Beach volleyball with more players, the most widely played version of the game, and the only one contested at an elite level, has only two players per team. Beach volleyball grew in popularity in the United States during the Great Depression in the 1930s as it was an inexpensive activity. The sport also began to appear in Europe during this time. By the 1940s, doubles tournaments were being played on the beaches of Santa Monica for trophies. In 1948 the first tournament to offer a prize was held in Los Angeles, California. It awarded the best teams with a case of Pepsi.
FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (known between 2003 and 2012 as the "FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Tour" for sponsorship reasons) is the worldwide professional beach volleyball tour for both men and women organized by the "" (FIVB). The World Tour was introduced for men in 1989 while the women first competed in 1992. Winning the World Tour is considered to be one of the highest honours in international beach volleyball, being surpassed only by the World Championships, and the Beach Volleyball tournament at the Summer Olympic Games. The current tournament structure was introduced