Rafu Rodriguez-Bertran: Winning weird in semi-retirement

Rafu Rodriguez-Bertran: Winning weird in semi-retirement

Rafu Rodriguez-Bertran was not supposed to win an AVP this year. Heck, he wasn’t even sure if he’d play an AVP this year.

This past winter, he had a son, Nico, his first child. His club in Temecula, Viper Volleyball, was growing and taking off. He’d had an excellent career, one that took him as high as the 2015 World Championships.

It was time for a shift in priorities.

He told this to his partner, Piotr Marciniak, who nodded and went to Ty Loomis for Austin. Rafu sat out.

And then beach volleyball happened. Partners changed. Eric Zaun moved from Ed Ratledge to Tim Bomgren, leaving Ratledge without a partner.

Which brings us to another point: Ed Ratledge was not supposed to win an AVP this year.

He’s 41, been trying for 18 years. Dumped by the partner with whom he’d had his most career success, Ratledge, it seemed, was on his way out, no different than Rafu. Like Rafu’s club, Rateldge’s business, VolleyOC, was constantly expanding.

And so the most wonderful band, one quasi-retired, one sort of reprioritizing, was formed.

“It’s sort of stepping out, kind of doing it part-time slash full-time,” Rafu said on SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. “I have some other stuff to do but I still want to train and I still want to compete because In like competing but for sure, I never had it in my mind that I would be in that final. Ed is the same way: he loves playing. We do it for fun because that’s what we want to do. That takes away all of the pressure.”

So what did their pre-semifinal routine look like? What was the master strategy to toppling Billy Allen and Ryan Doherty and then Sean Rosenthal and Chase Budinger?

What was the key to unlocking 18 years of championship buildup for Ratledge?

“It’s like, ‘Let’s just go out and play.’ We didn’t even have a strategy going into the semifinals,” Rafu said, laughing when saying it aloud, as if it just occurred to him how outrageous that is. “[Sunday] morning he was on the phone, setting up his tournaments back home, on the phone, and then we skateboard down to the site and ‘Hey, let’s just play!’ It worked out. I don’t know why. No pressure. Just play. It’s so fun because there’s never a single drop of pressure between us.”

They play free and weird, and in this world, weird is the most supreme of compliments. Ratledge’s dialogue with the fans is one of a kind, and his arm swing, coined the “wet noodle” by Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb on the New York livestream a year ago, is the most frustrating swing on tour, one that doesn’t bring a tremendous amount of pace but was, by tournament’s end, the most effective of any player in San Francisco.

“And,” Rafu added, “he optioned at least 50 percent of balls I passed.”

Unconventional. Weird. Quirky. From the dialogue to how they’ve both taken half-steps back in order to achieve their career bests.

But really, is there any other way it could have gone?

“It’s kind of crazy, all the messages and all the people that are interested and are aware of what’s going on and watching,” Rafu said. “It’s pretty fun, it’s pretty cool to have all that support. Even when you don’t know there’s not many people watching you. It’s cool.”

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Derek Olson, and Morocco's 'Disney story' into the Tokyo Olympic Games

Derek Olson, and Morocco's 'Disney story' into the Tokyo Olympic Games

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Derek Olson, a longtime player on the AVP and FIVB tours. He was an assistant coach at the University of California, Berkeley for two years before being promoted to interim head coach for the previous two. This off-season, he had the strangest of calls: Would he like to coach the Moroccan National Team as they prepared for the Continental Cup, which could secure them a bid for the 2021 Olympic Games?  Yes. Yes he did. On this podcast, we chat about: - How Olson wound up getting the call from Morocco to coach the National Team - How, in just five weeks, he was able to take over a program and lead it to its first Olympic bid in history - The African Continental Cup, and the wild ride that the tournament was - His future prospects at Cal, and internationally And, as always, much, much more.  ENJOY! *** This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball   This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org!   SHOOTS!

14 Juli 202155min

Sean Rosenthal is the same now as he's ever been: Beach Volleyball's greatest ambassador

Sean Rosenthal is the same now as he's ever been: Beach Volleyball's greatest ambassador

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is a phenomenal one, a wide-ranging conversation with Sean Rosenthal, a two-time Olympian and one of the best to ever play the game. While Rosenthal will not be featured in the Tokyo Olympic Games, his influence on the game is the same as it's ever been.  On this episode, we chat about: - What it's been like for Rosenthal to not go for the Olympic Games this quad, the first time since 2008 he has been out of the running - His deep relationship with Jake Gibb - His mindset throughout the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and why he never could wish ill-will on his fellow countrymen vying for his spot - Why he's been able to remain so popular with the fans after all these years - His thoughts on the AVP's three-event season And much, much more.  ENJOY!! *** This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball   This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org!   SHOOTS!

7 Juli 20211h 20min

Jason Lochhead: The globetrotting route to becoming a two-time Olympic coach

Jason Lochhead: The globetrotting route to becoming a two-time Olympic coach

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is an ABSOLUTE BLAST! We have Jason Lochhead, the coach of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, in the house. It is a packed episode, filled with tremendous stories and, as a bonus, a New Zealand accent.  We chat about: - What it was like for Lochhead to grow up as a beach volleyball player in New Zealand, a country not exactly known for beach volleyball - His career as a player, nearly qualifying in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games - How he almost became a professional golfer before being recruited to coach the Vanuatu National Team - Coaching Canadians Ben Saxton and Chaim Schalk to the 2016 Olympics - The call from Nick Lucena that changed his life: Coaching Phil Dalhausser and Lucena to the 2021 Olympic Games That, and, as always, so much more! ENJOY! *** This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball   This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org!   SHOOTS!

