American · Santa Monica, California, USA · Born 13 December 1960American beach volleyball player who became the first to earn $1 million in prize money, forming with Sinjin Smith the winningest duo in the sport's history.
Randy Stoklos was born on 13 December 1960 and grew up near Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California, initially discouraged from the sport by his Polish immigrant father, who feared it would make his son lazy. He played setter at Santa Monica City College and then UCLA before leaving early to pursue beach volleyball full-time, winning his first Manhattan Beach Open in 1981 alongside Jim Menges. Stoklos partnered with Sinjin Smith beginning in the early 1980s, and the pair became the most dominant force in beach volleyball history, winning a combined 114-115 professional tournaments across 15 years together, including five FIVB World Championships and dominance of the domestic AVP tour through the late 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. Along with rivals Tim Hovland and Mike Dodd, Smith and Stoklos formed a rivalry that came to define the sport's golden era, with the two teams combining to win 126 of 171 tournaments played between 1982 and 1989. Stoklos became the first player to reach $1 million in career earnings, hitting the milestone at the 1992 Honolulu Open, and finished his career with 122 tournament wins, third-most all-time behind Kiraly and Smith. He was named AVP Most Valuable Player three times (1988, 1989, 1991) and Best Setter in 1989. Stoklos and Smith won the demonstration beach volleyball event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, helping validate the sport ahead of its official Olympic inclusion in 1996. He retired in 1997 with nearly $2 million in career prize money, and was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Away from the sand, Stoklos modeled for national advertising campaigns and appeared in the 1990 film 'Side Out.'
Becoming the first beach volleyball player to earn $1 million in prize money, as one half of the sport's most successful partnership alongside Sinjin Smith
How They Played
Powerful, athletic setter and hitter known for fiery competitiveness and physical dominance at the net, complementing Smith's more composed defensive style
Lasting Impact
Regarded as one of beach volleyball's pioneering superstars, whose partnership with Sinjin Smith and rivalry with Tim Hovland and Mike Dodd helped define the sport's breakout era in the 1980s
Career Honours
- First player to earn $1 million in beach volleyball prize money
- 5x FIVB World Champion, with Sinjin Smith
- 3x AVP Most Valuable Player (1988, 1989, 1991)
- 122 career tournament wins - third all-time
American Athletes