Butch's FIRST open tournament, including some memorable moments from that weekend in '65, Mike Bright and his memories of him, including Mike's paddle boarding prowess, and the impact paddle boarder and surfer Tommy Zahn had on a young Mike Bright, some epic stories of Bright competing in the Catalina to Manhattan Beach Paddle Board contest, and another in Hawaii against surfing legend George Downing, some epic stories about making the '68 Men's Indoor Olympic Volleyball team and punching Mike Bright in the face during the try outs in Lake Tahoe and the drama that ensued through out the Olympics, Butch's "interactions" with Coach Jim Coleman, including hanging Coleman off the 3rd story balcony of the hotel when Butch disagreed with Coleman's questionable coaching decisions, and how Butch rode a bicycle up to Bright's house in the canyon now once, but three times when fires threatened to burn down Bright's house....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Butch Discusses:
- His two men's Open Wins with Rudy Suwara, and Dane Holtzman in Santa Cruz, and his recollection of both of them and what made them great players, his recollection of the '68 Manhattan Beach Open he played in with Mike Bright where they finished 3rd , and how amazing Rundle and Bergmann & Lang & Von Hagen played that weekend, including the legendary story of Steno Brunicardi getting hit in the head with a beer bottle by a fan and what transpired after, and how talented Gene Selznicjk was ....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Butch Discusses:
- The Mixed game, Eileen Clancy and seeing how talented she was as a young 10 year old kid playing with Jack Jensen, and the fact that she could drink a beer like no one's business, and asked her to play, a classic Butch and Barbara May Marine street mixed open story when they decided to forfeit when they weren't getting along, much to the chagrin of tournament director -Mike Cook, some of the talented mixed players he competed against, including Matt Gage, Nina Gruenwinkel (Matthies), Rose Duncan, Captain Buzz Swarts, Ron Lang, Mike O'Hara, Edie Conrad, Johnette Latreille, Gene Selznick, Jim Savage, and Sandy Malpee, to name a few, riding motorcycles in his spare time with Al Wurtzel, surfing with Mike Bright, and working with him at Rick's Surfboards (later Becker Surfboards) and getting paid with a surfboard!, a classic story of playing rugby with the owner of Mattel Toys!, and how grateful he is to have met the amazing people he has thanks to the sport of volleyball....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Butch Discusses:
- The 2020 Olympics, including his take on the USA women's indoor team thus far, the USA men's indoor team and where they need to improve moving forward, and which indoor teams he thinks are the favorites to medal. He then touches on the beach volleyball games, what went wrong from Sponcil & Claes, and Dalhausser & Lucena, and who the favorites are to medal.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Butch Discusses:
- MUSCLE BEACH. The players that played there over the years he was there, the eclectic group of people from ALL walks of life that hung out there ( body builders, gymnasts, mobsters, pro sport athletes, war heroes, successful business owners, you name it), the CHARACTERS like Steven "TheMatsa" Cahn, the infamous card games played there with Wilt Chamberlin, Bob Vogelsang, etc... Hot Dog on a Stick, the beach clubs located close by, including how Doug Badt's Sand & Sea Club had the BEST food on the beach :), the legendary Barber family that was an integral part of the scene, and how bonded the Muscle Beach (Sewer of Volleyball) crew from that golden era is to this day......
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Butch Discusses:
- More details on the '64 Olympic Team, including the FLAWED selection process, how talented Gene Selznick and Keith Erickson were, his recollection as a young beach player trying to "break in" at Muscle, Sorrento, and State Beach, and some CLASSIC stories of "who was who" at each beach, and the HOOPS he had to jump through to make a name for himself at each, and a classic story ( from this day forward to be remembered as "Shabba Habbitz") in the history of the sport, when he played in a Winston Volleyball tournament alongside Gene Selznick later in their careers against a young Don Shaw and his partner....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Butch Discusses:
- The patriotic story of how he got his nick name "BUTCH" while still in the womb, his start in the sport as a high school kid growing up in Hawaii, and seeing the talented players at the Outrigger, and Hawaiian Village, including an epic story of sneaking in the Outrigger and taking a hit to the face from future '68 Olympic teammate, Tommy Haine, his infamous "4-F packet" story when he was drafted in '66!, his background before volleyball working in a lumber mill in a small town, his amateur bull riding career where he rode a bull on his first attempt EVER for 8 seconds, and earned a 4th place finish, and how he spent his $ winnings by buying a round of drinks for everyone in the BAR, how he met Colonel Burt DeGroot, and ended up playing for him at Santa Monica Comm. College alongside teammates like Bill Clemo and Ernie Suwara in '63/'64, sharing an apartment with Ernie Suwara when they were teammates at SMCC, how big of an influence Coach - Colonel Burt DeGroot had on him as young player, his recollection of the debacle that was '64 USA Olympic team, how the team was chosen, and how some of the best players were left off the team by Coach Harry Wilson, and some classic stories of how amazing Ernie Suwara was as a hitter!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Ron Von Hagen shares his recollection of the infamous 1968 Manhattan Beach Open where he and Ron Lang BATTLED Larry Rundle & Henry Bergmann for 7 plus hours between the Winners bracket finals, and FINALS, where they were dead even until it got dark and Lang couldn't see the ball. Amazing....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dennis Discusses:
- How he made a living after his volleyball career concluded, running beach volleyball clinics, and selling his amazing art work while living out of his van, how grateful he is for his amazing wife Barbara, and some of his dearest friends: Digger Graybill, and the late George Stepanof and his wife Arlene.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Tom Discusses:
- Some great stories after his volleyball career working as a bar tender here in downtown, Milwaukee Wisconsin at The Rock Bottom, and Miller Time Pub including , including meeting SO many of his former teammates, peers, and volleyball people he met over the years!, his transition into Coaching as an Assistant Coach at Ottawa University in Kansas for the men's and women's programs there and some of his memories from that time, his thoughts on the indoor game we see today, how much he loves the changes in the sport we see today, and the amazing caliber of play across the world, and wishes he could have played under the new rules, some great stories about his time playing on the Evanston, Illinois JO team in High School when they beat the Torrance Roof, CA team, his thoughts on the USA Men's Olympic Indoor team led by Coach John Speraw heading into the upcoming Summer Olympics , and how DEEP and TALENTED the teams are now IN EVERY COUNTRY, where ANY TEAM competing could win the GOLD this coming summer Olympics, what he is most proud of from his playing career, how he would like to be remembered, and what he is up to now in life as of April 2021 :)
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Tom Discusses:
- His transition after graduating from Pepperdine to trying out and making the USA Men's National team as a Starter, memories from his time playing on the USA Men's National team, including the HIGHS and LOWS over those years from '93 though '00, his recollections of the '96 Olympiad in Atlanta when he competed on the USA Men's Olympic team, including the tough 5 game losses they had, and WHO some of the most impressive players were they competed against, a classic "Coach on One" story he has from his time on the National team when he overslept, and Coach Fred Sturm put him through a Coach on One drill that was epic, how it felt to be one of the LAST guys cut from the national team in '00 prior to the Sydney Olympiad, and how emotional it was as an athlete walking to his car in the parking lot realizing he would never suit up in a USA volleyball jersey again, and the experience of playing overseas at the Professional CLUB volleyball level in Spain, and Italy.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Tom Discusses:
- His youth growing up in Racine, Wisconsin, and his start in the sport playing at Racine Case high school for his cousin/COACH Gary Sorensen, the talented Wisconsin players he looked up to in his youth, the MOMENT he realized he was capable of playing division 1 collegiate volleyball when he attended a "TOP OF YOUR CLASS" volleyball camp at UCSB before his senior year at Racine Case where he competed against the BEST California HS volleyball players, the collegiate recruiting process to follow where he decided there was no other coach he wanted to play for than Marv Dunphy at Pepperdine, some of the BEST players he competed against in college at Pepperdine, and his memories of 1992 when he led the Pepperdine Waves to the NCAA Men's Volleyball title!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jan Discusses:
- The BEST diggers he faced on the FIVB tour, BEST BLOCKERS, all around BEST PLAYERS he faced, and the MOST SPECTACULAR players he competed against that he loved to watch, his view from an international player's perspective of the GOOD things that came from the FIVB, what he is most proud of from his career as a competitor, and how he would like to be remembered, his take on the young, supremely talented Norwegian team now of Anders Mol, and Christian Sorum, what he is up to now days in Norway, including family, hobbies, and a new business venture with beach partner and lifelong friend, Bjorn Maasiede with their new paddle tennis facilities they have been constructing across Norway.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jan Discusses:
- Memories from his and partner Bjorn Maaseide's 7 wins on the FIVB tour (including receiving FIVB gold medals from Jane Fonda at an event) :), his memories from both the '96 Atlanta, and '00 Sydney Beach Volleyball Olympics, including some insightful and visceral Olympic stories of his regrets, and what he would have done differently in hindsight, and the best 6 hitters he competed against over his career.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jan Discusses:
