Karch Kiraly retiring from volleyball

I got interested in volleyball by watching him and Sinjin Smith in the 80s. Can't believe he's 46 now...

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sports/abox/article_1617633.php

 

The greatest volleyball player ever, indoors AND the beach. I'm just glad he's getting a proper farewell tour - he had knee surgery and played little last year, and was waiting to see how it responded before he made any retirement plans.
The fact that this will be his 32nd year on the pro beach tour (the first pro event was played in '76, his rookie year at age 15) is simply mind-boggling. His 148 beach wins are up there in the probably never-to-be-broken class with Richard Petty's 200 NASCAR championship wins. And Karch really didn't start playing the beach full-time until he hooked up with Kent Steffes in '92 - if he hadn't spent all those years on Team USA and playing in the Italian league, he'd have had a decent shot at 200.
Plus, he provided the greatest moment in Rhode Island pro beach volleyball history: the double final at Newport in '89. After a lame call cost him the sudden death game to 7 against the legendary team of Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos, Karch just ripped down the net, sending the up official leaping out of his perch before it tumbled to the sand. It was great to see ol' Pinky Hat (for the trademark pink Speedo cap he usually wears on the beach) prove human.
NBC once put up a graphic with all the misspellings of his name on his mail. My fave: Crotch Kirby.

 

I remember having great fun with his Nintendo video game.

 

That game was a HUGE favorite around our house when I was a wee shooter.

 

It's available here: http://www.virtualnes.com/

 

Bless you for that.

 

Enjoy. I've spent more hours on there than I've spent sleeping some nights.

 

He's no Monroe Clark.

 

Good grief, I had no idea he'd been playing that long, although admittedly, he is the first name you think of when you think pro volleyball.

Other than Misty May and Kerri Walsh, that is.

 

I may never get my grading done, now. Great.

 

Last time I heard this man's name had to be 1992.

 

Was he in Side Out?