2017-02-06 20:36:00 CET
Find out what makes beach volleyball legend Phil Dalhausser tick
From his favorite pre-game tune to his best pal on the beach, we sat down with the 2008 Olympic champion and star of our #spikethesun shoot Phil Dalhausser and asked him to reveal all ahead of the Fort Lauderdale Major.
Swatch Major Series: Which celebrity would you like to teach beach volleyball?
Phil Dalhausser: I heard Pete Sampras likes to play, I'll give him a lesson if he gives me a lesson in tennis.
SMS: What’s the single most important thing in your suitcase when on Tour?
Phil: It's tough to choose one but probably my roller.
SMS: Give us the one song you listen to before a match to get pumped
Phil: Anything from Metallica.
SMS: Which player on the World Tour would you NEVER dance with? ;-)
Phil: Whoever is the shortest on Tour.
SMS: One best thing about beach volleyball?
Phil: The beach is my office!
SMS: What’s your favorite sport other than beach volleyball?
Phil: American football.
SMS: Which player on the Tour do you respect the most?
Phil: I would have to say Emanuel. I know he isn't on tour anymore but he stayed on top so long. It's hard not to respect that.
SMS: What’s been the best moment of your career so far?
Phil: Winning Olympic Gold.
SMS: Which three famous people (past or present) would you invite to a dinner party?
Phil: Michael Jordan, Howard Stern and Steve Jobs.
SMS: Who’s the funniest player on Tour?
Phil: Nick Lucena.
SMS: What’s the funniest moment you’ve had in beach volleyball?
Phil: I was playing in a really windy match and I attempted to jump serve. The toss was a little behind me and the wind blew it even farther. I ended up swinging and missing. If you can't laugh at yourself you can you laugh at?
SMS: Who do you think is the most intelligent player on the Tour?
Phil: Jake Gibb.
SMS: Which player do you think trains the hardest?
Phil: Pedro Solberg.
SMS: What’s your favorite Swatch Major Series stop?
Phil: Gstaad.
SMS: What was the best piece of advice you’ve been given by your coach?
Phil: There's nothing worse than a sore winner.
SMS: And what’s the one piece of advice you would give to a young beach volleyball player?
Phil: Focus on ball control, it's the most important part of the game.
SMS: What’s the one thing you want to improve about your game?
Phil: My passing could get better.
SMS: Who’s your best friend in beach volleyball?
Phil: Nick Lucena.
SMS: What’s best? East Coast or West Coast players? ;-)
Phil: Well, being from the East Coast I would have to say East Coast!
SMS: Give us one team to look out for on the World Tour this season.
Phil: Well other than Dalhausser/Lucena, I would say Kantor/Losiak from Poland.
Remember you can catch every minute of Phil in action at the Fort Lauderdale Major on our BeachStream channel. Click here to sign-up to get closer to the beach!
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