Sandstorm Blog

Sandstorm Update - February 2013

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:37:00 GMT

Well Sandstormers,

It has been a roller coaster ride over the past few months but the dust is starting to settle on the latest round of changes and we are all excited about moving forward with some great competitions, more fantastic events and the re-invigoration of some activities.

General Manager - Matt Grinlaubs has recently commenced as General Manager of Sandstorm. Matt comes to us after spending most of his life playing, coaching and working in Beach Volleyball. A Sydney 2000 Olympian, he brings unique knowledge from all angles of the sport. We, at Sandstorm, are confident that he will lead us to great places but that confidence is tempered a bit by the fact that he is left-handed (he claims that this makes him better but the rest of us know the truth).

Social Competition - we are proud to introduce Cameron Edwards as the Competition and Venue Manager. Cameron comes with a wealth of experience and we are looking forward him leading the social competitions to great heights. He does come from Western Australia but lets not hold that against him.

Corporate Events and Functions - Sue Chapman has come on board at Sandstorm as the Events Manager. She has run events all over the world so she has the credentials to make your next event at Sandstorm the best ever.

Bec Robertson - Bec has been with Sandstorm for a number of years involved in Events and as Nat Cook's p.a. Bec has left to have her second baby and has been replaced temporarily by Dani Hinton (who is also assisting with Events). We would like to congratulate Bec and Grant Robertson on the arrival of Logan Robertson on the 25th February.

Our stalwarts of Sally Williams, Matt Willmot and Dave Cook have done an incredible job over the past months (and years) and we continue to appreciate their invalubale contribution to Sandstorm and long may it continue.

Natalie Cook has finally retired from elite competition (or so she says) so she will have more time to continue the push to make Sandstorm the premier venue in Australia.

We have just implemented our new Competition Management Software system. This coincides with the first week of the competition proper on Monday March 4 where teams will be competing for points and ladder positions. We are confident that the software will make your social competition run smoother.

In term 2 of the school year we will be re-implementing the Sandstorm Junior academy. Monday afternoons from 4.30pm starting from the 15th April, all players under 17 are invited to Sandstorm. There will be coaching for 45 minnutes and then compeititon for 45 minutes. Players can come by themselves and we will put them in a team or they can come already in a team. Only $10 per person per session.

Sandstorm Gold Memberships have been released. For just $100 you will receive a Sandstorm Member singlet, free season registration for 2013, kiosk discounts and 2 x free training sessions for our Thursday night sessions (run by previously mentioned leftie, Matt Grinlaubs).

Keep an eye out on the noticeboard for regular updates including playing tips from our team of experts.

See you on the Sand

Your Sandstorm Team

LONDON HERE WE COME!

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 05:53:00 GMT

Australian women secure Olympic spot at AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.

Fuzhou, China, June 24, 2012 – Australia bagged first place at the AVC Women’s Beach Volleyball Continental Cup Final but the biggest winner of the competition was Natalie Cook who will now compete at her fifth Olympic Games.

Australia defeated hosts China in three outings at Min River Park on Sunday.

The young Australian pair of Mariafe Artacho and Taliqua Clancy successfully opened the battle for the best-of-five matches against the resilient Chinese pair Wang Fan and Yue Yuan in straight sets (21-19, 21-19).

The second match was commanded by Cook and her partner Tamsin Hinchley at 21-17, 21-16. The experience of the Australian duo Cook/Hinchley was apparent in creating a comfortable lead against the young Chinese team of Zhang Changning and Ma Yuanyuan.

It was only in the third match that China’s Wang Fan/Yue Y. pressured Australia to change their game plan. China edged Australia in the first set at 21-17. Then Australia reversed the situation leaving China on the losing end at 21-17.

In the tiebreaker, Australia rallied point after point until finally overcoming the challenge of the Chinese youngsters 15-12.

Cook will be appearing on her fifth consecutive Olympics, which makes her the only female beach volleyball player to achieve such a feat.