30 Juni 202155min

Taylor Crabb, and the arrival of beach volleyball's next generation

Taylor Crabb, and the arrival of beach volleyball's next generation

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter is a special one, for it is the first episode featuring a player competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Taylor Crabb has long been the presumed face of this next generation of American beach volleyball players. Now that generation is here, as he and Jake Gibb qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, alongside lovable veterans Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. On this episode, we discuss: - What it is like for Taylor Crabb being an Olympian, something he's long dreamed of - The moment in Ostrava when he and Jake Gibb and coach Rich Lambourne knew they had qualified for Tokyo - The strangeness of this 2021 season, with so much uncertainty post-COVID - Why players should prioritize competing on the AVP just as much as they do the FIVB - The blessings of being raised in Hawai'i, growing up at the Outrigger Canoe Club And much, much more. Such a fun episode. ENJOY! *** This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball   This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org!   SHOOTS!

23 Juni 202156min

SANDCAST Mailbag: A review of the Tokyo Olympic quad, and looking ahead to AVP 2021

SANDCAST Mailbag: A review of the Tokyo Olympic quad, and looking ahead to AVP 2021

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features our monthly fan question episode. Before we dove into the fan questions, we recapped the Tokyo Olympic quad, and Bourne's journey through it with Trevor Crabb, finishing ranked No. 11 in the world yet just shy of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games. We chatted about Mewhirter's five-week FIVB stretch, competing in Bulgaria, Sochi, and Bulgaria twice more. You can find a full written recap of Mewhirter's journey at VolleyballMag. And then, of course, we dove into fan questions, beginning with... - What are our thoughts on the AVP schedule, which was recently announced?  - What is the purpose, and best format, for the AVP Next Gold events, which are growing in popularity and size?  - What's next for Tri Bourne, with this Olympic quad now finished? - How do you handle burnout?  And much, much more. This episode is a comprehensive one, as we had much to talk about -- AVP, Olympics, FIVB, you name it.  Enjoy! *** This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit founded by Matt Callahan and SANDCAST host Travis Mewhirter, aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org! SHOOTS!

16 Juni 20211h 13min

DJ Klasnic is bringing the passion for beach volleyball back to Serbia

DJ Klasnic is bringing the passion for beach volleyball back to Serbia

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features DJ Klasnic, one of the top players in the Serbian beach volleyball federation who recently won the second event on the Bulgarian National Tour.  Klasnic lived in Florida for six months this year, competing with some of the best blockers in the country, including Ricardo Santos, Piotr Marciniak, Andy Benesh, and Logan Webber. Now he's back to Serbia, competing in the final round of the Continental Cup as well as on the FIVB Tour.  On this episode, we discuss: - How Klasnic got into beach volleyball while growing up in Serbia, a country that doesn't view beach volleyball as a real sport - Becoming the first Serbian team to win an international medal - His time spent in Florida, and the critical role Ricardo Santos played in motivating him in his career - How Phil Dalhausser encouraged Klasnic to continue pursuing beach volleyball - His love for Florida beach volleyball, and how he's attempting to bring that kind of passion and love for the game back to Serbia *** This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit founded by Matt Callahan and SANDCAST host Travis Mewhirter, aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org! SHOOTS!

9 Juni 20211h 4min

Corinne Quiggle and Allie Wheeler: Winning the little steps on their way to the big one

Corinne Quiggle and Allie Wheeler: Winning the little steps on their way to the big one

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features recent USA Volleyball GOLD MEDALISTS Corinne Quiggle and Allie Wheeler, who took home the gold at the Bulgaria one-star. After winning there -- coming out of the qualifier to do so! -- they went to Sochi, where they nearly made it through a brutal country quota against Sarah Schermerhorn and Aurora Davis and Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat.  On this episode, we discuss: - Corinne Quiggle's wild travels, in which she almost had to drop out of the event - The difference between competing in practice and competing in an FIVB event - How Quiggle and Wheeler overcame the nerves of their first international tournament to win gold - How their partnership formed, and the progress they've made as a team - What's next on the schedule, and the big goal up ahead And much, much more.  *** This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit founded by Matt Callahan and SANDCAST host Travis Mewhirter, aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org! SHOOTS!

2 Juni 202147min

Canadian road dogs Will Hoey and Jake MacNeil have no exit plans

Canadian road dogs Will Hoey and Jake MacNeil have no exit plans

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, was recorded on the road, at the FIVB Bulgaria one-star, where Mewhirter chatted with good buds and Canadian players Will Hoey and Jake MacNeil.  Hoey and MacNeil finished fifth in the Bulgaria one-star, knocking out Mewhirter and Roberts in the final round of the qualifier. On this episode, we chat about: - How two Canadian men get into beach volleyball, and the role that hockey plays in that - Hoey's journey into beach, and how going winless at the U19 World Championships opened his eyes to the life of the beach volleyball player - MacNeil's decision to give up a professional hockey career to pursue beach volleyball - Their climb up the Canadian Federation's ladder, where they are the fourth-ranked team in Canada - Their life on the road, where they have no plans to return home And much, much more.  SHOOTS! *** This episode, as always, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, makers of the absolute best balls in the game, hands down. You can get a 20-percent discount using our code, SANDCAST-20! https://www.wilson.com/en-us/volleyball This episode is also brought to you by Chasing Gold, a new non-profit founded by Matt Callahan and SANDCAST host Travis Mewhirter, aimed at funding aspiring Olympians to relieve the financial burden of traveling around the world. Read more and donate today at www.chasinggold.org! SHOOTS!

26 Maj 202150min

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