County bans beach volleyball, Hermosa Beach resident rescues nets

A Los Angeles County worker removes volleyball court nets on the Beach at the Hermosa pier last March, at the start of the pandemic. In recent weeks, the County has been putting nets back up, but the County still prohibits volleyball tournaments. Photo by Kevin Cody

A Los Angeles County worker removes volleyball court nets on the Beach at the Hermosa pier. Photos

Late Friday afternoon, 22nd Street Hermosa Beach volleyball player Jeff Kernochan saw Los Angeles County workers on the beach in front of his Strand home driving pick-up trucks loaded with volleyball nets.

Kernochan rushed from his home as the trucks approached the courts where he and friends play almost daily. Upon being told by the workers they were ordered to take down all beach volleyball nets, he convinced them to let him remove the four nets he and his friends play at.

22nd Street Hermosa Beach volleyball player Jeff Kernochan rescues his nets ahead of County clean-up crews.

A spokesperson for Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said Friday afternoon the nets were taken down to prevent beachgoers from playing beach volleyball.

“Everyone handling the same ball is too risky,” the spokesperson said, referring to the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

Beach volleyball player Jeff Kernochan carries a volleyball net to safety.

Earlier in the week the Hermosa Beach city council considered, but decided against banning beach volleyball. The county action came one day after California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all of California’s non essential workers to stay home. 

Chris Brown, President of the California Beach Volleyball Association, is among the 22nd street volleyball players.

Brown stopped short of protesting the ban on beach volleyball. But he contended residents should have been warned the nets would be removed and given time to take down the private nets.

Volleyball nets, he noted, cost $300 and Kevlar tension lines are $200 a spool. ER

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