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!