Laguna Beach Open Volleyball : Stoklos and Smith Rally to Advance

Professional beach volleyball player Randy Stoklos says his partnership with teammate Singin Smith is like a marriage. He describes the ingredients to this successful relationship the way Dr. Joyce Brothers would.

“You have to know what each other is thinking, how each other feels,” Stoklos said.

However, with the amount of time and thousands of miles that often come between them, Smith and Stoklos would seem to need a psychic to keep in touch with each other’s thoughts.

For example, Stoklos and Smith had only one day of preparation for this weekend’s 31st annual Laguna Beach Open, in which the pair is the tournament’s top-seeded team. Their lack of court time showed as they fell behind Scott Ayakatubby and Brent Frohof, 7-1, Saturday in a second-round match.

However, before an estimated crowd of 5,000, Smith and Stoklos rallied to win, 15-12. Smith and Stoklos will play Andy Fishburn and Jay Hanseth at 9 this morning as the Open, the oldest beach volleyball tournament in the nation, concludes. The finals are scheduled to begin at 3.

Before coming to California for the tournament, Smith had been doing modeling work in New York. This was no one-shot deal. Smith, whose modeling career is directed by the prestigious Nina Blanchard and Ford model agencies, has appeared in Gentleman’s Quarterly and Vogue magazines. He’s also done numerous television commercials, including ones for Coppertone and Arrow Shirts, and once made a guest appearance on “Magnum PI.”

That’s great for his public image, but the four-time UCLA All-American said it bothers him to be away from his first love, volleyball, for so long.

“I was going crazy in New York,” he said. “I can stay in shape by running but it doesn’t make up for being out on the beach. You have to be playing volleyball to stay in shape for this. I didn’t feel like myself today. Hopefully I’ll find some motivation for tomorrow to make me play better.”

The partnership between Smith and Stoklos started in 1982. The pair had quite a honeymoon. They won numerous tournaments, including the world championship at Redondo Beach. However, Smith many times would leave to team with his former UCLA teammate, Karch Kiraly, whom he won the world championship with in 1979 and 1980, whenever Kiraly could get away from his duties with the U.S. national team.

It was hard on Stoklos, who said it disturbed his concentration and left him wondering who his partner would be. But this year, something very strong is firmly holding the two together.

Money.

Sponsorship by beer and clothing manufacturers guarantee the two will play together all summer.

“It helps me a lot mentally,” Stoklos said. “I know Singin’s going to be there. We can really develop together.”

Other winners Saturday were the third-seeded team of Tim Hovland and Mike Dodd, who defeated Steve Obradovich and Andrew Smith, 15-8, in the second round.

In the best match of the day, Jon Stephenson and Jon Hanley outlasted the scrambling defensive play of Kevin Cleary and Tim Wolmer, 15-13. Stephenson and Hanley will play Hovland and Dodd today.