Kazakhstan’s Tatyana Mashkova and Irina Tsimbalova routed the Thai team in straight sets (21-19, 21-16) in the bronze medal match. But the Thais subsequently forfeited their remaining matches, giving away their right to contend for the third spot.

Original Link http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=35593&Language=en

Happy Birthday Sandstorm

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Sandstorm turns 7 on Monday the 16th of April. Make sure you come down on Monday night and help us blow out the birthday candles.

Grand Final Day 3rd March

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Please remember Grand Final Day is next Sat 3rd of March. Even if you are not in the top 4 you MUST let us know if youre unable to play by mon 27/2 as if teams above you cannot make it your team may be bumped up in into the top 4.

If your team is put into the draw and you do not show for your finals on the 3rd of March your team will be charged DOUBLE game fee's to cover the fee of both your team and your opponents. To make sure this does not happen to you please fill in the renomination folder at the kiosk and simply put 'Yes' or 'No' in the column for Grand Final Day availability. Good Luck !

Cook and Hinchley Gaining momentum

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:37:00 GMT

Natalie Cook and Tamsin Hinchley have absolutely dominated the beaches of St.Kilda at the National Beach Volleyball Series held last weekend. With 6 Olympic games between them the pair are definately looking the goods as they near their peak as a team in August for the 2012 London Olympics.

2 weeks prior in Surfers paradise the girls suffered a shock loss early in the draw which took them through the contenders brackett meaning they played 8 matches to come back and win the tournament. No easy task for even the fittest athlete. You might have seen Nat using a makeshift ice bath in her hotel to help her muscles recover. However that wasnt the case last weekend as they went through undefeated and didnt even lose a set on their way to pumping everyone and winning the final 21-16 / 21-13 in rd 4 of the tour.

The girls next head to New Zealand to play on their National series in the lead up to the Continental Cup which counts towards olympic qualification. So a big few weeks ahead for Nat and Tamsin.

In the mens there was a massive upset and possible changing of the guard as Will Mercer and Cedric legrande battled through their matches winning some close 3 setters at the business end of the draw and beating rd 3 champions Josh Slack and Chris Mchugh in the mens final 14-21 / 21-18 / 15-12. Cedric Legrande was stoked to win on his home beach and commented on facebook "Cant get the smile off my face !"

Bondi Gold, 25 September 2000 Part One

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:10:00 GMT

The famous—some say infamous—chant rippled loudly around the stadium, straight up the tunnel and through my body:

“ Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi !”.

Ten thousand voices as one. All of a sudden I felt at home, yet also anxious and a little afraid. My body didn’t quite know how to react. There was no precedent for this in my experience. We were beyond being intimidated by the crowd, because we had finally learned how to make them our own, to harness their energy. But this was the Olympic final, and there was a time when our opponents represented everything I feared on the beach volleyball court.

The blindingly bright, golden opening at the end of the tunnel was growing with each step. The smell of the salty sea air was getting stronger. The sand between my toes was becoming warmer. As the adrenalin that I once associated with the fear of losing surged even faster through my veins, I smiled. I felt how I imagine Rocky Balboa felt when he walked out to face that invincible Russian and everything he represented.
As we left the tunnel and entered the sand, we became more convinced than ever that this was our chance to steal the show. Stuff the silver. We were going for gold. “Ladies and gentlemen, please make welcome, from Australia…Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst!” The crowd stood and cheered as though we had already won! What they didn’t know was that we felt as though we already had! “Concentration is the ability to think about absolutely nothing when it is absolutely necessary.” Ray Knight. As we completed our warm-ups and sat down to wait for the start, Kerri and I looked into each other’s eyes and clasped hands. I said “This is our opportunity. This is our stadium and this is exactly what we’ve worked so hard for. Let’s enjoy the fight”. We had been through a lot of learning, overcome a lot of barriers and I, in particular, had experienced many personal transformations in order to be here. For that, I was already grateful, regardless of the outcome. Yet, at the same time, I felt as though I was sitting for the final exam. What a tough test it was going to be! And I was determined to enjoy every moment.

