Australia is better than a packet of Dark Chocolate Tim Tams draped in vanilla bean ice cream. Haven’t been? Go. It’s that simple.

The beaches squeak, the countryside stuns, and the serenity lasts forever — just ask Darryl Kerrigan. As far as sports go, footie takes the specky, rugby makes my neck hurt, but is obviously tougher than Gridiron (American Football), cricket makes total sense 100 percent of the time, lawn bowling reminds me of curling in white pants on the surface of the sun, and beach volley is slowly but surely making a valiant return to the summer limelight thanks to some sick French Sports Coupes and French-sounding shampoos. Food and drink? Beers are inordinately expensive, so they must be that much better, snags (not shrimp) are thrown on the barbie, and marinated kangaroo tastes suspiciously delicious – I don’t care how cuddly and iconic they are. What more can you ask for, right? How ‘bout the funniest, happiest, most charming bunch of boardshort wearing, 6:00 a.m. spiking, Snapper Rock surfing, and mid-day pint drinking mates on the planet? Mates who aren’t so caught up in getting ahead of the pack that they forget who they left behind. Mates who understand that it’s not about the surf or the volley, it’s about the people you are fortunate enough to surf and volley with.

Seventeen years ago, I participated in a high school foreign exchange program and found myself walking to Coomoora Secondary College in a suburb of Melbourne with my next-door neighbor Reece in slacks, a pressed blue button down, striped tie, blue V-neck sweater (not deep), and polished black shoes. (Prep school uniform.) I fell in love early with the land down under and vowed one day to return for good. All it took was one week at Wilson’s Promontory with my Year 11 Outdoor Education class to understand that sometimes strip malls don’t actually make the world a better place. And that Australia may be the last location on Earth to choose preservation over preservatives.

From 2003-06, I spent American winters in a host of Australian locales: Brisvegas, Gold Coast, St. Kilda, Cottesloe (mostly just the Cott), Glenelg, Queenscliff, Freshwater, Manly, and, of course, Sydney (I can’t get enough of the Royal Botanical Gardens, the open air cinemas, the ferry rides home from the beach as the sun sets, the food, or Bungalow 8 on a fresh New Year’s Eve night). I played Nestle and Vodafone National Tour events with the likes of Chris Magill, Matt Olson, Chris Seiffert, Ty Loomis, and some big hairy guy named Julien Prossermate. I lost my fair share, and won a few shares too, but as long as I was soaking in the skin cancer-inducing rays of Oz, I felt home.

Three weeks ago, I went back. And almost didn’t come home. After a brief hiatus in National Beach Volleyball programming following the catastrophe that was Crocs in ‘08, Aussie beach volleyball has finally returned. Nexus Sports Management Group and power brands Renault and Garnier are responsible for its resurrection. With the assistance of tournament director Arty Klonis, Jesse Rambis and I were able to procure a wildcard and compete in Adelaide at the second stop of the new Renault National Beach Volleyball Series. Considering the last time I competed at a professional level was in Vegas ’09, I didn’t go in expecting a miracle. But after a quick tune-up one week earlier in Surfer’s Paradise at the Beach Volleyball Gold Coast Queensland State Tour event, I at least found my sand legs and was able to play one round with that rubber $10.99 Mikasa only seen in America at BBQs and family reunions in the Arkansas ‘beach’ scene. Needless to say, my one shot — a hybrid cut shot/hit that involves only the wrist and requires zero muscle tone — didn’t really ‘cut.’ So back to the knuckle pokey I went, gasping for air between every 13-inch jump.

