Beach Pro Spikes 100th Volleyball Tourney Win

Sinjin Smith, the winningest player in the history of pro beach volleyball, remembers when Ron Von Hagen’s career record of 62 tournament championships was considered unbeatable.

So Smith, who eclipsed that mark in 1986, has no similar misconceptions about the plateau he reached over the weekend--100 victories. In fact, he needs only to look to his left to see the man who will likely pass it. His partner, Randy Stoklos, has won 80 events and, at 28, is four years Smith’s junior.

“I would expect Randy to beat my record,” Smith said after winning his 100th tournament, 15-13, over Mike Dodd and Tim Hovland in Mentor, Ohio. “It makes sense. He’s one of the greatest players of all-time and, if he’s able to get a good partner after I’m gone, he should do it.”

Smith, however, doesn’t appear to be leaving any time soon. “I feel better now than I did in the last two years--or three years for that matter,” he said. Smith and Stoklos, both residents of Pacific Palisades, have responded with four consecutive victories and five wins in their last six events, giving them nine tournament championships this season, tops on the circuit.

Discussion of Smith’s record--and his partner’s constant position 20 victories behind him--inevitably leads to questions concerning Stoklos’ future plans. Rumors before the season had Stoklos considering a split with Smith to team with Karch Kiraly or another top player in an effort to surpass Smith’s victory mark.

Smith heard the rumors too, but will not speculate as to what the future may bring. The present, he says, is too bright.

But whether it’s Smith or Stoklos who eventually retires from the tour with the record, it will be a long time before someone wins 100 tournaments, Smith said.

Dodd or Hovland--Nos. 4 and 5 on the all-time list--are certainly unlikely to get there. Both are 31 and have 50 and 46 tournament victories, respectively. And no other active player is close. (Next best is Kiraly, 28, with 26.)

“With the growth of the sport, there are a lot of good teams out there,” Smith said. “We’ve seen four teams win tournaments this year. Once this group of guys leaves--Hovland, Dodd, myself, Pat Powers, Jon Stevenson and, a couple years behind, Randy and Karch--it’ll all be up for grabs.”

Such a competitive field will make it difficult for any one team to jump out and win consistently, Smith said.

It’s unlikely, he added, that anyone will win as consistently as Von Hagen, the beach legend who put together that other “unbeatable” career victory mark in the 1960s and 1970s. It was breaking Von Hagen’s record of 62 tournament wins that Smith considered his greatest accomplishment.

“It’s actually been the people around me that made my 100th win a big deal,” he said. “The big deal for me was getting Ron Von Hagen’s record. Everyone said it could never be beaten. Of course, when Ron played there were eight to 10 tournaments a year (compared to 30 now). But still, that one was the thrill for me.”