Sinjin Smith

Christopher St. John "Sinjin" Smith (born May 7, 1957) is an American former professional beach volleyball player. He was the first player to win 100 career tournaments, and won numerous Manhattan Open titles with Karch Kiraly and Randy Stoklos as partners. UCLA won the National Championship in Smith's freshman year. In his senior year in 1979, the Bruins defeated cross-town rival USC to win the National Championship.

Beach volleyball

Smith began to compete as a professional in the two-man beach volleyball tournaments of Southern California at age fifteen. He won his first beach tournament with former UCLA teammate "Stormin" Mike Normand. He won his first Manhattan Open in 1979 teaming with another UCLA alum, Jim Menges. In the early 1980s, he made a successful beach team pairing with former UCLA teammate Kiraly.

Smith moved on to partner with Stoklos, and the two became the most dominant pair in men's beach volleyball. The pair also appeared in the 1990 film Side Out as the nemesis team of Rollo Vincent (Stoklos) and Billy Cross (Smith).

Smith had a brief career as a television actor, appearing most notably on an episode of Magnum, P.I. as Magnum's volleyball partner who winds up dead under suspicious circumstances.

In 1990, Smith was selected as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People.

Awards Two-time All-American 1978, 1979 Two-time NCAA Champion 1976, 1979 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player 1979 AVP Best Defensive Player 1990, 1991, 1992 UCLA Hall of Fame 1991 Goodwill Games beach volleyball bronze medal 1994 CBVA Hall of Fame 2002 International Volleyball Hall of Fame 2003