LOS ANGELES — The AVP Tour has announced it has shut down immediately because of financial hardship, the US beach volleyball series that began in 1988 a victim of lost sponsorship income.
A scramble to find new investors and complete a 23rd season failed with only seven of 12 US stops played.
"Unfortunately, the time constraints were such that pulling the trigger on the amount of money necessary to salvage this season were too great," said AVP commissioner Mike Dodd.
Next week's 50th anniversary edition of the Manhattan Beach Open might be staged under different management, but other planned AVP events in Chicago, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Hermoso Beach, California, were off.
"The Open has seen its ups and downs over the years and always persevered," Dodd said. "I?m sure our sport will do the same."
The AVP had tried to take advantage of a US gold medal beach volleyball sweep at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, expanding events beyond typical beach areas, but a struggling economy led sponsors to flee and the tour struggled.
The AVP's demise means the US qualifying process for the 2012 London Olympics figures to require US talent to play more events on the global FIVB circuit.
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