- His start on the FIVB tour alongside partner Bjorn Maaseide, what the experience was like, including the challenges they faced early on as young upstarts, the established players they faced and were inspired by, and the importance of "believing in yourself and your partner", a great story about his and Bjorn's first trip to California in '92 to train at Capo Beach, and how they didn't even have a ball to train with on the first day at the beach, and were shot down by an AVP star when they asked to borrow one of the 20 balls he brought to the beach :) and how that trip to CA ( despite some humbling moments) and training with AAA players and AVP Pros at Capo, State, and Hermosa Beach inspired them to stick with the beach game and made them both better players!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dennis Discusses:
- His thoughts on the beach volleyball game we see today compared to when he played, how his book The Art of Beach Volleyball came about, what he's most proud of from his career, what he's up to now days in 2021, including how GRATEFUL he is for his wife Barbara, his amazing parents who supported him every step of his life, and the amazing friends he made along the way :), and the 4 most memorable wins he had over his beach volleyball career,
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Sam Discusses:
- The MEMORABLE moments from his time as the MC of the AVP during its HEY DAY, both on and off the court, his recollection of how the sport crashed in the late 90's due to the EGOS, power struggle between the AVP vs FIVB, the mismanagement, & certain sponsors not following through with the $, his thoughts on the beach game today compared to what it was back then, what he did career - wise after he moved on from pro beach volleyball, what he misses the most about his time as the MC of the sport in the 80's and 90's, what he is most proud of during his time MC'ing, and how he would like to be remembered from his time on tour, what he is up to now days living in Pacific Palisades with his amazing family, where he is working now, his hobbies, and how excited he is about his upcoming new role in July 2021 at Notre Dame High School as their new President, and a final story about Matt Gage and how AMAZING he was and STILL is!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Sam Discusses:
- His youth growing up in the North Bay, how amazing it was as a kid to ride his bike or skateboard down to State Beach, Sorrento Beach, & Muscle Beach to watch the legends of the sport play at that time, the amazing volleyball and basketball players that he got to know over the years at Pacific Palisades High School as a Dolphin, how he got his first experience as an announcer there in high school, his time working on the AVP Tour during the HEY DAY of the sport in public relations, marketing, and MC'ing the sport, how amazing Matt Gage was as tournament director, his profound respect for everyone that was a part of the AVP tour from week to week, including Rudy Papaco, David Leighton, and many other amazing "behind the scenes" crew members that got the tour from city to city each week that deserve a TON OF CREDIT for their contributions and hard work, his time on the Jose Cuervo tour, and all those who made it such an incredible event 3 x a year, including some amazing stories about the infamous Cuervo parties!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dennis Discusses:
- The BEST hitters he ever saw ( Including an amazing story about Mike Stormin' Normand!), best diggers, best team he ever saw on the beach, the MOMENT when he made the decision to become an ARTIST after he and Mike Carey got knocked out of the Laguna Beach Open during the weekend of the Laguna Beach Art Festival, and he visited the Museum there and first saw a Van Gogh painting that was on exhibition , and knew right then and there he was going to be an artist!, and who some of his favorite bands are to this day :)
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dennis Discusses:
- More of his FOND memories of the players from his era, including Bill "Blowfish" Imwalle, Amy Baldus, Butch May & Eileen Clancy, Buzz Swarts, Dane Selznick, Fred Zuelich, Gary Hooper & Steve Obradovich, his good friend George Stepanof and his AMAZING family ( wife Arlene and son Rick) and all they have done for the sport!, Bob Mendoza, Ron Von Hagen, Ron Lang, Henry Bergmann, & Larry "RAGS" Rundle, some of the legendary photographers of the game like Bob "Crank" Van Wagner, Robi Hutas, Kevin Goff, Doug Avery, & Artie Couvillon, and how their priceless photos play an instrumental part in capturing the history of the sport from that era for the rest of TIME...
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dennis Discusses:
Some of the players he saw, played with, and against, or heard about, including John Vallely, Jim Menges, Greg Lee, Bill Leeka, Fred Zuelich, Mike Carey, and Matt Gage, a funny story of playing in the Manhattan Beach Open with Ron Von Hagen and how nervous he was, winning the '77 Capitola Northern California Beach Championship with Fred Zuelich in a tightly contested match against Jeff Jordan & Bob PAPE, how amazed he was by the young guys on tour like OB, who could party all night on Saturday, and then still play the next day, and how much fun he had later on playing in the Chris Marlowe organized LEGENDS tournaments with Captain Buzz Swarts.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dennis Discusses:
- The music he and the players were listening to back in the 70's, how he used to live at his parent's house in Yucaipa over the summer and drive to the beach and back home EVERY day, seeing John Vallely play at the beach and how amazing he was, meeting Wink Davenport and the influence he had on him, being in the armed forces, and his role with them, the time he worked at SIZZLER restaurant for a DAY as a cook, and resigning the very same day, his time living with Fred Zuelich in Mission Beach as roommates and how they were like the ODD COUPLE!, his infamous "waterfall dink" and how he learned it from Larry Rundle, how talented Jim Menges was as a player, and his recollections of some of the instrumental players he recalls from his time playing on the beach, like Stu Waite, and Ron Von Hagen & Ron Lang.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dennis Discusses:
- His youth growing up in Yacaipa, CA, how his dad started a little league baseball team there, how supportive his parents and sister were to him as a youth, and how Dennis went on to achieve some incredible high school accolades as a baseball and basketball player (All - CIF, and Honorable mention All-American), his first exposure to volleyball in high school, his time at San Diego State playing baseball, and how he got caught by the baseball coach playing volleyball in the gym at SDSU with Duncan McFarland!, his first exposure to beach volleyball at Ocean Beach when the established players there wouldn't let him play!, how he first got his AAA rating playing with Mike Carey, beating Larry Rundle and Mike Bright in the losers finals, and getting to compete in a final against Ron Lang & Ron Von Hagen!, how he idolized Larry Rundle and copied his dink, his fond memories of Laguna Beach local- Pete Ott, and what a character Bob Vogelsang was back then, how he would like to someday make a beach volleyball documentary to capture the essence of the sport from that era, and how the sport lost its soul when it got away from being played on the beach, and went to being played in parking lots and stadium courts across the word....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Andy Discusses:
- The best diggers he competed against in his era, best teams he competed against, what it takes to be a good overhand digger, a classic story from Lake Tahoe when he was playing against Jim Menges and Greg Lee and he hit a ball straight down that bounced into Greg's "Lee family jewels", his time competing collegiately in volleyball at Yale University and how they won the Eastern Collegiate Volleyball league conference championship and earned a berth to the '75 NCAA Men's Volleyball championship finals at Pauley Pavilion at UCLA!, his career after volleyball working in Commercial Real Estate for 30 years, how he would like to be remembered in the history of the game, as well as what he MISSES most about that time, what he is up to NOW in retirement in 2021, and a classic story of going to Japan with Dusty Dvorak, Jim Menges, and Gary Hooper in the mid 80' to play in a beach volleyball exhibition, and the ROCKSTAR treatment they received from the Japanese female fans in the airport when they landed!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Andy Discusses:
- His partnership with Dane Selznick and what made them such a great team over their partnership together, his recollection of the '79 Beach World Championships when he and Dane lost in the first round to Rocky Ciarelli & Tom Wade and battled back to reach the finals, where they lost 16-18 in an EPIC double final to Sinjin Smith and Karch Kiraly and how the crowd noise was deafening, his 3 most memorable wins, the controversial '84 Beach World Championships where he and partner Jay Hanseth crossed the player picket line to play as the tournament sponsor was also Andy's personal sponsor and he was a spokesman for, the complicated dynamics of moving on from a partner you love and respect to play with someone else, a CLASSIC Gladstones Restaurant story involving Andy, Dane Selznick, Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos, and Long Island Ice Teas which led to a "drunk" game of TAG at the Santa Monica Beach Club!, the evolution of the infamous Fishburn Flipper, and the 5 most impressive hitters Andy played against in his career.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Andy Discusses:
- His youth and unique family history growing up in LA, learning the sport of volleyball as an "overactive youth" at the Santa Monica Beach Club, being invited by established Beach Club volleyball member John Meek to play in the Laguna Beach Open at the age of 22 where they defeated the 4th seeded team of Gary Hooper & Fred Zuelich early in the tournament, earning his AAA ranking with Eric Macias in Mission Beach, moving on to playing with Fred Sturm and the success they had as a team in '77 &'78 winning several tournaments together, the joy of earning a clothing sponsorship from Burmy's clothing line and picking out the material for his classic Burmy's trunks, how amazing the State Beach volleyball scene was and how much he loved it when he ventured up from the Beach Club to become a part of it, moving on from Fred Sturm to Dane Selznick as his partner on the beach, and the importance of the mental game when it came to playing the sport in all kinds of conditions...
