Ronald "Ron" Von Hagen is the Babe Ruth of modern beach volleyball. Like the Babe, Von Hagan set records and established standards at a time when beach volleyball was in its infancy.

Some of his records have been broken, but only because of the expanded number of tournaments played in the pro games.

Von Hagen's athletic career started at Harvard Military School in Los Angeles, where he was a star in four sports, but he did not pick up volleyball as an interest until he was 21 and a senior at UCLA.

Von Hagen's incredible career on the beach began in 1961, and he learned quickly. After his first-place finish in 1964, he would go on to win 62 Open Beach Tournaments over the next decade. To go along with all those first-place victories, he also accumulated 33 seconds, seven thirds, four fourths and two fifths. From 1966 to 1972, Von Hagen also played in 54 tournaments, never finishing lower than third place.

His last Open level victory came in 1977, when he teamed with future U.S. Team Captain Chris Marlowe at the Rosecrans Beach Tournament. That victory was the first and only at the time by a player 38 or older.