Sand, shorts, a ball, a net, sun, a DJ and (very) high heart rate.

It was, a bit, the summary of our knowledge in beach volleyball before the start of these Olympic Games in Tokyo.

So, when we saw the video of the service of the Italian Adrian Carambula circulating on social networks, we, like many, smiled.

It reminded us of our best hours of volleyball at UNSS, trying to hit the gym ceiling while serving.

But, if we are in front of our television set and Adrian Carambula at Shiokaze Park, there is a reason.

"We call him Mister Skyball on the circuit," admits to us, speaking of the Italian, Selim El Heni, a Tunisian international who plays in Paris.

"Skyball"?

Yes, like the name of this so special service where we send the ball tens of meters high, close to Thomas Pesquet, so that the receiver is in the most total mess.

Wind, sun and it's won

“It's a really special serve where you hit so high that the trajectory of the ball is difficult for the receiver to read,” El Heni said.

Carambula puts a lot of spin, that makes his serve very efficient, very hard to interpret.

If you play the game at noon, with the sun really high, it makes it even more difficult to land, the positioning of the arms is complicated.

And if you add wind… The effectiveness of this service also depends on the weather conditions.

"

In the first game of Carambula and the Italians, no sun on the horizon, but spotlights capable of blinding you in less than two seconds.

A balloon which passes in the light and presto, an eclipse.

And, for the wind, remember that a typhoon disrupted the course of certain events.

For the greatest happiness of the Italian, surely.

A special touch of the ball

On the circuit, Adrian Carambula is one of the only players to regularly use this type of service.

The only one, too, to achieve two to three aces per set (which is very rare in beach volleyball) thanks to this “skyball”.

"He does not do this type of service for fun, he sometimes uses it for set points, when the match is very tight," continues the Tunisian.

As at 19-19, in the second set against the Americans, after losing the first set.

“For the receptionist, it's complicated.

You put yourself under the ball, but since the ball spins a lot, it can land two meters behind you.

"

Obviously, novices that we are, we asked ourselves the question: if it is so effective, why do other players not use this technique so special to serve? “The difficulty is consistency,” answers Selim El Heni. Every international player could do it from time to time, but you really have to learn to put a lot of spin. In France, we have two or three players who do it, but do not throw as high as the Italian. Carambula also has a very special touch on the ball. "

So the others are content with the less spectacular but just as effective floating services or tennis services.

In this little game, it is a Norwegian, Anders Moll, and a Brazilian, Evandro, who are the best, capable, too, "of finding improbable angles", concludes Selim El Heni.

You don't have a monopoly on the sky, Mr. Skyball.

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