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Bill Leeka Discusses:
- How he met Ron Von Hagen at UCLA when they pledged the BETA THETA PI Fraternity together as freshman, how he learned to play volleyball as a freshman football player on the volleyball court behind the frat house, playing at Sorrento Beach and learning more about the sport from Wally Busby and the other fixtures at the beach, how he was a short runt kid all his life starting in elementary school, yet was designated by his teachers and coaches as a special athletic talent and leader all the way through high school, a classic story when he was at summer camp for the ARMY after her graduated from UCLA, and told his commanding officer he was sick and needed to go home, then drove back in his MG convertible drinking a 6 pack of BEER on the drive down, and won an A tournament with Clyde Grosscup that weekend!, and some other classic stories.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Bill Discusses:
- The 'infamous" '67 Manhattan Beach Open when he and Vogie lost in the first round, and then drank beer the rest of the weekend and made it to the finals against Ron Lang & Ron Van Hagen ( including the antics Leeka and Vogie pulled in the final that led to it being interrupted on multiple occasions when the crowd threw beer bottles & cans on the court countless times, & the infamous Steno Brunicardi story when a drunk fan cracked a bottle of beer over Steno's head, and how Butch May saved the poor fan from being annihilated by Steno), how great of a team Mike O'Hara & Mike Bright were, a classic fishing story from the time Vogie came to visit Leeka and his wife Georgia in North Carolina when they were retired ( including a brief interjection featuring an interview with Vogie to hear his recollection of the CLASSIC story) , and what LEEKA is up to now days in 2021!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jan Discusses:
- Growing up in Norway, what the country is like, and how he got his start in volleyball as a youth, playing indoors professionally, including his time on 2 French professional teams in the 80's - Arago Sete, & AS Cannes, some of the best international indoor players he competed against and looked up to, how he learned the sport of beach VB playing 3 man volleyball on the beach in the French Riviera, how he learned about the AVP and the players he admired on the AVP tour in his youth, how he earned his nickname - MAP ( Most Arrogant Player) when his partner Bjorn Maaseide advised him he was "too nice" to his fellow countrymen when they competed on the beach so he adopted his new nickname and how it served him well over his career on the beach, and a CLASSIC story of a trip he took a decade ago with Bjorn and their families to Rome, Italy, and how the cab driver thought Jan was the actor Dolph Lundgen ( AKA Ivan Drago)!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jeff Discusses:
- The OFF THE COURT "fun" volleyball players in the 70's had with the volley dolly's ( EPIC stories!), one of his most memorable finishes in the '74 Manhattan Beach Open playing with Leonard Armato, and the teams they beat along the way, and how fun the player parties were after the tournament!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dave Bordwell Discusses:
- More insight on Ron "8-0" Lang , the best diggers from that era, the best hitters from that era, several EPIC stories about the most FEARED guy on the beach, Steno Brunicardi, Dave's memories of winning the '62 Laguna Beach Open with partner Gordon Evans, and winning the '65 Corona Del Mar Open alongside partner Ron Von Hagen, and what transpired in his life after his playing career concluded.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dave Bordwell Discusses:
- His good friend Keith Erickson and some CLASSIC stories about him and his athletic prowess & some shenanigans' between them ( including the time they threw water balloons at passerby's from their hotel balcony in San Diego), the time Bordwell saw Peter Velasco hit at ball at State Beach that bounced on the restroom roof, his recollection of Ron Von Hagen and what made him so good and an amazing human, the BEST players from his era, his recollection of Gene Selznick, including how dominant Gene was on the beach, his amazing personality that drew crowds and followers, and some epic stories from the USVBA Indoor Nationals in '62 & '65, when Gene was a man amongst boys, including how Jack Jensen threw punches at Bordwell....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Dave Bordwell Discusses:
- His start in the sport as a 18 year old kid in 1950 thanks to his girlfriend at the time who took him to State Beach and introduced him to Bernie Holtzman, who taught him the game, Bordwell's world class track & field talents ( running the 200 meter dash in 20.6 secs, and long jumping 25 feet 7"), his recollection of the prominent volleyball fixtures at State Beach in the 50's ( Bernie Holtzman, Gene Selznick, Ron Lang, Altie Cohen, Don McMahon, Dick Davis, etc..), a classic story about Pan Am games when he and Mike Bright got into a fight in the bathroom with some Canadian hockey players that tried to skip in front of them in line, and his recollection of legendary players Gene Selznick, Ron Lang, Mike Bright, & Mike O'Hara, including the "bad blood" rivalry between Selznick & O'Hara.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jeff Discusses:
- Mike Maas and what a talented indoor defensive player he was, the West LA Window Shades USVBA team he captained and some FUN stories about the team, his High School indoor coaching career as an assistant coach for two of the most talented programs in the history of California : The Laguna Beach Artists ( under head coach Bill Ashen), and the Mira Costa Mustangs (under head coach Mike Cook), as well as some classic stories about the incredibly talented players he had the privilege of coaching during his time at both high schools.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Ron Lang pays tribute to O'Hara & Bright and Discusses:
- How he first met Mike O'Hara in '56 after O'Hara got out of the service and played in a tournament with him, the Selznick & O'Hara rivalry where he and Mike Bright were just side shows to Selznick & O'Hara when they played one another, how honored Lang was when the O'Hara family asked him to speak at O'Hara's wake, some memorable O'Hara stories, and what he learned from him as a competitor, O'Hara's strengths and weaknesses as a player, and what an amazing father he was, stories about Mike Bright, including one from the '64 Olympics and the back set shoots he set him in Tokyo, Japan, the tragic diving accident in which Bright dove too deep and came up too fast and got the "bends" and became partially paralyzed, what an outstanding athlete Bright was as a basketball player, as well as a paddle boarder, including the fact he won the 32 mile Catalina to Manhattan Beach paddle board race on multiple occasions.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jeff Discusses:
- A mesmerizing story about the most impressive hit he EVER witnessed (courtesy of Henry Bergmann) during an early round Saturday match at the '70 or '71 Manhattan Beach Open, how amazing the crowds were for the Manhattan Beach Open back then with fans packed all around the court, on the stairs, the pier, and the strand, some of the other most impressive hitters he witnessed over the years as a player, and ref, the variety of balls they played with over the decades and the differences between them, the best diggers he saw over the years, some fond memories of the infamous South Bay eating establishments on the beach in the 70's (Taco Bills & Perry's Pizza), and a discussion about the legend/rumor of whether or not Keith Erickson ever bounced a ball up over the railing into the south parking lot at Manhattan Beach?
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Jeff Jordan - Part 1 Interview.
Jeff Discusses:
- Growing up in the South Bay as a talented baseball and basketball player, how he learned the sport of volleyball during a class at UC Irvine in College, playing in the Manhattan 6 man tournament with Ted Dodd, and being recruited by Pepperdine Coach, Harlen Cohen, to play indoors alongside Ted at Pepperdine on a scholarship where he earned ALL-AMERICAN honors in '75 , playing on the work up yellow court at Marine street during the summer and being invited to play on the main Orange Court by Mike Cook, winning his first A tournament on the beach, some classic stories from the Manhattan 6 Man tournament, where he won 3 titles as captain alongside the teams he put together, his reffing career for the 6 man over several decades, and also reffing on the AVP tour for a decade, his time coaching the sport, including 2 stints as an assistant coach for two of the GREATEST high school programs and Coaches in California for Bill Ashen's Laguna Beach Artists, and Mike Cook's Mira Costa Mustangs, the best beach match he ever witnessed on the beach when Mitch Malpee & John Gonzalez took on Kirk Kilgour & Doug Dunlap and dug them countless times even though they ultimately lost, and how amazing Matt Gage and Jim Menges were as a team.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Ron Lang Interview. From August 30th_2018 Part 1
Ron Lang Discusses:
- Why he thinks Gene Selznick is the GREATEST American volleyball player in history, ever!, the strategy he would use playing against the modern day best player, Phil Dalhausser, a classic story of playing a young Jim Menges when he taught him a lesson!, how he didn't play the game to make friends, but rather looked at it as a business, and did his BEST to crush and demoralize the competition so they wouldn't think they had a chance against him, how he moved on from Gene Selznick to Ron Von Hagen as a partner, and why, what he did as a digger that made him so successful, some of the best hitters he faced over his career, and his recollection of the legendary '68 Manhattan Beach Open final played in the dark between him and Von Hagen vs. Larry Rundle & Henry Bergman, and how he handled that devastating loss...
