Vienna, Austria. Watching beach volleyball in Austria is something special, it is hard to describe. It has this ability to make you smile before you even walk in to the arena and before a whistle is even blown.
A never ending line of people waiting in anticipation to enter the sandbox, whilst the fans in the street wear the jerseys of their favourite players, these people are not just waiting to watch beach volleyball but they are waiting to party and celebrate the greatest sport on the planet.
The fans settle and the in venue presentation team take over and the constant base line from within the stadium can be heard from a distance away and it feels in strange way that beach volleyball has come home.
“Its the best feeling in the world to play in front of people again because fans just create a special atmosphere and they give so much energy to us, even in normal times it is amazing to play in Vienna but after coming back from Covid, it is even more special and the Austrian fans are just incredible. They just love beach volleyball so much”
Tina Graudina
Blocker for Latvia
Due to the pandemic Eurobeachvolley is being held in a different location in the centre of Vienna, The Sandbox only holds 2,000, a modest venue by Vienna and Austria’s standards but the feeling is the same. The high stands tower over the court and impose themselves over the playing arena and the players. The crowd ‘ooh and ahh’ every touch, ‘power block’ every kill block, and they even sing along to the Friends theme song with out a care of bother in the world.
Although over the past 18 months there have been some fans at some events but most of the events including an Olympic Games just last week have been without people attending. So, coming to Vienna has been something of a fairytale for Europes best. Especially as the fans seems to adopt any nation, it seems as if they support good volleyball.
2019 European Champion Tina Graudina from Latvia, took a fourth in Tokyo and qualified for the semi final with here with partner Anastasija Kravcenoka, she couldn’t be happier for the atmosphere that Vienna is providing.
The connection between the die hard Austrian fans and the players is one that has been built up over a generation. Klagenfurt, a lake side city 300km south west of Vienna is where Austrias romance with beach volleyball started. The sport grew, beach volleyball in Austria grew and now we are here at this exact moment and the fans are giving back to the athletes.
The fans certainly make the difference for dutch players Raisa Schoon & Katja Stam, Schoon stating that she was ‘happy even before’ winning her quarter final match up, the smile never leaving her face. Her partner Katja Stam added,
‘It is great to play for an audience again! And especially in this great stadium with all this people cheering and dancing it gives us the extra push and energy to keep on going every point!’
Katja Stam
Blocker for The Netherlands
Two time European Champion, Marleen Van Iersel was moved by the fans here saying “this is why we do It, everything is for the fans”
“After a year and half of playing with no fans, playing here is amazing! I actually played on the side court earlier on in the week and was really emotional at the end of the game, luckily I had my glasses on”
Karla Borger
Defender for Germany
As we reach the final stages of this European Championship, it will be one that’s remembered by many as the event that brought beach volleyball players back closer to the fans.
