Good afternoon, or morning, or whatever, beach volleyball fans,
I don’t know what time it is for you, or for me, for that matter. I’m on a plane bound for Doha, site of the Beach Pro Tour Finals, the bookend to a long and winding season that began right here, in Doha, in February with the season-opening Elite16. Fond memories I have of that event, when I had to commentate my own team, Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk, as they lost a backbreaker in the final round of the qualifier to Chase Budinger and Miles Evans.
Now I’m back, commentating once more, though this time I will not have the stress of commentating my own team. I did, however, have the utmost pleasure of commentating Molly Shaw and Toni Rodriguez’s latest semifinal match, in Nuvali, which they won — and then promptly won the next, capping an epic three-week stretch with three straight medals and the first career golds for both. I wrote about them, and the recent run of qualifier success around the world, while on this flight.
And, of course, sitting one row in front of me, headphones on, Nintendo Switch on fire, is our latest podcast guest, and my commentating amigo, Kyle Friend.
The week in SANDCAST Studios
This week’s podcast featured Kyle Friend, whose year has taken a fun turn. He began it with every intent of playing — and play he did at first — until Volleyball World offered him a job to travel the world and commentate the Elite16s in person. Since, he’s had one hell of a lifestyle switch, and one he’s stoked on: commentating and coaching and podcasting about the game he loves (sound familiar?):
Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft Mic’d up!
As part of our growing collaboration with Beach Volleyball World, we have a ton of fun things coming down the pipe. Fantasy beach volleyball? Happened last week at the Rio Elite16. International podcasts? More of them coming. Mic’d up content? You know it!
We put some mics on Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft during their quarterfinal win at the Rio Elite16, and the product was AWESOME.
Watch Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft mic’d up!
FUN NEWS! SANDCAST and Volleyball TV are partnering up. By the end of the year, the Road to Paris will feature highlights and clips from Volleyball TV to complement the coverage. Better yet: You can get 20 percent off your VBTV subscription if you use the code SANDCAST20.
News Around the Beach
- The 2024 Ultimate Beach Volleyball Gift Guide. Per annual tradition, I made a list of the best Christmas gifts you can get for the beach volleyball enthusiast in your family. Let me know what I missed.
- We’ve got NEW SANDCAST MERCH! Been a long time in the works, and a long time coming. Perfect time to scoop up some Christmas gifts for the SANDCAST lover — if that is such a thing — in your fam!
- Best volleyball drills you can do by yourself. Our girls at FSU are on a six-week break, and we didn’t want them to get rusty, so I made a video detailing my favorite three volleyball drills you can do by yourself and sent it to them, but also put it up because I figured y’all might enjoy too. I did these literally every single day for years and years at my 24-hour Fitness in California.
- Beach Pro Tour Finals is here! Action begins Wednesday and finishes up Saturday in Doha. Follow the schedule, results, photos, etc. here and for all of our social content, make sure to subscribe to the Beach Volleyball World YouTube Channel.
- SANDCAST memberships are live. We’ve opened up memberships for anyone who wants to watch full podcast episodes on YouTube a day or two early.
- Coming up on Wednesday we have Mykel Jenkins, the longtime trainer of Tri Bourne and John Hyden and now Sara Hughes who, in his charismatic way, delivers insights into training, mental toughness, and being elite. Fun one.
Much Love to the sponsors
We’re officially partnered with Better at Beach! Don’t know how this took so long, seeing the massive overlap between our audiences. So if you want to get Better at Beach, use our code SANDCAST for 10 percent off all of their products, from online classes to in-person camps and more.
We’ve been with Wilson Volleyball since day one, and we love the products they make — the best ball on the market, hands down, no questions asked. With season coming up, if you’re looking to get some new equipment, use our discount code: SANDCAST63 for 20 PERCENT OFF.
Introducing Balltime, the AI platform making breaking down film and statistics EASY (FINALLY!). Use our link for a discount and give it a try!
Need to get hydrated? Waiakea has all kinds of fantastic deals online, and good news for you (and us), you can get 20 PERCENT OFF using our discount code, Sandcast, at checkout. Aloha, y’all.
SANDCAST is fueled by a lovely mix of three main ingredients: We LOVE to do it, people enjoy listening to it, and sponsors fund our ability to do so. We only partner with sponsors we love, and we are so fired up to have Athletic Greens join the show! And they’re hooking up our listeners with a full year of Vitamin D for FREE, as well as five totally FREE travel packs!
Appreciate y’all for listening, reading, and loving the beach like we do.
Have a great week!
SHOOTS!
Tri and Travis (and Savvy)