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Ron Lang. First Interview. May 20th, 2018
Ron Lang Discusses:
- His start in the sport when he went to the beach in 1954 to surf as teenager and couldn't surf due to the jelly fish in the ocean, and saw Richie Cooper and Harry Cohen from the Hollywood Y volleyball team playing beach volleyball, and played with them, how they were hard on him while teaching him the nuances of the game (which drove him nuts, but served him well!), playing in his first tournament in '56 with Dick Davis and beating the legendary team of Gene Selznick & Bernie Holtzman in the first round and realizing he could be successful in the sport with the right partner, how magical the sport was during that era when players played for bragging rights, how he developed his mindset to not be friends with his opponents, but rather beat their brains in, how amazing it was to have played alongside Gene Selznick, and Ron Von Hagen as partners, and what made each SO SPECIAL in their own way, the BEST team he ever competed against over his career, his recollection of the legendary '68 Manhattan Beach Open when he and Von Hagen battled Larry Rundle & Henry Bergman for 7 plus hours between the winners finals, and the finals played in the dark, how he became a legendary digger by watching his opponents during warm ups, and then positioning himself during games where he knew they liked to hit, the rivalry between Gene Selznick and Mike O'Hara on the beach, a classic story later on with a young Kent Steffes over dinner, what he's up to now days, what he's most proud of from his career, his thoughts on the new game and rules, and his amazing mind and strategy when it came to playing the game.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Fred Zuelich Part 2 ( Conclusion).
Fred Discusses:
- Some of the talented players he competed against when he played, his "foggy" memory of the after party when he won the '73 Manhattan Beach Open, the surreal experience of driving back down to San Diego after he won the MBO, the amazing comradery between the players back then, what it was like seeing his and Bobby Jackson's name on the Manhattan Beach Pier afterward, Captain Jack and his RAIN MAN esque recollection of the sport's history, the 5 best hitters he saw, the 5 best diggers, some classic stories about Gary Hooper, Jim Menges, and Tom Chamales, what he remembers of the infamous '68 Manhattan Beach Open as a spectator when Von Hagen & Lang battled Larry Rundle & Henry Bergman, and how it was the best volleyball he's ever seen, his thoughts on the new rules, and how he would do playing the new school players under the old rules, what he's up to now days after his playing career concluded, and how much he loves working in real estate for Strand Hill Properties in the South Bay where he grew up, and the story behind his infamous Puka Shell Necklace!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Fred Zuelich Part 1.
Fred Discusses:
- His start in the sport as a surfer surfing at 42nd Street in El Porto and the infamous "Black Ball", which meant you couldn't surf, so he played beach volleyball during the break from surfing, his time at SDSU where he went to college, earning his way up through the ranks on the beach through the ranking system, the EPIC story from 1970 in San Diego when he was a AA player and Ron Von Hagen were both partner less and hooked up. Fred's partner never made it down from Sant Barbara as the bus broke down, and Von Hagen's partner Dane Holtzman turned Hare Krishna the night before, and Dane showed up at the tournament to let him know he couldn't play, much to Von Hagen's dismay! Then how Legendary tournament director George Stepanof played MATCH MAKER, and helped Fred and Von Hagen play together and they earned a 3rd place victory!, Fred shares how amazing that experience was playing with Von Hagen, including how elated he was to earn his AAA rating, and all the invaluable knowledge Von Hagen passed on to him that weekend, the players he looked up to on the beach when he was young and coming up, the '73 Manhattan Beach Open he and Bobby Jackson won, and the gauntlet they went through to finally win it over Matt Gage and Ron Von Hagen a week later after the first final was stopped due to darkness.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
John Vallely.
John Discusses:
- His youth growing up in Newport Beach surfing, working for his dad, playing basketball, and learning the sport of volleyball, his journey as a talented basketball player starting out at Orange Coast Community College where he met his amazing wife, Karen, transferring to UCLA and playing guard for John Wooden at UCLA and winning 2 NCAA Championships in '69 & '70, what he learned at his 2 years at UCLA from Coach Wooden, his career on the beach playing volleyball and the players he played with up to landing Ron Von Hagen as a partner in '69, what it was like winning beach opens alongside the Legendary Von Hagen, including the '69 Manhattan Beach Open against Rundle & Bergmann, plus beating them at the Jonathan Club, what he remembers about Bergmann & Rundle, what made Von Hagen such an incredible player and role model to play with, his recollection of some of the other players he played with: Brian Lewis SR, Pete Ott, and Bobby Garcia, his time playing indoor for Wilt's Big Dippers, his recollection of many of the legends and characters he played with and against ( Larry Rundle, Ron Lang, Keith Erickson, Gene Selznick, Kirk Kilgour, Bob Vogelsang, Ron Coon, and Dave Bordwell), the 3 best hitters he saw, the best diggers he recalls, and the best team he competed against, his favorite win on the the beach, his thoughts on the sport today with the new rules, including what strategy he would use playing against a team like Dalhausser & Lucena under the old rules, what he's most proud of from his career, and what he is up to today!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Holly McPeak Interview.
Holly Discusses:
-Her start in the sport as a kid in the South Bay on the beach with her dad, brother, and sister, the pro players she witnessed in her youth that inspired her, playing indoors at Mira Costa high school for legendary coach Dae Lea Aldrich, and some of the amazing players she played with there in the Mustang program, her collegiate volleyball career starting out at Cal - Berkeley, and then transferring to UCLA for her senior year where she was the starting setter on their '90 NCAA Championship team, the inspiration behind her "one of a kind" work ethic indoors and on the beach, her most memorable wins on the beach where she won 72 OPENS, her memories from the 3 Olympiads she competed in, including winning the Bronze medal in 2004 alongside Elaine Youngs, her advice on what it takes to be a top defensive player, the 5 best hitters she faced, the 5 best diggers, what she is MOST PROUD of from her career in the sport, how she would like to be remembered, what she is up to in 2020, the young players on the beach and playing collegiately that she sees as being "special" talents, and how amazing it is to be a full-time mom to her son, and paying it forward as an owner and coach for Elite Beach Volleyball in the South Bay.
www.godstoghosts.com
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Tom Chamales - Part 3 ( Conclusion)
Tom Discusses:
- The 4 most memorable/MAGIC plays from his career ( including the time he ran down a ball and set it perfectly, the time he hit a ball at Sorrento during a practice game and it SHOOK the sand, and the time he bounced a ball OVER the Sorrento wall into the Hilton families yard and who he met there when he climbed the wall to retrieve the ball!), the 5 best hitters he ever saw, the 5 best diggers he ever saw, the 3 best teams he competed against, his IVA career and some great memories from it, his thoughts on the rule changes to the short court and rally scoring, and who he'd pick to play with against Phil Dalhausser & Todd Rodgers in a match under old school rules & the strategy he would use to compete, what he's most proud of from his career, how he'd like to be remembered in history, and what he is up to today!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Tom Discusses:
- Winning the Sorrento Beach Open in '74 with Marshall Savage over Von Hagen & Menges after he showed up at the beach partnerlesss, his IVA career from '75 - '77, playing in the '76 World Championships with Von Hagen against Menges & Lee when the lighting was crashing, and he was CRUSHING BALLS even though they lost in the finals, going to Hawaii in '75 and playing at the Outrigger Canoe Club with Tommy Haine and pounding 2 balls over the fence, some classic stories from his time on the IVA, his favorite partner on the beach, his 3 favorite beach wins, some classic stories of road trips in his VW van with Greg Lee & Jim Menges to the East coast back in the day, the players he helped get their AAA rating, including Pat Powers, how fun it was to play on the tour in the 70's and the player houses they crashed at after the player parties up and down the coast, and his thoughts on legendary players like Jim Menges, Matt Gage, Buzz Swarts, etc...
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Tom Chamales - Part 1.