We’d faced this pair fifteen times before, and we had won just once. But today we were convinced there was no history. The playing field was completely level. It was a brand new day in some ways. In other ways it was a day we had lived through so vividly so many times in our minds. We faced our opponents off at each end line and ran into the net to shake hands and wish each other luck. Kerri took the ball to serve and the whistle signalled the beginning of the fight of our lives. The game started fast, with a tough, 82 km/h serve by Kerri that split the middle and gave us our first point. A dig in transition gave us a 2–0 lead. Although I was a little nervous, I settled once the leather slapped my forearms as I passed the first ball.

At the first change of ends, we sat down and took in Bondi’s carnival atmosphere. A Mexican wave travelled in slow motion around the arena. It was so dream-like that I had to pinch myself, but a thunderous roar snapped me out of my reverie as we walked back onto the court.

At 4–2, the score seemed to hover forever. Neither team seemed to be showing any sign of weakness, but something was bound to break. Suddenly, Brazil took the lead for the first time, at 6–5, went quickly to 7–5, then shot ahead to 8–5! The momentum was starting to tip in their favour. It seemed a small lapse of concentration on our part but, at this level, a tiny opportunity is all a team needs, and a three-point break in a twelve-point game is considered an unassailable lead. In order to stop the bleeding, we called a time-out.

To be continued......

$500 Serving Competition

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:19:00 GMT

Have you ever had a serve that could win you $500... Here is your chance !!!!!

In conjunction with our TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) tournaments this is your chance to win $500 with just one serve. There are different handi caps based on your playing ability and they are as follows.

AAA - Must jump Serve

AA - Must jump float

A- Must overarm serve

Under A- Can serve underarm or anyway they wish

Entry into TGIF tournaments grants you 3 chances at making the $500 serve and anyone who would like to just come down for a crack its only $10 for your first 3 and $5 for every 3 after that.

Do you have what it takes. ?????

DARING DAN DARES ALL

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:19:00 GMT

Do you want to see Dan Carey Play his AAA game on Grand Final day in his BUDGIE SMUGGLERS !!!! ?????

We need to get Sandstorms page to 1000 likes for this to happen ! Go to the bottom of the left margin and share 'Sandstorm Beach Club' with your friends.

Like Us on Facebook

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:23:00 GMT

We are almost up to 750 likes. The target is 1000 by Grand Final Day on the 3rd March. If we make it we have it in writing that Queenslands number 1 Beach Volleyball Player and Sandstorm employee Dan Carey will play his finals in his Budgie Smugglers !!! So scroll down the left margin of the screen, share the page with your friends and lets hit the 1000 !

Do you think you've got what it takes to get to the Olympics playing Beach Volleyball?

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Heeeellllllooooooooo Frank Walker from .... Nah just kidding. Welcome to the new year of 2012 ... AN OLYMPIC YEAR! Woooooooohoooooooooooooo

So with that in mind, our first topic of MMXII is:

"I want to play in the Olympics, so how do I go about it?"

Well, there is that training and athletic ability stuff, and team work, and perseverence, and attitude, and mental toughness. But after all that, how do I actually qualify to play in the Olympics? Here's how:

There are 24 Spots up for grabs in each gender.

1st spot: Host country gets a gig (Great Britain).

Next 16 places: from the World Ranking (i.e. 12 best results between the World Championships, World Tour and recognized Continental Tour during the period 1 January 2011 until 17 June 2012)

18 to 22: from the FIVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cup (played between June 1, 2010-June 24, 2012)

23 and 24: from the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Cup Olympic Qualification (25 June – 1 July 2012).

* Not Necessarily in that order.

NB: There is a Maximum of 2 teams per country in the 24 team draw.

Festival of Beach Volleyball at Surfers Paradise

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The best in the country will be gathering at Surfers Paradise Beach from the 14th of January to the 22nd for 3 MASSIVE tournaments.