In the third round of the winner’s bracket, Rambis and I faced Australia’s top-ranked team on the FIVB: Chris “I-look-39-but-am-only-22” McHugh and his partner, three-time Olympian and Emperor of beach volleyball in Australia, Josh Slack. To give you an idea of how things went, at one point in the second set Jesse hit a high line shot that actually brought rain and not only did McHugh dig it, he started the point off by going for the cut shot, stopped mid-sprint, turned around, tripped, fell to the sand, got back up, took two more steps, dove with one arm outstretched, backhand flippered it up perfectly to the Emperor – who then proceeded to max jump-set him absolute sauce – got up off the sand again, dusted off his shorts and singlet, started his approach, sky-rocketed between 38-40 inches off the Earth’s crust, crushed the ball angle inside of Jesse’s transition block resembling a set of deer paws, and six-packed me in the face off the bounce. I still have a headache and haven’t slept well in over a week. I’d print the final score, but I totally forgot it. No, really.

The rest of the tournament was way more enjoyable. We played friends of old, and friends of new. And like all great beach volleyball tournaments, not a single match went by that wasn’t infused with laughter and a whole lot of cheersing beneath the net. Even on Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m. when the weather wasn’t exactly “pristine.”

In the finals, fellow international wildcard recipients Bo Soderberg and Anders Hoyer of Denmark defeated Slack and McHugh in two incredibly tight sets. The wind howled and raindrops fell, but it couldn’t stop the Danes from putting together two of the most flawless sets I’ve ever seen played. Ball control and an airtight precision-based offense simply reigned supreme. Not that Slack and McHugh played poorly, it just wasn’t their day to come out as champions. But something tells me they’ll be back as the Renault National Beach Volleyball Series now moves to Surfer’s Paradise from January 20-22, and continues on through April 1 where it concludes in Manly Beach for the Australian Championships. With both of these teams in the draw, and third-place finishers and all-around great guys Isaac Kapa and Sam Boehm, the talent level could not be higher.

In the women’s draw, Alice Rohkamper and 18-year-old Mariafe Artacho del Solar put together an incredible tournament and upset the No. 1-seeded duo of Louise Bawden and Becchara Palmer in the finals for their second consecutive Renault beach volleyball title. With Bawden and Palmer representing the Australian Institute of Sport (based in Adelaide) and pursuing Olympic glory this coming summer in London, the pressure was on to represent in their host city as they did not compete in the first event in Newcastle. Unfortunately for them, the weather and a well-prepared team across the net didn’t cooperate with what could have been a fairy tale ending for the South Australians.

Note: thankfully it wasn’t cold enough to warrant the dreaded spandex-full-body-skins-beneath-branded-playing-top-combo-platter out of either team, as that’s a tough look to bounce back from socially.

Rohkamper and the Peruvian phenom are good — their style of play suited the conditions in Adelaide perfectly. Bawden and Palmer are also really good (currently ranked 15th in FIVB Olympic rankings, with the top 16 earning invitations to the grandest of all sporting stages), and beyond athletic (I washed my autonomous t-shirt on their collective abs between games – it only got awkward for a moment). With Natalie Cook coming back for her 32nd Olympiad alongside Kerri Walsh look-alike Tamsin Barnett-Hinchley, and most likely only one spot up for grabs in front of Horse Guards Parade, it looks to be an absolute dog fight down the stretch for Aussie women in pursuit of London.

How did both teams celebrate their victories (along with every other team in the tournament)? Wood-fired pizza and beers at Dizzie’s – arguably the greatest party house in history (Van Wilder would be jealous). Followed by dancing and pogoing at the Grand. And, of course, “Blackburning.” Don’t know it yet? You will. It’s arguably the most prolific dance move since the Electric Boogaloo, made famous by the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Adam Byron Blackburn. In honor of Sir Byron of Blackburn, here’s a short clip of Jesse Rambis and friends Blackburning across Australia. No day has ever been better spent.

The Blackburn from JoshGlaze on Vimeo.

Special thanks to Nexus, Renault, Garnier, Arty Klonis, and every Australian (including the honorary Danes) I’ve met over the years for believing in beach volleyball once more south of the equator. Every historic moment has a beginning, some more humble than others, and this is yours. May it grow and become the tour every Australian beach volleyballer has ever dreamed about.

Happy New Year!