Tom Chamales Discusses:
- His start in the sport at Santa Monica HS in the late 60's, going to Sorrento Beach with all his SAMO HS friends, including Jim Menges, and Randy Niles, how amazing Sorrento Beach was during that era with the Steere Family, Yoshi and her husband Wally Busby., witnessing Ron Lang and Ron Von Hagen hold court, the infamous Sorrento Wall, playing collegiately at UCLA playing for Al Scates, living in the basement of Greg Lee's frat house, the time his dog Barron got in a fight with Mike Stormin' Normand's Great Dane, losing in '73 to Chris Marlowe's SDSU team, the time Ron Lang beat him and Menges at Sorrento 8-0, and the lesson they learned, how he earned his AAA rating with Bob Vogelsang on the beach in San Diego when Vogie didn't show up for their first round game as Vogie was in the bar with a hot chick!, and a classic story from the Winston League....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Kathy Discusses:
- Mike Stormin' Normand, her best friend, Kathy Hanley, the best women's and men's beach teams and players she saw over the years, her thoughts on the new rules on the beach ( including how she would do against Misty May & Kerri Walsh playing old school sideout rules, one game to 15, and who she would pick as her partner), title 9 and how it affected the sport, her coaching career at UCSB, her broadcasting career, what she is most proud of from her illustrious career, what she is up to NOW DAYS in retirement, and her answers to fan questions!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Kathy Discusses:
- Her start in the sport as a teenager, including the impact her older brothers that she adored, Bill and Bob, had on her, playing in a mixed open on the beach with Alika "The Panther" Smith when she was 14 years old and how his fiery personality and dialogue that tournament made an impact on her for the rest of her life, playing indoors at Santa Monica Community College back then as a teenager with the likes of Dave Bordwell and Dane Holtzman, including playing Dane Holtzman in a game of horse and one on one in basketball and BEATING him, the players from that era when she was starting out on the beach that made an impact on her at such a young age, what the beach lifestyle was like during that golden era of the sport, her 3 favorite partners she ever played with on the beach and why, her 3 favorite tournament wins and why, and her recollection of some of the players from that era and what she remembers about what made them SO SPECIAL in their own way in the history of the game, including (Jean Brunicadri, Gene Selznick, Miki McFadden, Johnette Latreille, Ron Lang, Ron Von Hagen, Nancy Cohen, Dave Bordwell, Steno Brunicardi, and Wilt Chamberlin).
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Buzz Discusses:
- His thoughts on the rule changes to the short court and rally scoring, how he would do competing against a modern day dominant team like Dalhausser & Rogers playing them under the old school rules ( including his strategy and partner he'd pick to battle them), the 5 best men's beach players he ever saw ( including an amazing story about seeing a 15 year old Karch Kiraly playing with his dad Las at the Santa Barbara Open), his answers to fan questions ( including how his legendary south bay surfer dad Hoppy had a significant role in professional surfing that not many people know about, how Buzz was the catalyst in getting the volleyball courts built at Hermosa Beach in the 70' (even though he is too humble and nice to ever take credit for it!), what he misses most about his days competing in the sport, what he is most proud of from his career as a player, how he would like to be remembered, and what he is up to now days after retiring from the Fire Department as a Captain, and enjoying life with his beautiful family.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Buzz Discusses:
- His start in the sport as a volleyball player in his youth growing up as surfing legend Hoppy Swarts' son (including the role Vietnam Vet and and fellow South Bay player Mitch Malpee played in it), plus the other established South Bay players he looked up to: Mike Bright, Mike O'Hara, and John Gonzalez, working his way up through A, AA, and AAA , and the partners he played with to climb that ladder, being sponsored by Perry's Pizza (Which in those days didn't mean $, but rather ALL the FREE Pizza and Cokes he could ingest) :) the amazing LIFESTYLE of the 70's, the South Bay Studs who ruled the court at Marine Street back then (Malpee, Gonzalez, Bobby Jackson, Mike Carey, and Dennis Hare), how amazing it was to win the '72 Manhattan Beach Open alongside long time friend, and LBSU teammate, Matt Gage against LEGENDS Larry Rundle and Bob Clem ( who they beat TWICE in the tournament), the keys to being a talented shot maker (including the infamous COBRA), his 3 favorite wins over his career, how blocking over affected the game, his recollection of some of the established players from that era, who the most talented women's players were, who his favorite partner was he ever played with an why, the BEST hitters he saw, the BEST diggers he saw, and the BEST teams from that era.....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Matt Gage Discusses:
- How he would do competing against a modern day dominant team like Dalhausser & Rogers playing old school rules, some of his most memorable moments as the AVP Tournament Director ( including a classic OB story when OB mouthed off, Sinjin taking a stand, a tussle in Muskegon, Michigan between Brian Lewis and Kent Steffes he had to break up in the food tent, and Pat Powers swinging a milk jug filled with water at Randy Stoklos during the heat of the battle in Wildwood, New Jersey), what he's most proud of from his career as player and tournament director, what his nephew Scott "The Bomber" Ayakatubby is up to now days, what Matt's doing these days in retirement down in Carlsbad, CA living the good life, and how proud he is to be a LBSU 49'er alum, and Wall of Fame member..
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Matt Gage Discusses:
- His recollection of some of the talented players who played the sport during his era between 1970 and 1983 hat I asked him about as a competitor ( Ron Lang, Ron Von Hagen, Jim Menges, Chris Marlowe, Gary Hooper, Steve Obradovich, and Greg Lee), the best hitters he saw over his entire career as a player and tournament director, the best diggers he saw, the 3 best teams he witnessed over his career as a player and tournament director, and his thoughts on the rule changes to the short court in the early 2000's. .
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Matt Gage Discusses:
- His start in the sport (playing collegiality at LBSU with Buzz Swarts, and Bill "Blowfish" Imwalle , playing with Patti Bright, and friend and LBSU teammate Bill Imwalle), working his way through the ranking system on the beach from A, AA, and AAA, the players he looked up to on the beach when he was coming up, including his IDOL, Larry "RAGS" Rundle, and how talented he was, his recollection of the epic 1968 Manhattan Beach Open witnessing Ron Lang & Ron Von Hagen battle Larry Rundle & Henry Bergmann in the winners bracket final that lasted 3 hours and how awe struck he was by the otherworldly level of sideout volleyball played by those 4 legends when it took 30 minutes before one of them earned a point at times , how amazing the sport was during that golden era when players played for the love of the game and the lifestyle of the sport, the budding rivalry between the North Bay and South Bay players, his 3 favorite wins and what made them so special, and what it was like beating his idol, Larry Rundle in the '72 Manhattan Beach Open along side his good friend, and LBSU teammate Buzz Swarts, when he ran around the court in elation like he was walking on air.....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
After listening to Bob Vogelsang's recent parts 3 & 4 podcast interview, Lang was compelled to call Vogie out on some of his comments and lack of facts... :)
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
John Taylor discusses:
His start in the sport as a youth at the Santa Monica Beach Club, meeting a fellow young volleyball player there by the name of Dennis "The Condor" Duggan, and how the two of them were inspired to pursue the sport to the highest level by Doc Burroughs, playing in the State Beach Open at the age of 17, and beating LEGENDS Gene Selznick & Ron Lang in the first round, hitchhiking to Hollywood to play indoors on the second Hollywood team (the Comets) against the first team (the Stars), and what a thrill it was competing against players like Mike Bright, Gene Selznick, Mike O'Hara, etc.., his thoughts on Coach Harry Wilson, how he made the '64 US Men's Indoor Olympic team even though the coach, Harry Wilson, didn't want him on the team, and how "politics" led to some of our best players being left off the team (Gene Selznick, Al Scates, Walt Schiller, Rolf Engen, etc), in favor of lesser skilled players, and his thoughts on some of the great players he competed against and knew over his career.....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Bob Vogelsang Discusses:
- His thoughts on the new beach rules, how he would do playing against a team like Phil Dalhausser & NickLucena under the old rules, what he's most proud of about his career and how he would like to be remembered, what he misses the most about the old days and competing in the sport, his answers to fan questions ( playing basketball against the Harlem Globetrotters and the time he went off script and stole the ball from Meadow Lark Lemmon and dunked!, amazing Wilt Chamberlin stories ( including WHO cheated more at cards), the time he popped a ball with a pear knife, the most beer he ever drank in a tournament, the IVA, and traveling to El Paso with fellow legend Eileen Clancy to an IVA tournament in El Paso where he jump served a ball into the face of Mary Jo Peppler, the time he lived with Captain Jack and rearranged the furniture while Captain Jack was at work, what he's up to now days, and the best players from every era.....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Bob Vogelsang discusses: - Some of the other legendary players he competed with and against, including, Doug Dunlap, Jim Menges, Randy Niles, Wilt Chamberlin, Greg Lee, Gene Pflueger, Steno Brunicardi, Mike Stormin' Normand, Kathy Gregory, the Best Hitters he ever saw, the best diggers ( including Manny Saenz).....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Vogie discusses:
