"Father of Beach Volleyball" in Colorado Tim Weiand Passes Away
Press release courtesy of Leon Fell

Colorado lost one of its “icons” recently.

Longtime Colorado volleyball guru, Tim Weiand, died of a heart attack on Friday, April 13. He was 67 years old.

Known as the “Father of Beach Volleyball” in Colorado, Weiand was born and grew up in Denver, Colo. After graduating from St. Francis High School in Denver, where he played both varsity football and basketball, and a short college stint, Weiand took up the game of volleyball where he participated in the evening play at Cheesman Park.

Although the bulk of his volleyball skills seem to be related to an odd but hard-to-read “prayer” handed overhead shot, from the late 1960s Tim was an avid practitioner of both the indoor and outdoor games. But, his forte was in the promotion of the outdoor beach doubles portion of the sport.

There were a few California transplants in Colorado in the late 1960s attempting to put together a smattering of tournaments along the Front Range; but it was Weiand who put “organization” into the whole thing helping to form, at that time, the loosely orchestrated Colorado Outdoor Volleyball Association (COVA) complete with the first organized schedule of Colorado Outdoor Volleyball Tournaments. As well, he set up the first outdoor volleyball leagues at the site of the old ‘Lift’ sand courts Bar and Grill in Denver (currently the Aspen City Lights Club).

Where Weiand really made his mark was with the managing and direction of many of the “landmark” beach doubles tournaments all over the State of Colorado including the classic Bull & Bush Tournament (Denver), the Lakewood Open (Denver), the Annual Vail King of the Mountain Open (Vail, Colorado), and, of course, his 25 years as Tournament Director of the nationally recognized MotherLode Volleyball Classic held every Labor Day Weekend in Aspen, Colo.

Weiand was a cantankerous and highly single-minded tournament director. But, he was fair and, even, warm-hearted to everyone after awhile. He brought discipline to the tournaments and wasn’t shy about forfeiting anyone who didn’t show up for their match on time. As a result, Weiand was one of the few people in the country who could handle a tournament as large as the MotherLode. His knack for “seeding”, every different division in a tourney, without even knowing the total background of the players, was uncanny. And, the “crew” that he put together to work a larger tournament was professional and fiercely loyal.

Weiand left a legacy in Colorado as a player, promoter, high school, team coach and tournament director. He was “certainly responsible for making outdoor volleyball the success it has become” in the Rocky Mountain Region. The many players that both loved, and hated, him will miss his sardonic wit, his gruffness, and, of course, his softness in the end.

Knowing Tim Weiand, he is probably busy organizing some sort of “angelic” (or, “demonic”) volleyball tournament with a Coors Light in one hand and a cigarette in the other. I wonder, do you think that he would forfeit God? Probably!

A memorial for Tim Weiand will be held on Friday, August 31, on the Main Championship courts at this year’s MotherLode Volleyball Classic. A plaque will be dedicated to his memory and placed, permanently on center court. Anyone who ever knew him is invited to attend and to toast to his memory and his legacy.