If you haven’t had the chance to catch the Universal Sports press release, or the tournament results posted at avpchampionships.com, the winners of the inaugural AVP Championships event on Saturday were Matt Olson and Matt Prosser for the men, and Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Niles-Hanson for the women.

Olson/Prosser upset the top seeds, Sean Scott and John Hyden, 23-25, 27-25, 15-13, in arguably the best match of the tournament to take home the title and earn the right to some rather coveted real estate on the brand new AVP Cup trophy. Fendrick/Niles-Hanson upheld their No. 1 seed with a three-set victory over Jenny Kropp and Whitney Pavlik, 21-18, 18-21, 15-12, to do the same.

A tradition was born Saturday in Huntington Beach in front of the Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel. Winners of the AVP Championships event will have their names engraved on the AVP Cup Trophy for eternity, and much like the Stanley Cup in NHL Hockey, each player will have possession of the trophy (splitting time between partners) until the next AVP Championships event is held. (When a new winner is crowned, the previous year’s winner will pass on the trophy accordingly.)

Future aside, Matt Prosser/Matt Olson and Lauren Fendrick/Brooke Niles-Hanson will be the first names to grace the Cup, and no one will ever be able to take that distinction away from the two new AVP Champions.

Almost as important as the trophies were the attitudes of the athletes participating in this inaugural event. Following every match, each athlete was asked over the mic what it meant to him or her to be in Huntington Beach for this occasion. Before any mention of personal performance or commentary on the actual competition, each player thanked the fans for coming out and supporting the sport. Plain and simple, the athletes understood what the event was about. Connecting players with fans and getting that warm feeling back in the stands, despite chilly temps and constant cloud cover.

Could there have been more people in attendance? Of course, there can always be more fans. It was late October, after all. But most of the day the seats were full, the energy was high, and not a single fan on-site was there for anything other than the world-class beach volleyball. No stragglers, or random passersby just stumbling in for a Coors Light on the beach; just the best fans our sport has to offer. And arguably the most knowledgeable fans an AVP event has ever produced — trivia questions were getting answered faster than Kindergarten-grade flash cards.

The fresh ‘greens’ and ‘oranges’ in presenting sponsor Juice It Up’s color palette were a welcome addition to the AVP’s new presence on-site. As were their fresh fruit smoothies and acai bowls.

The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, was perhaps the best host hotel the AVP has ever had. With players enjoying an amazing three-course dinner Friday night at Cielo Mare, and complimentary oceanfront hotel rooms from Friday-Sunday.

Toyota of HB, Wilson, and O’Neill were all incredible Supporting Sponsors, with cars on-site, volleyballs and bags for the fans, and an unprecedented amount of clothing for the athletes in their hotel arrival goodie bags.

And autonomous, havaianas, Smack, Zico, Oh Yeah!, Mix1, Hapa Hawaiian Shave Ice, East Borough, Lululemon Newport Beach, Pineapple Fitness, Coleman, and World Market all made for amazing Exhibitor-level Sponsors as well.

Bottom line: the event could not have taken place without the assistance of each and every sponsor willing to come out and support the AVP and the great sport of beach volleyball.

And sponsors notwithstanding, an event such as this also doesn’t take place without a collective group of amazing, stand-up players willing to put the sport on their shoulders for a day and make it theirs. Jake Gibb, Ty Loomis, Sean Scott, John Hyden, Nick Lucena, Stein Metzger and your champions, Matt Prosser and Matt Olson, for the men. Nicole Branagh, Angie Akers, Jenny Kropp, Whitney Pavlik, Brooke Sweat, Kristen Batt, and your champions, Brooke Hanson and Lauren Fendrick, for the women. No classier group of professional athletes in sports.

Year 1 is in the books. Year 2 is already in the planning stages. Every aspect of the event operation has been analyzed since the moment we took down the last piece of printed scrim. What to add, what to remove…and how to make each and every aspect that we keep even better for 2012.

It’s not in my right to say this event was a success — only those in attendance can do so legitimately — but if smiles leaving the beach were any indication of the impact we made, I’d say we’re off to the right start after such a difficult 14 months.