- His recollection of some of the players he competed against ( Larry Rundle, Henry Bergmann, Ron Lang, Ron Von Hagen, Gene Pflueger, and Mike Bright), his favorite beer he drinks these days, a CLASSIC Mike Bright story when Vogie decided to go spear fishing one day, and stopped by Mike Bright's dive shop for some spear fishing advice on his way to Point Dume, and Bright gives Vogie a taste of his own medicine with some spear fishing advice that leads to one of the funniest stories ever!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Vogie discusses:
- His youth growing up in LA and going to Sorrento Beach as kid with his parents, shagging balls for the legends playing there, and being immediately in awe of the players, the energy at the beach, and the lifestyle..., playing volleyball with Pete Hogan as a teenager at Sorrento, State, and Muscle Beach, his memories of Gene Selznick ( watching him play, parking cars for him, being coached by him, and Gene's love of food!), his time coaching AVP player Brian Gatzke on the AVP tour in the '90's, the '67 Manhattan Beach Open, when he and UCLA All-American football player Bill Leeka lost in the first round, and then drank beer the rest of the weekend and made it to the finals to face off against legends Ron Lang & Ron Von Hagen ( including the antics that took place with the crowd throwing beer on the court, a fan breaking a bottle of beer of Steno Brunicardi's head, which didn't phase him, and how when the fan ran away, Butch May ran him down, tackled him, and saved the guys life by giving him up to the police to put in a squad car before Steno got his hands on him), Vogie's lack of success in never winning a final in the 9 times he made it there, and his recollections of legend Mike O'Hara.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Adam Johnson Part 3:
Adam discusses:
- Playing and winning on both sides of the court on the AVP, his 3 most memorable wins, the experience of visiting the Manhattan Beach Pier and seeing his name on it among all the legends who won there, the CUERVO parties!, the 5 best hitters he faced, 5 best diggers, the best blockers, and best players he competed against, what it was like playing with Karch Kiraly, and some of their best wins together, including the epic '97 Minneapolis Open when he and Karch beat their former partners Kent Steffes & Jose Loiola, his thoughts on the NEW RULES, his answers to FAN questions, including: his NIKE foot digs, the BEST SMACK talkers on the beach, his low toss jump serve, his football punting skills, his memories of playing in Milwaukee at Bradford Beach, what he's up to now in his career with his Adam Johnson Volleyball Academy in Austin, TX, and beautiful family with his wife Jennifer, and their two amazing kids, and how he would like to be remembered.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Adam Discusses:
- Playing with legend Pat Powers and getting his first win with him in '91 at Santa Barbara and then being dumped by PP shortly there after, teaming up with Ricci Luyties that season and winning the first NBC live televised event in Milwaukee when he and Ricci beat John Hanley & Mike Whitmarsh in an epic final on live TV, the success Adam and Ricci had the rest of that summer playing together, culminating in an epic win over legends Sinjin Smith & Randy Stoklos at the USA Championships in Hermosa Beach, the '93 Manhattan Beach Open when he and Bruk Vandeweghe finished second to Karch Kiraly & Kent Steffes, and the amazing jump serves he blasted "shrapnel" off Karch on Kent, that people still talk about to this day, his prowess on defense, and what made him so successful as a 2 x AVP defensive player of the year.....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Adam Johnson - Part 1
Adam discusses: His start in the sport as a kid growing up in Laguna Beach, his illustrious Laguna Beach high school career, winning 3 CIF titles along side some incredible volleyball talent playing for coach Bill Ashen, his collegiate volleyball career as a USC Trojan, playing for Coach Bob Yoder (where he was the NCAA Player of the Year in ’86, a 3 x All-American, and 3 x NCAA runner up), his stint on the USA Men's indoor volleyball team, his start as a young professional on the beach competing on the AVP tour alongside Troy Tanner and Steve Timmons, having sponsors approach him to represent their brand, winning his first tournament in '91 alongside Pat Powers in Santa Barbara over legends Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos, and how he lived week to week during the early years on the AVP tour, when partners dumped one another with no remorse….
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Lang Discusses:
- Why he thinks Gene Selznick is the best American Volleyball player ever despite my argument that Karch Kiraly is, his recollection of his time on the '64 Olympic team, how he would have played against Dalhausser on the beach ( regardless of his partner), classic stories of playing against Jim Menges back in the day when Lang served a sky ball that was going to land out on a woman and her child and Jim Menges caught the ball before it hit them and Lang said, that's a point!, the advice he gave to a young Kent Steffes in the early 90's over dinner when Kent shared with Lang how the rest of the players on tour didn't like him ( Lang said: SO WHAT!), how he moved on from the aging Gene Selznick as his partner to the young upstart Ron Von Hagen, his strategy as a defensive player when it came to digging ( his knowledge is PRICELESS), , the best hitters he played against during his era, his recollection of the classic '68 Manhattan Beach Open when he and Von Hagen lost in the dark against Larry Rundle & Henry Bergmann, how he won 70% of the tournaments he played in from '58-'68 in his prime, what he thought of Wilt Chamberlin's volleyball skills ( or lack there of), classic stories of Steno Brunicardi, and Jack Backer, how amazing Mike Bright was as player, and more!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Leeka discusses:
- His UCLA football career playing for legendary Coach Red Sanders, pledging as a freshman there ( alongside beach volleyball legend Ron Von Hagen) in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and the HAZING they went through, some of his most memorable experiences as a two-way player on the team, including the "forearm" shiver he delivered to Oregon State's star tail back/safety that made him a legend in the Pacific Coast Conference, the fun he had the nights before home games causing mischief when the team played at the LA Coliseum, and staying at a downtown LA hotel, and going on double dates with Ron Von Hagen to The Luau in Beverly hills when they enjoyed a "few" of their infamous Rum drinks and had a good time....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Nancy Cohen Part 2.
Nancy discusses:
- The amazing men's players she saw at State Beach when she was playing ( including Dane Selznick, Andy Fishburn, Randy Stoklos, Sinjin Smith, Dane Hotzman, and a teenage Kent Steffes), the legendary players and characters of State Beach ( Bernie Holtzman, Gene Selznick, Ron Von Hagen, Ron Lang, Jean and Steno Brunicardi, and Butch May practicing with his his daughter Misty May!), plus basketball legend and lover of volleyball- Wilt Chamberlin, and the impact he had on the sport, her thoughts on the sport today and what could be done to make it better, what she is most proud of over her career, how she would like to be remembered, and what she is up to NOW DAYS in 2020 :)
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Nancy Discusses:
- How she got her start in the sport growing up at State Beach in Santa Monica, learning the sport from her father, Altie Cohen, witnessing the legendary volleyball players/characters, surfers, and movie stars who were all a part of the State Beach scene, winning the '74 State Beach Open at the age of 15 with her partner, Jean Brunicardi, her time as a highly successful high school player at Pacific Palisades HS, being one of the first female volleyball players to earn a collegiate scholarship to play for Coach Patti Bright at Pepperdine University, what it was like playing with Kathy Gregory on the beach, her recollections of Gene Selznick and his impact on the sport, some of her favorite wins on the beach, as well as who some of the most talented women's players were over the years she competed.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Larry Discusses:
- Playing with Bob Clem ( his partner in the '71 Manhattan Beach Open that they WON), how he views himself as MORE of an INDOOR player, than a beach guy, the best players he competed against, the best diggers, the best hitters, playing and WINNING the GOLD medal in the '67 Pan Am Games in Canada on the US Olympic Men's Indoor team to qualify for the '68 Olympics, how he supported himself financially working as a waiter in the evenings at the Daisy Disco Club in Beverly Hills during '67 and '68, and then training in the UCLA weight room all day on little sleep, the '68 Olympic Games in Mexico City, how they beat the defending gold medalist Russians in the 1st round, then spraining his ankle in round 2, and he could no longer play, how amazing of a team Von Hagen and Lang were on the beach, his thoughts on how he would do against the best beach players of today on the beach, some great fan questions, what he is most proud of over his career, and what he is up to today.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Interview with Larry Rundle - Part 1:
Larry discusses:
His start in the sport at John Adams Junior high school during the summer when he would hang out there from 9 am until 5 pm playing basketball, volleybal, (and PING PONG, if he lost)l, the influence Coaches Don Steere and Dave Heiser had on him at such a young age, that he held the John Adams JR High School consecutive free throw record ( 17 in a ROW!), from 1956 until 1998, and how Dave Heiser sent him a REGISTERED letter in '98 letting him know his record was broken :), how at age 16 he was all of 5'2" and 95 pounds when he got his drivers license and how he was too weak and small to take the volleyball with his hands and had to bump everything, which made him an incredible passer, the players he was in awe of coming up as a youngster, his time playing at UCLA with Keith Erickson and Ernie Suwara, and how incredibly talented they were ( Ernie was the HARDEST hitter he EVER saw, and Erickson is far and AWAY the BEST athlete he has ever known), his legendary weight training program he learned from the UCLA water polo coach and Von Hagen, his UCSB Gaucho daughter Brooke Rundle, the amazing experience of playing on Wilt's Big Dippers led by the legendary player and personality Gene Selznick and their fun times together, Henry Bergmann (how their partnership came to be, and all that made Henry such a unique player and human being), the epic 1968 Manhattan Beach Open in which he and Bergmann battled Von Hagen & Lang for 7 + hours between the winners finals and finals in what is considered to be the highest level of beach volleyball ever played until the darkness ended it what he considers to be a tie as Lang could no longer see the ball in the dark, and his admiration and respect for Von Hagen & Lang for their unique ability to compete at the highest level week in and week out for years on end.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
