Where did beach volleyball in Australia begin?

In this episode of The Samurai Shift, Peter “Chico” Jones sits down with Carl Graham — one of the founders of Australia’s first beach volleyball community on Sydney’s Northern Beaches more than 40 years ago.

Long before formal pathways and high performance systems, the game was built through simple, community-driven experiences — portable courts, shared effort, and a deep connection to the people involved.

Carl reflects on the early days of building the Northern Beaches Volleyball Association, the challenges of establishing a new sport in public spaces, and the culture that allowed it to grow — grounded in accessibility, volunteerism, and a genuine love of the game.

Through this conversation, we explore what made those early environments work… and what they might teach us about the way sport is structured today.