Back to the Beach: The Story of the Hermosa Beach Open
By Michelle Crispin
If you want to understand the roots of Hermosa Beach, look no further than the sand. For generations, the beaches here have been more than a gorgeous backdrop – they’ve been a proving ground, a playground, and a place where local legends are born. Few embody that history more than Mark Paaluhi, founder of the Hermosa Beach Open, a new tournament launched in 2024 to fill the void left when the AVP professional tour stumbled.
“I was five or six when we moved here from Hawaii,” Mark recalls. “We lived between First and Second on Palm Drive. Mickey’s Deli was my stomping ground. My dad played volleyball down on the beach all the time – it was just part of life.”
Mark didn’t set out to become a professional volleyball player, but beach volleyball found him anyway. “Before I knew it, I was playing competitively. I made the pro tour at 23 and played for 13 years.”
Hermosa’s volleyball legacy runs deep. From the 1970s through the 1990s, this stretch of sand was ground zero for the sport’s rise to prominence. International pros trained here. National champions were crowned here. But in recent decades, the professional scene lost its footing.
“The AVP tour just never regained stability after the late ‘90s,” Mark says. “Hermosa got skipped over more than once, which made no sense. This beach is one of the top three pro volleyball destinations in the world.”
Walk the Strand on any given morning, and you’ll likely see Olympic medalists or world-class players hitting the ball on our permanent courts. Athletes like April Ross, Alix Klinema, Sara Hughes, Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Eric Fonoimoana, Chase Buginder and Miles Evans – live or train here regularly – and they’re just a few of the elite players who call Hermosa home. “There’s no other place like it,” Mark says. “The quality of the sand, the accessibility, the atmosphere – it’s the ultimate training ground.”
When the AVP backed out again in late 2023, Mark got a call from a Hermosa Beach councilmember. The question was simple: What would it take to host a pro-level tournament ourselves? Mark’s answer: “You need two things – money and players. I can handle everything else.”
And then he did.
With just months to go, Mark pulled permits, lined up sponsors, and launched the first-ever Hermosa Beach Open in 2024. “I thought I’d do it one time, just to prove we could. But once the community stepped up, and the players showed up, I knew we were building something that could last.”
He secured a three-year commitment in partnership with the City of Hermosa Beach, along with sponsors like Wedbush, Kona, Bandero, Ford, and local favorites like Sea Sprite Hotel, Tower 12, Good Stuff, and Panelas. “It was validating,” he says. “So many people felt the same way I did – that Hermosa earned its place on the beach volleyball map.”
But the Open isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s about planting new roots. Mark envisions the event as a way to connect Hermosa’s small businesses, residents, and visitors with the vibrant energy of the sport. He’s advocating for a stronger local presence at beach events – making sure visitors get the chance to experience the best of what Hermosa has to offer.
As the city looks toward the 2028 Olympics, with beach volleyball just down the coast in Long Beach, Mark sees even more opportunity. “Teams from around the world already come here to train. Hermosa could easily become a pre-Olympic training ground – and a hub for fans to stay, shop, and explore.”
The Hermosa Beach Open is more than a tournament – it’s a symbol of resilience, legacy, and leadership. It honors the past while forging a future where community, sport, and local business thrive together.
And it all started with one guy, a deep love for his hometown, and the guts to say: I’ll do it.
The next Hermosa Beach Open will take place September 4-7, 2025. For more information, visit hermosa-open.com. ■
Photo By Kevin Cody