Of all the characters of the Paris Olympics, none may be more colorful than Italian beach volleyball player Adrian Carambula. 

As a child, the Uruguayan-born Carambula played soccer with legendary striker Luis Suarez before moving to the U.S. and drifting to beach volleyball at age 14.  

“There was no soccer culture in the U.S., so I started hanging out maybe with the wrong crowd a little bit, had issues with my parents, and that’s when I kind of turned into a rebel,” Carambula told NBC in 2023. “I quit soccer and I just started playing beach volleyball really just for fun.”

He then moved to his grandmother’s native country, Italy, at age 26 and developed one of the most entertaining and innovative moves in the sport ­ — his patented “sky ball.”

The move is as simple as it sounds. On a serve, Carambula hits the ball in the air as high as he can, often confusing opponents with his unorthodox approach. 

Carambula’s distinctive serve and unique style have earned the nickname “Mr. Skyball” from the beach volleyball community.

The 5-foot-11 Carambula came up with the “sky ball” as way to combat the giants that make up the sport. He can’t meet every player at the net, so he had to find a way to give himself an edge — and his craftiness resulted in a signature maneuver. 

“You can play at this level with this height, but you need to build the necessary skills to be able to compete,” Carambula said. 

At this level, for me to be competitive, I have to be different.

Despite Carambula’s popularity and cult appeal, he and his partner, Alex Ranghieri, were unable to advance out of pool play at the Paris Olympics. The duo made the Round of 16 during their Olympic debut in 2016, but split up before the Tokyo Games. 

When Ranghieri dropped Carambula as a partner in 2017, the outspoken setter stopped being funded by the Italian federation. He then teamed up with Enrico Rossi and still managed to qualify for the Tokyo Games. 

“So since then, they never brought me back in, because I didn't know how to play politics. I didn't know how to say yes to everything,” Carambula said. “So I found my way, I invested in myself a little bit. And here I am still dancing.”

After managing their divergent personalities, the fiery Carambula and the reserved Ranghieri were able to put another run together in 2024.

Carambula's competitive edge was on full display in Paris, getting the crowd behind the Italians on multiple occasions. Schematically, the 6-foot-6 Ranghieri patrolled the net while Carambula dug opposing attacks and utilized his unconventional offensive style.

Ranghieri told NBC that Carambula can be a commanding personality, but, “we found away to work around that. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here.”

The two finished 2023 ranked No. 10 in the world and will look to be back at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. 

Where do these two go next? It’s safe the say the “sky’s the limit.”