The Hermosa Beach Open will return later this year but will not be affiliated with the Association of Volleyball Professionals, which has attracted the world's best beach volleyball players to the city for decades.
The AVP announced in November that it would not host its annual Hermosa Beach tournament in July in 2024 due to scheduling conflicts with other volleyball tournaments. Instead, the tournament, which was first held in 1984, will likely return in 2025. However, the AVP will still host its junior national championships in Hermosa Beach from July 22-28 and the Manhattan Beach Open in August.
Also, South Bay's Mark Palhi and his company, Day at the Beach Events, will host the Hermosa Beach Open at the volleyball courts north of the Hermosa Beach Pier from Sept. 4-7. The City Council approved the event on Tuesday, May 28.
Around 100 professional beach volleyball players are expected to participate in the event.
“This is about keeping the tradition of the Hermosa Beach Open alive,” Pa'aluhi said at Tuesday's meeting.
“I'm not trying to take over the AVP and create another league,” Paaluhi added. “(The players) recognize that this is the best place to train, practice and play against the best players in the world.”
The City Council applauded the return of the professional volleyball tournament to Hermosa.
“Once the Olympics are over, there will be some celebration among some of the teams and some metal flickering,” City Councilman Mike DeToy said. “It's going to be some fun.”
The Olympics will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11.
“Beach volleyball is central to the culture here in Hermosa Beach and we deserve to have a tournament every year,” said City Councilman Dean Francois. “I think it's great because every year we get to have the best players from around the country, and maybe even the world, come play here in Hermosa Beach.”
Paaluhi, a professional volleyball player who grew up in Hermosa Beach and graduated from Redondo Union High School, said she has an “aspirational goal” of raising $200,000 in prize money for HB Open competitors through sponsorship funds.
Meanwhile, the City Council approved a one-year contract with AVP on May 15, allowing the volleyball association to host a junior tournament in 2024. The contract also includes a reciprocal option for another year, allowing AVP to host a professional tournament in 2025, but it has not yet been determined whether that will happen, Hermosa Community Resources Manager Lisa Nichols said Wednesday.