Quest for the Shield, part III - Dark Side of the Moon

This will probably be the last post until after the Wieland Shield has concluded, due to internet access.

The past 2 nights have been spent at Pt. Lonsdale Surf Club, just outside of Queenscliffe, where we have been blessed with the rustic Middle-America feel of Blair, Nebraska, and the blessed convenience of wi-fi internet access. Today, Friday 1/15, we will move down the coast to Torquay for our 2nd to last housing venue on the Tour.

Training sessions have been winding down in intensity, and the typical "taper" energy has been bubbling out - group laughter bursting out at the smallest amusement, masterminding schemes of ultimate lawn-cricket domination....little things.

After a full week of having the Victorian team's selection in limbo, we now have an opponent.

Team Vic Athletes: Shane Edmonds, Mark Graham, Russell Fox, Sam Rankin, Steve Kerr, Hamish Hunter, David Morris...Casee Honan, Samantha Caine, Emma Armstrong, Clair Beach. Staff: Wayne Bacon, Coach; Shane Edmonds, Assistant; Cathy "Tizza" Tisdale, Manager; Kevin "Yippa" Yip, Assistant.

(Bulls intro music fades in) And Now, your starting line up for Team California:

Brian Murphy, Ironman; Jeff Barrett, Swim; Danny Ching, Ski; Pat Jacobson, Swim; Mike Murphy, Ski/Coach; Shane Scoggins, Board; Micah Carlson, Ironman. Staff: Jay Butki, Manager; Rich Hidalgo, Coach; Jamie Orr, Charlotte Graham, Educational Officers.

The Gauntlet has been thrown. Saturday, January 16th, begins day One of the 2010 Wieland Shield.

Updates will posted as access becomes available

Luke 1:37

Quest For The Shield, part II - An Angel-Sea

After trekking down to Victoria on Friday morning, the 2010 Wieland Shield Team was finally assembled. Boards from various people and locations descended with us into Melbourne Airport as we began our journey down the coast to Angelsea Surf Lifesaving Club. (Special Thanks to Mick DiBetta for helping sort shipping).

We started to work the kinks out with a mini training session that first evening - Jet lag was affecting most of us.

Saturday brought us further down the coast to the town of Lorne for the annual NIB Lorne Pier-to-Pub open water swim. 5 members of our team would compete in the 1.2km straight-line swim, with Micha Burden-Shaw just missing out on top honors in a brutal 200-meter run up the beach to the finish. Prior to the big individual race, race organizers arranged for a sprint relay challenge: Local favorite Lifesavers from Lorne vs the Bondi Beach Rescue Boys vs California.

With the lead changing no less than 6 times, in the 5-person relay, between Lorne and California, spectators and commentators were sucked into an all-out frenzy of a race. The energy from the crowd was palpable - media coverage from land and 2 hovering helicopters only synergized that energy.

Team CA went into the water on the final leg with a ~10meter lead. The 75meter wading run in and out acted like a cement mixer - waiting until the final run up to pour out in masochistic pleasure. As I rounded the first of the 2 right-shoulder-turn buoys, I watched as Dan Kawolski (sorry for the misspell; he has some hardware on his mantel btw) motored steadily past me for the win - crushing.

Saturday night met us with a casual evening in...cards and story telling. Sunday would be our first test.

The Angelsea SLSC - The most gracious host I have ever encountered, had already sorted out 90% of our gear needs, fed us multiple times, and were and continue to be some of the most amazing people I have encountered - hosted there annual Surf Carnival, a small contest with ~700+ competitors.

This was our tune up and test (and maybe a shot across the Vic Team's bow). Everyone raced very well, our women finishing in the top ten of their events, if not in the top 5. our boys did just as well, placing in the top 10 of most and with Pat "I have secret Ninja Wheels" Jacobson Winning the Open Flags. This was a serious confidence boost for the team - but greater than the by-the-number results was the energy felt within our crew; smiles and laughter were present all day, even through racing mistakes and mishaps (I face planted off the board in the Iron final and came up laughing my head off as I ran to the finish - good stuff, couldn't write the cartoon-like effect of it).

Sunday night was then reserved for enjoyment and NO training, and hanging out with our Aussie hosts and friends. Good times!

5 days of training and tune up before the Wieland Shield, January 16 at Bancoura and 17th at Ocean Grove.

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - PRE GET SOME!!!

Quest for the Wieland Shield, part 1

The Journey to get the Journey Started

The trip to Brisbane, Australia was supposed to begin on January 1st, 2010, at 11:30pm. After an odd gate change with a flight headed to Melbourne, my flight was delayed until 1:50am (at least) for a "mechanical issue". At 12:20am we were told that the flight was going to be delayed until 1:00pm the following afternoon. People in transit were given hotels for the night, and I went home (thanks Amy).

We returned to the airport that morning (thanks Amy), went through security, and went to our supposed gate; only to be told that we had to walk to another terminal, and get re-booked onto 1 of 2 flights leaving that evening - It was January 2nd. Some travelers were booked onto, essentially, the same flight...the rest of us were booked onto a flight into Sydney, where we would catch a connection to Brisbane after we landed, cleared customs, went through security again, and took a bus ride to another terminal. Sounds fun huh?!