The first is the Queensland Open on Jan 14-15th which is the premier event on the QBVS Calender. All the top teams from Queensland will be there to try and get their name on the plaque for the 2011/2012 season.
Starting Sunday the 15th is Australian National Junior Beach Volleyball Championships with the best players in u/17, u/19, and u/23 age divisions battling it out over 4 days to find the Australian Junior Champions for 2012 !
Last but certainly not least, Australia’s top players and the circus that is the Renault ‘National Beach Volleyball Series’ runs from the 20-22 January.

Get yourself down there to check out the best players in the country and the revamped Surfers Paradise beachfront and keep your eyes peeled for TGI Fridays making the trip down the highway To Surfers Paradise beach for some Friday night shenanigans !!!

SouthBank Challenge

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:21:00 GMT

Sandstorm are excited about the Southbank Beach Volleyball Series

– The sign-on launch night is on next Wednesday at the South Bank Surf Club. The Barbie will be on at the Surf Club, and through out the evening there will be Corona specials & promotions.

Come check out the competition, register a team and take to the sand for some social games and skills tips with Nat. Wednesday 28th from 6pm.

Download your nomination form here

Grand Final Carnival and New Summer Season!

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:01:00 GMT

Time to re-nominate! The 1st of october will mark the end of Sandstorm's 20th season!

From now on, every rally, every hit, every serve, every pass and every block count on your way to making this epic day! Give it 100%! There are only a few weeks left in the current season but it's not too late to improve your position on the ladder.
And heck, even if your team hasn't made it, come join us to celebrate the end of the season in style: as usual, the fridge will be full, there will be a jumping castle for the kids, hot food on-site and other activities.

Keep an eye out on the website for all the info!

And on Monday 3rd october, the summer season will begin! This will be an epic 19 weeks season with a 3 weeks break over Christmas. Believe me, you don't want to miss this one so if you are a new team keen to join the comp', call us on 3343 9111 on download the nomination form here and fax it to 3343 7192 or email it back to us at info@sandstorm.com.au.

If you have played with us during the current Waeco season and wish to renominate your team for the Summer season, it's pretty simple... Just come see us at the kiosk and enter a "YES" next to your team name in the renomination folder!!!

Help us make the Summer season the biggest and best ever at Sandstorm!

Sandstorm now has its own App!

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:18:00 GMT

We had to keep up with technology!

The Sandstorm team has developped an app suitable for iPhones and Android phones.

Please click this link to access it and save it onto your mobile (iPhone users, just use the "add to home screen" option).

New features will be added as we go on, but we need your feedback! Please let us know what you think of the app, and what improvements can be made to it.

Get a mate to play in the Summer season and you'll both score a Wilson ball!

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Wilson Ball promo

Are you ready for the final round of QBCC???

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Round 3 of the QBCC will be played on Saturday 17 September and Sunday 18 September.

If you wish to enter a team, make sure you talk to Marty at the kiosk or call us on 3343 9111!

We want Sandsstorm to keep the trophy so WE NEED YOU!

More info on QBCC

Play beach Netball on the Gold Coast!

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:00:00 GMT

One of Australia's favourite sport with a beach twist – beach netball has now been confirmed as one of the streams available to NetFest participants and Sandstorm members!

Click here for more info

Autumn season Grand Final wrap-up

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:00:00 GMT

A huge thank you to everyone who played over the Autumn season. This was Sandstorm's 18th season and it sure was a successful one with over 80 games played under the scorching Queensland sun.

And what a way to celebrate the end of this season in style! Our trophy presentation was held at the Chalk Hotel from 7pm. Sandstorm's new General Manager, Mike Bell played tunes for a couple of hours while nibbles were provided to everyone. Needless to say the beer was flowing...
We're looking forward to seeing you all again on the sand for the new RACQ season.

