Beach Volleyball - what's it doing in the Olympics

I'm really having trouble figuring out what beach volleyball is doing in the Olympics.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with "regular" volleyball, even though it's hardly played in the UK and therefore I don't know a lot about it, but the beach variety seems to me to be little more than a thinly veiled excuse for dirty old men to stare at women in bikinis.

Let's examine the evidence.

Male players wear singlet and shorts (even in a torrential rainstorm like the other night)

Female players wear...bikinis.

Ummmm....why?

Surely if there was any reason behind the whole thing the guys would be wearing skimpy speedos, but oh no!

If anyone can convince me why this huge difference in attire is valid, I'd be happy to hear from them, but until then, my only thought is that if they want recognition for beach volleyball, then why not go all the way and introduce sandcastle building and throwing a frisbee deliberately just over your partner's head into the freezing ocean?

Come ON!!!