I landed in Sydney, Australia on Monday, January 4th, hopped onto another plane up to Brisbane, then caught a train down to the Gold Coast where I was met by some of my teammates (thanks Allison and Nate).

The training & tune-up have begun!

after the break....

it has been quite a while since my last post, for that I apologize. But, to give the 90 second (or so) recap since the last post here we go.... (think voice over from the 'micro-machines' guy)

Central Section won the Taplin Bell in decisive fashion, but, South bay went 2nd and 3rd with a strong presence from the younger Guards - Big Props to all who came out to race, watch and support...Sean Lemm won the pier-to-pier swim, separating himself from his closest competitors in the final 3oo-meters...I finished out in solid 4th... 4 days later came USLA Nationals in Ft Lauderdale, Florida...

Huge congrats to Monmouth County, NJ for clinching the OPEN Point Score Title - That's right, LACOLA came in second in the open - BUT, thanks to our Age Groupers, LACOLA still won the OVERALL Championship Title....personal highlights, after 19 races, multiple gallons of fluid, almost the same amount of WATERMANS sunscreen, I was happy to climb up to an overall 6th open points scorer, with an epic debut in the American Ironman finishing 5th... Congrats to Dave Cartlidge and JVD for their AMAZING 2nd place finish in the Open Surf Boat, and props to all of our Young and oldER Guards for coming out to race, hangout, and have an amazing trip to sweltering Ft Lauderdale, FL...

Then came a week of severe illness brought on by "Overtraining" - yes racing TOO much can happen....

Then JAPAN!!!! ooooooooooooh Japan.....

(what?! I can't give it all away in one post can I?!)

The Bell

Saturday Night

Chop or smooth; Swell or flat; Currents or stillwater - The Judge Irvin Taplin Relay will always bring the best competitors to the forefront. Velzy, Doyle, Kahn, Donahoe, Rink, Fortune, Solberg, Baker, Gair. Legends of Surf and Surf-lifesaving, These are but a pin-prick of the talented and determined lifeguards who have proudly rung The Bell.

Northern held the Bell for nearly a decade; Southern a bit longer than that; Central claimed The Bell with authority last year. Who will take The Bell Home Tonight is anyone's guess. But, when there's surf involved, that's all it will be - a guess.

Lifeguards, Watermen, Athletes of the highest caliber will fight for the right to put their names onto The Taplin Bell.

Can Central Repeat? Can South Bay put a Second Woman onto The Bell? Will Zuma push back into their glory-days of old? Can a non-laco team lay claim for the first time since '87 - and the establishment of the Mitch Kahn Rule?

Tonight at 7pm at Manhattan Beach Pier - Let the Games Begin!!!!

Lions, Tigers, and Boats OH MY!!!!

There is no comparison to the sound produced from two Dories colliding! There is also no comparison to the sight of the bow of a Blue Dory drilling the broadside of a white Dory in the surfline on its way out to sea! This was just one highlight of an amazingly-spectator-leaned Intercrew Championship Relay.

The question was posed, "Can Venice make it three in a row?"; sporting the better part of an Olympic swim crew, surf-savvy board crew, and a near flawless boat team - YES, is the simple answer. But, They were not unchallenged in their pursuit.

Dockweiler, aka Carnage Asada, pushed the pace - and maybe a boat broadside - and forced Venice into overdrive to claim their title.

Altogether the night was a great success for all parties involved - great racing, a little bit of contact (I have an 8inch laceration on my right ribs from someone's nail in the Shallow-Water-Sprint - gotta love when rugby and swimming mix!), some surf - and the boat carnage that went with it - made this an unforgettable night.

Congrats to Venice on their win; Dockweiler for making them earn it - and adding some flair in the boats and on the exit; and to my Crew - The Baywatch Crew, amazing what can happen when WE stick together!

International Surf Festival

Will this be a Three-peat Year?! After claiming the Bud Stevenson Intercrew Championship Trophy 2 years running, the Lifeguards of Venice Beach have their sights set on making it 3-in-a-row this Friday night at Manhattan Beach Pier.

But, they are not alone in their search for victory. The contingent from Manhattan will look to break through to the top after knocking on the door the last year. However, no team is really out of the running when it comes to this event. The Manhattan Beach Pier always lends itself to a little bit of surf on nights when lifeguards race. Every Team is only a Wave Away from victory - or defeat.

Friday nights' progresion of events will provide a ltany of entertainment for the evening. Starting out with a rescue demonstration by members and assets from our L.A. County Fire Dept. Lifeguards and the US Coast Guard--Sector Los Angeles.

Whoever said swimmers cannot run, never watched the 6-man run relay. Can the Guards of Dockweiler claim another another as the fastest on sand. The sand will fly from the heels of these, and other Guards, in the pursuit of speed.

It was probably the same guy who thought that swimming was NOT a contact sport. Bodies will mix and collide in the 4-person shallow water sprint relay...1 catch - the total age of the 4 members of each team must add up to 125 years.

No age minimums or limits - just pure, simple, SPEED will show itself during the 6-man Board Relay. The simple out-&-back format of this race is always a crowd pleaser, as spectators can line up along the pier for an over-the-top view.


Will surf dictate the pace? The mix of fiberglass, surf, bodies, and speed is sure to provide an elixir of sheer athletic satisfaction. The perfect appetizer for a weekend full of excitement!