Snow volleyball, the fresh and hype winter discipline, shows no signs of slowing down. Now close to two decades since its appearance as a new sport, setting the favorite game of volleyball in new conditions at spectacular venues, usually near attractive winter sports zones, snow volleyball is growing in both popularity and geography. Latvia, a small central European country with a northern vibe, already known as a great beach volleyball powerhouse, is now also making its first steps in joining the snow volleyball craze.
It is all in the hands of a group of enthusiasts from the ZS Bezdeligas Vietalva volleyball team, together with the main sponsor Gatis Kucinskis, and it started with their first tournament this winter, but they are hopeful that the next steps in the development of snow volleyball in Latvia will take place with wider involvement of the Volleyball Federation of Latvia, which has already shown its interest in the concept.
Latvian landscape does not feature much mountainous terrain, but the organizers took advantage of a rare opportunity and created a spectacular setting for a snow volleyball tournament, attracting the attention of players and spectators alike. Many gathered to watch the games of the Mezezers Winter Cup 2026, which took place in February at the Mezezers recreation complex, situated at a beautiful forest location at the foot of a hill, a popular place among skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts.
The invitational tournament brought together eight teams, representing several locations across Latvia, including Vietalva, Koknese, Vecbebri, Madona and Riga, for a unique snow volleyball event. The weather conditions were perfect for winter sports – sunny skies and temperatures around -5°C – creating an authentic snow volleyball atmosphere.
The team of Madona, with Ainars Kaposts, Nauris Pulkstenis and Vasilijs Trusovs on the squad, emerged as the first snow volleyball winner in Latvia. Grelis & Co and the second team of hosts Bezdeligas completed the podium.
In addition to the tournament matches, the organizers also arranged a serving contest for spectators, which attracted strong participation and added extra excitement to the event.
The athletes were very positive about the tournament, highlighting the great atmosphere and the prize pool as some of the event’s highlights. Many participants said the experience of playing volleyball in such a scenic winter location was something special. The spectators also reacted enthusiastically and especially appreciated the opportunity to be involved in the event. The representative of the Latvian federation that visited the event showed interest in the idea of holding national snow volleyball championships in the near future.
Inspired by the success of this first event, the organizers are already thinking about the future and the possibility of putting together bigger national-level events with multiple courts.
“Latvia has strong traditions and international success in beach volleyball, and at the same time we are fortunate to have real winters with snow. Snow volleyball is a natural next step for us – it combines two elements that people here truly enjoy,” Krists Kucinskis, the main organizer, told FIVB.com. “This first tournament clearly showed the potential of the discipline, and we see great opportunities for it to grow into a widely practiced sport in Latvia. In the future, we aim to expand the number of participating teams and also introduce dedicated women’s competitions.”
Among the Latvian snow volleyball pioneers testing their skills in the first tournament, Dagmara Korenika was the only female participant. She competed as a member of Bezdeligas 1, one of the host teams that finished fourth in the final standings.
“The atmosphere was very warm and welcoming, despite the freezing temperatures. I really hope tournaments like this will continue to grow – not only for men, but also for women, mixed teams, and even youth teams,” Korenika commented. “Snow volleyball is something completely new, exciting, and also quite challenging.”
For now, the Mezezers Winter Cup has proven one thing – sometimes the best ideas start with a little bit of winter, a volleyball net, and the courage to try something new.
