Christopher St. John “Sinjin” Smith is known as the original “King of the Beach” and is regarded as one of the most successful and popular icons in the history of Volleyball. Sinjin is co-founder and President of Rally Volleyball, focusing his attention on helping volleyball athletes find their way to the competitive arena. Sinjin is credited with escalating the global popularity of beach volleyball by working with the FIVB to develop the FIVB World Tour and getting the sport into the Olympic Games in 1996. As a player, he won the first-ever World Championship of beach volleyball in Brazil with long-time beach partner Randy Stoklos. They would win many more major events together becoming the most successful men’s team in the history of the sport. Sinjin retired from active competition in 2001, following a long and successful career on and off the court. Credits include the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, 1996 Olympian, and multiple FIVB World and US Tour Championships.

Sinjin played a major role in the development of the business side of beach volleyball by helping start and build both the AVP Tour and the FIVB World Tour. He also introduced major brands to the sport on an international level through his involvement with companies such as Nike, Sideout, Speedo, Mikasa, and others. He sits on the FIVB Beach Volleyball Commission which oversees the World Tour and Olympic Program. He developed the Open Collegiate Beach Volleyball National Championships, and founded the Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos Beach Volleyball Camps. He provides color analysis of both beach and indoor volleyball for major US Networks and provides the voice over for the FIVB’s popular beach volleyball highlights show that is broadcast in over 100 countries around the world.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he led the Bruins to multiple national championships in indoor volleyball and earned All-American and MVP honors. He was inducted to the UCLA Sports Hall of Fame and his jersey has been retired before playing for our indoor National team. Sinjin is married and resides in California with his wife, Patty, and the couple’s three sons, Hagen, Stanton, and the younger Sinjin.