Thanks again to every fan in attendance on Saturday, and those who watched online at avpwebcast.com. The AVP has never appreciated you enough and it’s our goal to never let that happen again.

A ton of uncertainty surrounded the AVP this summer — right up until the last game of its only event of the year.

After the tour abruptly canceled the rest of its season last August, many wondered what would become of the strongest beach volleyball circuit the U.S. has ever known. In short, the AVP scaled back dramatically and opted for only one season-ending event in 2011, held Saturday in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Following Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Hanson’s win over Jenny Kropp and Whitney Pavlik in the women’s final (21-18, 18-21, 15-12), first-time partners Matt Prosser and Matt Olson shocked the tournament favorites, John Hyden and Sean Scott, in the men’s final (23-25, 27-25, 15-13).

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The AVP is excited to announce that beach volleyball fans around the country who are unable to make their way to Huntington Beach for the tournament Saturday will be able to catch all of the action via live stream provided by United Webcast.

This event exists solely for the fans and we wanted to make sure all fans of the sport are able to check it out, regardless of IP address. Fire up your computer at 10:00 a.m. PST and make your way over to the AVPChampionships.com website, where there will be a link taking you directly to the webcast page. Sit back and feast on the action provided by some of the best players in the game and melodious tunes served up by DJ J Roche.

The beach will be rocking with center court volleyball action, a VIP beer garden hosted by the Shades Restaurant and Bar, and our one of a kind sponsor row. But if you cannot make it live and in person to “Surf City USA”, be sure to log-on and check out the live stream brought to you by United Webcast @ UnitedWebcast.com

This is Beach Volleyball for the fans. Nationwide.

What a difference a weekend can make.

As strictly stated in our event qualification criteria, if players competed in at least eight domestic or eight international tournaments as a TEAM — with that TEAM’s best eight finishes counting towards the AVP Cup Standings — the top two TEAMS per gender (both domestically AND internationally) at the end of the season would earn invitations to the inaugural AVP Championships event.

Force majeure not withstanding.

Due to extenuating circumstances, however, Sean Rosenthal, Matt Fuerbringer and John Mayer will no longer be able to compete this weekend, and we are forced to go back on the very rules and regulations we originally created. Their replacements will be Ty Loomis, Stein Metzger and Matt Olson, respectively.

By changing the date of the event from October 1 to October 22, athletes who could have originally competed on Oct 1 are no longer able to participate on the revised weekend; Rosenthal injured his knee in Morocco, Mayer hurt himself during a practice earlier in the month, and Fuerbringer has an obligation at Stanford University this Saturday he unfortunately could not get out of.

Additionally, in preparation for the event, marketing collateral had been created for the original teams scheduled to compete, including printed mesh showcasing specific athletes, and money had been spent out of an already tight budget. Players already notified of their invitation could not be recreated in said collateral and monies could not be recouped.

That said, this event is still a TEAM event and NOT an individual accomplishment. The original teams who qualified are still the teams that should be commended for their achievements in 2011. But, yes, outside factors put us in a position where we had to replace Sean, Matt and John in order to keep the event alive and not waste additional money on revised collateral. Make no mistake, we still expect the highest level of play from Ty, Stein, and Matt in their stead, so anticipate a great day of action on the sand, none-the-less.

New men’s teams are now officially: Jake Gibb and Ty Loomis, Nick Lucena and Stein Metzger, and Matt Prosser and Matt Olson. They’ll join Sean Scott and John Hyden, the clear favorites, in pursuit of the AVP Cup Trophy.

And, yes, that’s the same Stein Metzger you think we’re talking about. HE’S BACK!!! And ready for a return with former partner Mike Lambert in 2012. Catch his first tournament back in action since 2009 this Saturday in Huntington Beach. And expect quite a few knuckle pokies back to the line…

Women’s teams remain the same. Fortunately, zero injuries or scheduling conflicts arose.