Sinjin Smith

PHOTO: Levi's photo, Rick Strauss

CHRISTOPHER ST. JOHN "SINJIN" SMITH

Global Sports, Denim and Fashion Icon. World Champion. Olympian, Gold Medalist, Almeria, Spain 1992 Beach Volleyball, 1996 Atlanta, Georgia. MIRAMAR & Sideout founder.

Sinjin Smith is credited as the one who brought the sport of beach volleyball from its roots on the California coast to the world.

Across a career spanning more than three decades, he became the sport’s most defining player. Then he helped carry its energy into the Olympic Games, fashion, film, and popular culture, reviving the global denim industry and making it cool again along the way.

In 1983, together with MIRAMAR founder Stephen Ascher, the association with the California surf, snow, and beach volleyball world grew wildly. From the mountains to the sea, a new coastal style took shape.

PHOTO: MIRAMAR FILM

Through the sole idea of Wilco Nijland and his powerful Amsterdam based Sportworx, the Queen & King of the Court global sports league has now emerged (Beach Volleyball, 3x3 Basketball, Beach Soccer, Beach Football, Racquet Sports and Music).

The “Legendary” IMG sports executive James Leitz has described the founding of the 2017 Queen & King of the Court concept “lightning in a bottle”.

PHOTO: MIRAMAR FILM

MIRAMAR - STOKLOS, ASCHER & SMITH, THE 1986 HAWAIIAN OPEN - 62 VICTORIES & “The KOA” Trophy…

PHOTO: MIRAMAR FILM

Smith won his first Open tournament in Manhattan Beach in 1977. In 1979, at age 22, he won the inaugural World Championships of Beach Volleyball at Redondo Beach’s King Harbor with Karch Kiraly. Together, they were celebrated as the original Kings of the Beach.

SMITH — STOKLOS

Smith later formed a landmark partnership with Randy Stoklos. The pair recorded 114 tournament victories and won World Championships in 1987, 1989, 1990, and 1991. Smith went on to earn 154 career victories and five Manhattan Beach Open titles.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL - BARCELONA TEST EVENT

As a player, Smith teamed with Randy Stoklos to compete together in 12 of the first 21 FIVB World Tour events from February 1987 through February 1993 where the pair topped the podium 10 times with 11 medals and 12 semifinal appearances. In addition to winning five (1987, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992) of the first seven World Championship Invitationals in Rio de Janeiro, Smith and Stoklos also captured the gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic test event during the Barcelona Games in 1992 at Almeria, Spain.

Although Smith and Stoklos were fined $70,000 by the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) for playing in the sport’s first Olympic Event. It is Smith who is largely credited with bringing beach volleyball into pop culture and the modern world and as an official sport at the Olympic Games. The “test event” victory and the Smith-Stoklos Gold Medal was the impetus that led to the sports adoption for full Olympic Status in 1996, at the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Smith , who represented the United States at the Olympic Games in both Almeria, Spain and Atlanta, Georgia, was a UCLA All-American, and won two NCAA indoor national championships under coach Al Scates. His career earned him induction into both the International Volleyball Hall of Fame and the Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame.

PHOTO: MIRAMAR photo, Doug Avery

HERITAGE, SPORT, STYLE AND THE MIRAMAR STORY

Smith’s influence reached beyond the court. His work in modeling and advertising connected the look of beach volleyball with American sport, heritage and fashion.

PHOTO: Bruce Webber

SMITH & LEVI STRAUSS

Smith worked with photographer Rick Strauss in 1982 and was featured in Levi's advertising in a Levi’s 501® campaign—an image later revisited by Levi’s in its “One Fair Exchange in the Greatest Story Ever Worn” campaign, part of the brand’s 2023 501® 150th anniversary campaign.

That history continues to resonate with Miramar. Smith’s career sits at the intersection of sport, denim, and California beach culture—the same mix that has shaped Miramar and its Crown Brands since 1983.

SMITH — STEFFES

ONE GENERATION. THE NEXT.