Here's a list of all the winners and runners-up:

*Autumn Season 2011*
*Autumn Season 2011*
*Grade*	*Winner*	*Runner-up*	*Best & Fairest*
MM2AAA	Raving Ladies	CGFS	Steve Lade (Raving Ladies)
MM2AA	Rod & DT	Boom Shakalaka	Aedan Glasby (AGPC)
MM2A	Andy & The Tuna	Up & down	Ewan Thiele (Andy & tuna)
MM2B	224	DJ	Matt Flynn (Sand Demons)
MM2B1	All Mud	Pi	Matt Pyle (Matt & Ben)
MX2A	Natural High	Quasimodo & Esmeralda	Chrystal Overs (Quasimodo)
MO2B	Whatever	Dirty Sets	Tania Atkins (Whatever)
MO2C	Cucumber	Boom Boom Pow	Ron Pajaczkowski
ML2B	Sheer Transformers	DD Mindas	Amy Samman (Ymonks)
ML2B1	Kate & Stacey	Let's Do It	Melinda Aitcheson (Mel & Nath)
ML2C	A&A	Sandy Bums	April Stringer (A&A)
TM2A	Stepdads	Nat & Kez	Peter Cyranowicz (PCAG)
TM2B	Dave & Baden	Lauries Boys	Christian Pantelas (Lauries Boys)
TM2B1	Twin Bees	Bert & Ernie	Chrystal Overs (Gold N Overs)
TX2A	Chrystal & Seb	Double Trouble	Nick Le Feuvre (Lauren & Nick)
TX2B	Gold N Overs	Most Wanted	Jodie Gordon (Blackberry)
TX2B1	Fiazco	Stacey & Jo	Aaron Connolly (Fiazco)
TX4B	That Just Happened	Strike Force Omega	Aedan Glasby
TX4B1	Powerband Fever	Chips Of Doom	Aaron Palmer (XSQAZM)
TX4C	Ranga Tack	Laughing Larikins	Lea Gunter Ramke (Rainbow Mafia)
WM4B	Brisbane Knights	AAA	Mark Monaghan (Race Balls Wed)
WO4B	Same As Before	Race Balls	Cherie Rope (Same as Before)
WO4B1	Hoochimamas	The Juice	Allan Stevenson (Potty Painters)
WO4C	Toss The Salad	Potty Painters	Nichola Aitcheson (JPL)
Netball	Strangers	Underdogs	Kerryn Rosman (Strangers)
TH3A	Beginners	Mudskippers	Tom Fenelon (Gym Ultima)
TH3B	Oomph	Dads Night Out	David Tran (Oomph)
TH3C	Densa	Heavy Haulers	Rob Keller (You Are)

Sandstorm Celebrates the Relaunch of South Bank Beach

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:35:00 GMT

Sandstorm in conjunction with Southbank Corporation relaunches the Beach at Southbank. Professional Beach Volleyball Players Dan Carey, Jimmy Carey, Claire Battle and Bonny Collins took to the sand to give South Bank a taste of Beach Volleyball. They wowed the crowds with their fantastic spikes, sets, serves and saves.

Keep an eye out for the Southbank Beach VolleyBall series this summer

Cook your own barbie @ Sandstorm!

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:19:00 GMT

Barbeque fundraisers are a great way to raise money for any charity or community event. Assist your kid's sports teams and other community groups and charitable organisations by having a sausage sizzle at Sandstorm.

We are looking for people to cook a barbie as regularly as possible during our competition nights (Monday-Thursday from 6:00pm).

We’ll provide you with the barbeque and the gas; you’ll just have to look after snags, bread, onion and napkins.

If you’re interested, please let us know on 3343 9111.

Adam Blackburn is the new Sandstorm training squad coach!

Wed, 18 May 2011 14:00:00 GMT

The Sandstorm team is proud to announce the arrival of Adam "Blacky" Blackburn as the new training squad coach!
Remember the training sessions are on every Thursday from 6:30pm til 8:00pm and the first time you come is free!