George Discusses:
- What he is most proud of over his career as a husband to Arlene, DAD, player, friend, tournament director, and CBVA HOF contributor, HOW he would like to be remembered, what he is up to now days, what he misses about those golden days, and several EPIC party stories in the San Diego area among the players that he witnessed firsthand from that are PRICELESS and few people know about ( including multiple Nate Parrish escapades that even the biggest ROCK music and surfing ROCK STARS in history would be envious of....) You'll be Mind blown..... Trust me....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
George discusses:
- The hardest hitters he ever saw ( Suwara, Bergmann, Tom Chamales, Powers), the best diggers he saw, the best teams he witnessed as tournament director on both the men's and women's side, his thoughts on the "new rules with short court", some of his most memorable moments as a tournament director ( including the players who terrorized him as a tournament director), the best players he witnessed ( men and women), and some great stories about guys like Steno Brunicardi :)
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
George Discusses:
-His first time playing beach volleyball in 1955 at Mission Beach, the best players in the San Diego area at that time ( Nate Parrish, Chester Goss, Jack Henn), witnessing Gene Selznick and Bernie Holtzman, and Mike O'Hara & Mike Bright play and what made them so special on the court, the lifestyle and camaraderie among the players at that time, the 1970 San Diego Open that he was the tournament director for when Dane Holtzman informed Ron Von Hagen an hour before there first match that he couldn't play due to turning Hare Krishna the NIGHT before, and how George played match maker to pair Von Hagen and a young AA rated Fred Zuelich up, his recollection of the GREATS who played back then ( Ron Lang, Ron Von Hagen, Kathy Gregory, etc..), a GREAT Vogie story, and the hitting prowess of Keith Erickson and Ernie Suwara....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Al Discusses:
- A recruiting battle he had for a Brazilian player against USC coach Ernie Hix for a Brazilian player ( not Celson Kalache) , how amazing Celso Kalache was at USC, the multiple volleyball "how to" books he made over his career, WHAT made him THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ( by far) men's volleyball coach at UCLA ( if you are a coach, you need to listen to this as it is AMAZING and still holds true today), how he was ahead of his time with analytics of the sport, and where and what he is up to now AFTER retiring from the sport with his amazing family that he ADORES, the health cancer health challenges he overcame, his golf game, and other hobbies that keep him happy and kicking ass at age 80 ( with a birthday coming up on June 8th, BRUINS players, don;t forget ) :) For the record, I want to thank legendary Stanford women's volleyball coach Don Shaw, who won 4 NCAA titles over his coaching career there, for making this interview happen. Thanks Coach Shaw.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Al Discusses:
- His 2 biggest coaching disappointments, his amazing coaching tree of former players that played for him at UCLA and went on to be great coaches, including current USA Men's Olympic Men's Team, and UCLA Bruin Men's Volleyball coach - John Speraw, the BEST coaches he coached against over his 50 year career, and his acting debut in his former player Paul Nihilipali's 2008 beach volleyball film, THE GREEN FLASH ( formerly known as Beach Kings). Make sure to watch it as you will get to see Al ( Pacino) Scates, killing it with his acting chops :)
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Al Discusses:
5 of his most memorable coaching experiences ( including some in OTHER sports before UCLA)....... Good stuff! It explains a lot about why he is the BEST ever.....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Spike Discusses:
- Playing in a mixed open on the beach with Kathy Gregory, his South Bay buddies he grew up with, handi -cap tournaments he played in and won with Bill Leeka one year, and Dennis "the Condor" Duggan the next year, his time playing indoors for the the Hollywood Y Comets, playing for the Olympic Club indoor 6 man USVBA team and winning the Far Westerns tournament, how he met his AMAZING wife at the beach, his memories of playing at his home beach: Marine Street in Manhattan Beach, playing for the Legends indoor 6 man team alongside so many great players and winning multiple Gold Medals in their age group for multiple decades, including 3 Gold Medals at the World Games against the BEST players in the world, a USVBA Nationals tournament in San Francisco when he and his teammates ( except for one rookie), made a pyramid in the elevator wearing nothing but their underwear and the rookie ( Danny Patterson) hit the elevator button on the lobby floor only to see his veteran teammates in all their naked glory when the elevator reached him, ( which the young teenage phenom was shocked by!) , and some great beach stories about playing with Rich Riffero, and Bob Hogan, and some incredible Keith Erickson stories regarding how amazing of an athlete he was.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Spike Boarts Stories Part 1.
Spike Discusses: The 1962 USVBA Nationals in Philadelphia where his team finished 5th, watching the Hollywood YMCA led team there that year coached by Harry Wilson compete against Gene Selznick's Westside Jewish Community Center team in the finals, and not getting to see Dick Clark's American Bandstand :) , the 1963 USVBA Nationals when he played for the Hollywood Y Stars alongside all the legends when he was an 18 year old kid against Stockton in the finals, and how coach Harry Wilson inserted him in game 2 ( after they lost game 1, in a best of 3) and they were down 8-13, and he served several points in a row and they ended up winning game 2 and the match and championship, Bill Olsson and how amazing he was as a hitter, Gene Selznick and how he was such an otherworldly talent on the court as the best all around player - hands down, some classic stories about Mike Bright ( including getting Bright drunk at the Panther Room on a Saturday night before his match the next day at Laguna in '62, and how Bright was so hung over, it helped Dave Bordwell and Gordon Evans win the Laguna Open, , some great stories about Pete Ott, Mike Anderson, and Nate Parrish, and playing at Shattuck's in Hermosa beach as teenager growing up, including a story when Mike Bright bounced a ball over the house one day, and how he had too much to drink one another time there at the age of 18 on Bourbon ( first time he drank hard liquor), then puked his guts out in the 9th street alley, and couldn't go out for his date that night and had to have his parents call his date to let her know, meeting Keith Erickson at the age of 14 at the El Segundo Rec center and setting him balls that he pounded , the best hitters he ever saw ( Olsson, Suwara, and Chamales), and his recollection of Bill Imwalle, Buzz Swarts, and Matt Gage as young upstarts in the south bay....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Al discusses: The 1965 UCLA team he had, featuring Ernie Suwara, Larry Rundle, and Keith Erickson, how those 3 legends of the sport ended up at UCLA playing for him ( including what made each one of them SPECIAL as a player and some great stories about each), more information about his DAD, a trip to Mexico City in 1965 with the USA team, and how it led to some amazing ideas Al brought back to UCLA and the athletic director when they were constructing the Pauley Pavilion ( including how the crowd of 5,000 attendees they drew playing the Japanese National Men's and Women's teams at Pauley when it first opened), which led to AD JD Morgan fighting for volleyball to become an NCAA sport in '70 when UCLA defeated LBSU, his amazing 1984 team featuring Ricci Luyties, Doug Partie, Roger Clark, etc., an amazing trip to Taiwan with his Bruins when they WON against the national teams competing there, and the infamous Mike Stomin' Normand circle drill he incorporated to condition his players after 1974....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Al Scates Part 2.
Al discusses: What it was like coaching volleyball at UCLA during the early years in the late 60's on a "shoe-string" budget, including using hand me down uniforms from the UCLA basketball team courtesy of Coach Wooden, his time competing on the USA men's indoor National team and Hollywood Y in the early 60's leading up to the '64 Olympics, including the travesty of Harry Wilson's gross incompetence as a coach, and SHADY political choices of players selected for the team done behind closed doors, which left SEVERAL of our BEST players off team, including Al Scates, Rolf Engen, Jack Henn, Walt Schiller, and OUR BEST player, Gene Selznick ( who had the foresight to recognize the USA needed to play by the international rules with 3 blockers, while WILSON insisted on playing by the OLD rules with 4 blockers, which would come back to haunt them) , in favor of lesser talented players that Wilson took to appease his fellow political co-conspirators, how the experience of being left off that OLYMPIC team he DESERVED to be on in favor of Chuck Nelson, led him to throw his heart and soul into coaching and become the greatest collegiate men's volleyball coach EVER, his coaching philosophy during his 50 year career at UCLA that led to 2 USVBA Collegiate Championships before volleyball was a NCAA sport, and an additional 19 NCAA Championships thereafter, his infamous winner/loser Blue Curtain at UCLA, that rewarded the best players playing time on the first team, regardless of their pedigree, and an awesome story about how Sinjin Smith wasn't performing the way he was capable of on the first team, so Al sent him behind the blue curtain to learn to work harder under the tutelage of Mike Stormin' Normand, which ultimately made Sinjin the HARDEST working player he ever had and how it rubbed off on Karch Kiraly when he arrived a few years later, some great USVBA Nationals stories he recalls, including a time seeing Lyle " Spike" Boarts run through the hotel lobby NAKED :), and how the '64 Olympic Men's Indoor team in Tokyo could have done SO much better had they LISTENED to our best player and visionary Gene Selznick and incorporated the international rules into their game plan....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Al Scates Part 1 Interview: The Beginning.
