ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A community in the St. John’s region has discovered that Olympic-grade beach volleyball sand is rare, complicated and expensive to move.

The town of Paradise is hosting beach volleyball events during the 2025 Canada Games, and it’s paying about $360,000 for sand from Nova Scotia that meets standards set by the International Volleyball Federation and followed by Volleyball Canada.

Mayor Dan Bobbett is not bothered by the cost and says he hopes the new beach volleyball courts will attract more big games in the future.

Ed Drakich with Volleyball Canada says sand that meets its standards must come from a natural source, as grains from mechanically ground rocks are too ragged and compact too easily.

Drakich said in an interview that beach volleyball sand needs to be soft and loose, so players don’t hurt themselves when they dive and slide.

He says any town or organization hoping to host a beach volleyball tournament sanctioned by the international authority must get sand from their court tested at the federation’s lab, which happens to be in Huntsville, Ont.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2023.

The Canadian Press