Good morning, beach volleyball fans,
Since I announced my departure from California a few months ago, many have been wondering, understandably: What is going to happen to the pod? Our answer was, and remains, mostly nothing — except more. Me leaving for Florida has served as an invitation for us to expand our talent pool. Kyle Friend is increasing his presence on the podcast. Soon, Savvy Simo and Jaden Whitmarsh will as well. We’re adding content from Florida, and on the road, as we did with last week’s Joao Pessoa recap, and this week’s podcast with Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader (more on that below).
With all of these changes, we decided a revamp of our logo and merchandise was also in order. Here is our brand new store, with brand new logos and some sweet merch that we’re all stoked on. Would LOVE it if you could rep the pod and send us all of the shots out in the wild rocking in.
Funny enough: A pod listener got his hands on some of this merch before we published the store and was wearing it around Hamburg, where we shot last week’s podcast with Anouk and Joana.
The week in SANDCAST Studios
This week’s podcast featured Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Mader, the trailblazing duo from Switzerland who won a European Championship and an Olympic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. They’re now split up, Anouk turning to her sister, Zoe, and Joana starting a family (she just announced she’s pregnant!) But that makes this pod even more valuable, I think, as the two were reflective, chatting about a genuinely iconic partnership that changed Swiss beach volleyball and helped turn it into one of the most powerful countries in the sport on the women’s side:
George and Andre 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? Coming this week at the Rio Elite16. International podcasts, like this week’s with Anouk and Joana? More of them coming. Mic’d up content? You know it!
We slapped some mics on George and Andre at the Joao Pessoa Elite16, as well as Anders Mol, Sophie Bukovec, and Heather Bansley, and will be dropping those throughout the next few weeks. This one is so fun with George and Andre, and if you’re a member to our YouTube Channel, you can already watch it!
If not? That’s OK, you just have to wait till noon, Pacific, on Monday to give it a watch.
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
- AVP League playoffs are set! The top three spots — Nitro, Dream, Mayhem — were locked up for a while, but the fourth was up for grabs. The San Diego Smash — Geena Urango and Toni Rodriguez, Chase Budinger and Miles Evans — made a heroic push in their final two weeks to jump the Austin Aces — Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, Billy Allen and Paul Lotman — to make the playoffs. The Volleyball Gods wanted it to happen, as it could mean another rematch of Trevor and Chase. You love to see it. The Championships are this weekend in Los Angeles. I’d cover it, but I will be in Rio for this week’s Elite16. Speaking of…
- The Rio Elite16, the final major event of the year, starts Wednesday. Chaim Schalk and James Shaw are making their international debut, and will be competing as the 5 seed (for now) in the qualifier. Right behind them is Logan Webber and Hagen Smith. Here’s the rest of the men’s entry list. Kim Hildreth and Teegan Van Gunst, fresh off their Cinderella run through Joao Pessoa, top the qualifier for the women, and will likely meet Savvy Simo and Abby Van Winkle in the first round. Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft are in the main draw. Here’s the rest of the women’s entry list. Follow the Beach Volleyball World YouTube account for some fun content from Kyle Friend and I, with Frito behind the cam.
- 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’re delving into the college scene, with four-time NCAA Champ Dain Blanton and his latest rising star, Maddy White.
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)