Coach Scates discusses:
- His Early years growing up in his family with a truck driver dad who was an alcoholic and how it impacted him as a child and for the rest of his life, his start in the sport of volleyball, seeing Gene Selznick for the first time at State Beach, how amazing Gene was as a player and one-of-a kind personality and the entourage he drew, playing with Sharon Peterson in a mixed indoor tournament at Santa Monica College, playing on the beach with Walt Schiller, and Bob Mendoza to "cut his teeth" as a rookie., the best hitters he saw in that era indoors: Bill Olsson, Ivans Bugajenkov of Russia, & Ernie Suwara, his respect for coach Colonel Burt DeGroot and his SMC teams, some funny stories of Keith Erickson playing for him when he thought Basketball Coach Wooden and the Athletic Director Wilbur were going to fire him for letting Erickson play volleyball for UCLA despite Coach Wooden's strict orders NOT to let basketball stud Erickson play, and how Coach Scates got his job as the official UCLA Volleyball coach ( coaching for free as he was trying out for the '64 Men''s Olympic Volleyball team and couldn't accept a coaching salary ) and how the UCLA Athletic Director at the time said: "In that case son, Your're HIRED!" The rest, as they say, is history! :)
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Interview with Greg Lee - Part 3
Greg discusses: Winning the first Beach World Championship at State Beach alongside partner Jim Menges in 1976 over the team of Ron Von Hagen & Tom Chamales, (including a monumental rally in which the ball crossed the net 16 times until Menges collapsed in the sand of exhaustion, the lightning and thunder exploding intermittently in the background while Chamales was crushing balls STRAIGHT down in sync with the weather, and the after party at the Elks Club), playing against Karch Kirlay for the first time when Karch was just a teenager playing with his dad; Laszlo Kiraly, the 5 most impressive hitters he witnessed, the 5 best diggers, and 5 best players he ever saw, what he is most proud of throughout his AMAZING basketball and volleyball career, and his candid answers to several fan questions.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Greg Lee Interview - Part 2
Greg discusses: His first trip in 1970 to Sorrento Beach in the spring as a young kid at UCLA during a "June Gloom" day and meeting Ron Von Hagen, Tom Chamales, and Jim Menges by the Sorrento wall when the beach was empty except for them on that day, and how those 3 players (aside from his brother Jon) shaped his volleyball career...., His classic memories of seeing Bob Vogelsang at the beach doing things only Vogie could do, an invaluable lesson he learned from Coach Wooden on how to put your socks and shoes on right, Von Hagen's stories at Sorrento about Bill Russell, and how the lessons he learned from coach Wooden and Ron Von Hagen about fundamentals shaped his volleyball career, the 88 game win streak he was a part of playing at UCLA for coach Wooden, how much he respected the team of Lang and Von Hagen, including the first time he beat Von Hagen alongside Bobby Jones during a practice game on a Monday after a tournament and he dug a Von Hagen hit off his knee to win on a fluke play when it landed in the backcourt for match point, and epic match he and his brother Jon Lee played against young teenagers Mark Eller and Randy Stoklos, the transition he went through from being a talented NCAA champion basketball player at UCLA to becoming a great player on the beach with Jim Menges, his memories of the legendary players he played with and against early on: Jon Lee, Ron Lang, Ron Von Hagen, Matt Gage, Mike Stormin' Normand, Jim Menges, and how he and Jim Menges' partnership came to be, and which beaches had the hottest women and WHO pulled the most chicks!!!! OB!
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Interview with Greg Lee - Part 1
Greg discusses: His youth growing up as the youngest of 3 brothers in Reseda, California and the pummeling he took from his BIG brothers Chris, and Jon, playing high school basketball for his dad and Coach Lonnie Lee where he became the 2 x LA City high school basketball player of the year, being recruited by legendary UCLA Bruin coach John Wooden, , his recollection of playing for coach Wooden and winning 2 NCAA Championships in '72 & '73 alongside his dear friend Bill Walton, his first trip to Sorrento Beach in Santa Monica and "cutting his teeth" as a beach volleyball player against the legendary team of Ron Von Hagen and Ron Lang, meeting his future beach partner and lifelong friend Jim Menges, and some classic UCLA fraternity stories, including how Jim Menges rented a room in the basement of his frat house for $10 a month :)
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Interview with Jim Menges - Part 2
( This Interview took place on August 28th, 2018)
Jim discusses: The invaluable lessons he learned from the legendary Ron Von Hagen, his 3 most memorable wins, an EPIC rally he and Greg Lee had against Ron Von Hagen and Tom Chamales at the '76 World Championships at State Beach when the ball crossed the net 13 TIMES, a match against Kirk Kilgour and Doug Dunlap when they were absolutely crushing balls, the best hitters he faced during his career, the best diggers, who he believes are the 3 BEST players in this history of the sport on the beach, Ron Lang and how AMAZING her was in SO MANY ways, his thoughts on the rule changes to the short court and rally scoring, his answers to some amazing questions from the fans ( including which beach had the best groupies, being the AVP tournament director, the naked coke commercial he did, how he got his nickname "cookie", and how the Mikasa Suede Spike ball ended his career), how the beach changed in '82 when the NEXT generation of players came along ( Sinjin, Dane, Fish, Randy, Andrew Smith), and an amazing trip he made to Costa Rica with Jon Lee, Boomer Millken, and Mark Jacobs where Jon Lee saved them all from going to jail with with his fluent grasp of the Spanish language, charm, and wit, and what he's up to today.....
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Interview with Jim Menges - Part 1
(This interview was conducted on Aug 28th, 2018)
Jim Discusses: Playing high school football for legendary coach Don Steere at Santa Monica high, his start in the sport alongside his SAMO friends Randy Niles, and Tom Chamales in the summer of '69 at Sorrento Beach, how amazing the beach scene was at Sorrento, with legends Ron Von Hagen and Ron Lang holding A court all day, everyday, meeting his future partner Greg Lee in 1970, losing 8 - 0 to Lang the first time he played him (NEXT!), all the incredible players and characters at Sorrento, like Steno and Vogie, his years at UCLA competing indoors where he was a 2 x NCAA champ and '74 all-american, some great stories about Mike Stormin' Normand, his tryout for the men's indoor USA national team in '74, and how being CUT sharpened his focus on being the best on the beach, his amazing 13 wins in a row streak on the beach with Greg Lee, his 5 Manhattan Beach Open wins, including the $4,200 first place prize he and Randy Stoklos won after winning the '81 Manhattan Beach Open, and a great story about cashing the check at the bank...
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Interview with Bill Imwalle - Part 2.
Bill discusses: His most memorable wins on the beach, the partners he played with on the beach ( Matt Gage, Bobby Jackson, and Phil Anderson, to name a few), his recollection of the other significant competitors he played against or with in the 70's: Ron Lang, Rose Duncan, Fred Zuelich, Gary Hooper, Captain Buzzard Swarts, Skip Allen, and Mike Carey, the surreal experience he had during the '92 USVBA Men's 45 Masters indoor tournament, where he competed alongside his friends Ernie Suwara, Rudy Suwara, Buzz Swarts, and Butch May, the 5 best hitters, 5 best diggers, and best teams he saw during his era... his career AFTER playing on the beach career, his successful coaching career at Menlo College, and what he is up to today with his amazing wife, Kathy Imwalle.
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)
Interview with Bill Imwalle - Part 1.
Bill discusses: How he got his start in the sport on the beach in Santa Cruz, his time competing collegiality indoors for the Long Beach State 49ers, his college teammates, some of the BEST players he competed against at the collegiate level, playing in beach opens for the first time with good friend, Matt Gage, and what it was like playing against some of the greatest beach players to ever play...
Support the show (https://godstoghosts.com/donate/)