Sinjin Smith and future Olympic gold medalist Kent Steffes, photographed for MIRAMAR in 1988.

MIRAMAR’s campaigns brought athletes into fashion while they were helping define their sports. A 1990 catalog spread featured Sinjin alongside Steffes and Boston Celtics player Mike Smith—connecting the beach, the court, and California style.

Smith’s career included leadership and mentorship. He served as president of the Association of Volleyball Professionals, president of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Council, and a member of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Commission. As a player, coach, commentator, and ambassador, he helped build the sport and introduce it to new generations.

Sinjin Smith helped shape the game. His story is part of Miramar’s.

PEOPLE MAGAZINE — 50 MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOOLE IN THE WORLD THROUGH TIME.

is undoubtedly one of the 50 Most beautiful people in the world inside and out, through time, and was picked by People Magazine for this honor.

THE MOVIES

From Sideout the Movie, to Magnum PI and on the Kings of the Beach.

Smith starred in Tom Selleck’s Magnum PI as Selleck’s volleyball partner, was featured in SIDE-OUT the Movie as “Billy Cross” and is now the subject of the coming documentary film “Kings of the Beach”.

MIRAMAR

Smith was always about fashion and sport, and how the two were inexorably intertwined and influenced American Heritage and culture. Smith anmd MIRAMAR included athletes in heir photo shoots including this iconic spread ad for MIRAMAR ‘s 1990 Catalog featuring not only SMITH, but bring on eventual Gold Medalist Kent Steffes and NBA Boston Celtics great Mike Smith below.

THE LARRY BIRD MOMENT — MIRAMAR BEACHWEAR SPONSORSHIP

SMITH’s efforts of inclusion in sports and fashion for all led off the beach and further to one of MIRAMAR’s most iconic moments, when the NBA 3-Time MVP and “King of the Court” Larry Bird wore MIRAMAR’s Sideout hat as his “beachwear sponsor” during the 1986 Lakers-Celtics world championships and the Larry Bird/Isaiah Thomas 1986 controversy conference.

During Lakers - Celtics World Championships Bird diffused and made light of the controversy inviting his beach wear sponsor and MIRAMAR founder Stephen Ascher to have lunch with him before the conference. Ascher famously asked Bird ant lunch “Larry, your not gonna wear our Sideout hat into the Press Conference are you?” Bird responded “watch Me.” MIRAMAR, Sideout, King of the Beach and King of the Court were now main stream.

Smith’s civic duties were impressive. He served as President of the AVP, President of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Council, and as a member of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Commission. Author, commentator, coach, entrepreneur and ambassador, Sinjin continues to shape the game he helped build.

THE FUTURE OF SPORTS

Through MIRAMAR, Sideout, King & Queen of the Beach and Queen & King of the Court, that connection has become part of a new global sport and athleisure identity that thrives today.

And now, a novel US-Dutch defining global sports & fashion partnership has brought entirely new excitement and energy to the athleisure world.

PHOTO: MIRAMAR FILM

Through the sole idea of Wilco Nijland and his powerful Amsterdam based Sportworx, the novel Queen & King of the Court global sports league has now emerged (Beach Volleyball, 3x3 Basketball, Beach Soccer, Beach Football, Racquet Sports and Music) as the leader and future model of new global sports identity.

The “Legendary” IMG sports executive James Leitz has described the Nijland’s founding of the 2017 Queen & King of the Court concept “lightning in a bottle”.

See you at the beach!!!

SINJIN SMITH CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

🏆 154 career tournament victories
🏆 7 World Championships (including 1979 inaugural title with Karch Kiraly)
🏆 114 wins with partner Randy Stoklos — all-time record partnership
🏖️ 5 Manhattan Beach Open titles
🇺🇸 Olympic Games representative, USA
🎓 UCLA All-American · 2× NCAA National Champion
🏛️ International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee
🏛️ Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee
🌍 President, Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP)
🌍 President, FIVB Beach Volleyball World Council