for a sport in which regulation uniforms consist of swimming trunks for men, and bikinis for women, beach volleyball feels like it is the perfect match for rio de janeiro - in connection to the the cariocas love of both sports and the beach, beach volleyball is one of the most popular activities in rio.

it almost comes as a surprise that beach volleyball did not originate in the 'marvellous city' but is traced back to california in the 1920s - people started migrating to the free beaches during one of the country's worst economic crisises. due to the appeal of the game, and because it was another reason to spend the day on the beach, beach volleyball spread quickly, but only became a professional sport in 1980.

the rules of the game are much the same as volleyball, except that it is contested on sand with two to four players on each team, and only lasting for a maximum of three sets.