Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk came into AVP New Orleans as the heavy favorites. Four of the top six seeds were playing in the @BeachVolleyballWorld Saquarema Challenge, so this made for some win-or-bust expectations for our SANDCAST host. So in his first AVP tournament with his new partner, Schalk, he had to navigate not only these expectations but also an insane 2 hr storm that literally tore down the venue and created the viral Jumbo Wilson Volleyball sky ball video. Not to mention other player betting against them as they watched from overseas.
Bourne on the Beach S2 E3: Win-or-Bust, insane storm and side bets
About the Author: Travis Mewhirter
Author, journalist, podcast host, and broadcaster, Travis Mewhirter has written 4 number-one bestsellers — including Kings of Summer: The Rise of Beach Volleyball, alongside Olympic gold medalist Kent Steffes. He has also written award-winning features, including a package at the Northwest Florida Daily News that earned him Sports Writer of the Year, and a heartfelt story on the late Eric Zaun in Volleyball Magazine, which was an honorable mention in the 2020 Best American Sportswriting.
Following the passing of Eric Zaun, Mewhirter, alongside Jon Mesko and Katie Spieler, founded the Eric Zaun Award, which has raised more than 25 thousand to fund beach volleyball players.
Mewhirter now devotes most of his time to playing and covering beach volleyball, via his podcast: SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, as well as writing for Volleyball Magazine and commentating on Volleyball TV. Mewhirter and Bourne have written two books together: Volleyball for Milkshakes, and Playbook of Champions, both of which were number-one best-sellers.