Here's a quick profile on Adam:

Home town: Hobart, Australia
Resides: Brisbane, Australia
Height: 192 cm
Weight: 82 kg
Qualifications: Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement)

Career Highlights:

2009/2010 Asian Tour Australian representative
2009/2010 Australian Beach Volleyball Team Selection
2010 New Zealand Pro Tour - 3rd Overall
2009 Asian Beach Volleyball Event - Gold Medal
2009 Australian Beach Volleyball Championships - Bronze Medal
2008 Australian National Tour Event - Bronze Medal

Rep Honours:

2009 Asian Tour Australian representative
2009 Australian Beach Volleyball Team Selection
2005 Australian University Team Selection
2006 - 09 National Tour Queensland representative
2005 Australian University Team Selection

Sandstorm tees up a deal with Peters Ice Cream!

Mon, 09 May 2011 14:00:00 GMT

We are proud to announce that Sandstorm has partnered with Peters Ice Cream! We are now selling a wide variety of ice creams including everyone's favourites: Drumsticks, Maxibons, Frosty Fruits and more!

Lumpy's 30th Sci-Fi theme @ Sandstorm

Mon, 09 May 2011 14:00:00 GMT

A big congratulations to Daniel "Lumpy" Monger who decided to celebrate his 30th in style at Sandstorm!

The evening was themed sci-fi and everyone played the game wearing creepy or funny costumes... A beer keg was at everyone's disposal and a few drunken volleyball games were played on that epic night! So if you're looking for a different way of celebrate your birthday on any other special occasion, contact us!

Lunch for London!

Wed, 04 May 2011 05:49:00 GMT

As Nat and her new partner, Tara West, embark on their bid to represent Australia in London 2012 we are inviting you to support their journey.

On Friday 27th May we will be staging a fundraising event at the beautiful Botanical Restaurant in Brisbane’s Botanical Gardens and would like to encourage you to gather a table of clients, colleagues and friends for what is sure to be a great afternoon, full of Aussie spirit!

Click here for invitation/registration form

Please complete and return at your earliest convenience.

If you have any queries in the mean time please contact Andy Payne:
Email: andy@limetreeevents.com.au
Mobile: 0412 986 797
Fax: 07 5577 8354

Hope to see you there.

Competition

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:30:00 GMT

Weekly competitions rounds were a major task to bring them back on track after the floods. Thank you Seb!

"A champion is someone who gets up when the opposition can’t". Anonomous

Sandstorm Team Update

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:27:00 GMT

We have had some team changes: DT has moved on to advance his career and we wish him well with his new challenge. We welcome Lauren & Jess to our Sandstorm team.

Beach Club - Snacks, Drinks and Merchandise

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:00:00 GMT

We offer a full range of snacks and drinks. If you can’t see your favourite let us know.

Brand new Sandstorm singlets are here! Get yours for only $25.00.

We also have Sand Addict t-shirts available. Don’t forget we are a fully licensed venue. So come enjoy a cold beer after your game! “CHEERS”

Start 2011 with a Mater Healthy Start

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:00:00 GMT

I am starting the New Year with a Mater healthy start! No chocolates and

french fries for the whole month of January! With some chocolate Christmas gifts I had to eat them really quickly before Jan 1st came. Now is a good time to start a new habit, or break a bad one for the month of January and raise much needed funds for the Mater Hospitals. So why not take up beach volleyball or stop smoking and get your friends to sponsor you on the Mater Hospital website: www.materhealthystart.org.au.

One Rule That Needs To Change!

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:00:00 GMT

After our first event on the weekend it became very apparent to me of one rule that very much needs to change

because of the different interpretation of that particular skill which is executed at a particular time in the rally. The rule that I am relating to is setting the ball on the first contact after the ball has crossed the net. Interesting enough the FIVB wants the doubles on the set from a pass to be more lenient. But yet the refs are still told that if a player tries to set the ball on the first contact after the ball travels over the net it must be very clean and pretty much not spin. I am sorry but setting is the same skill.

Shouldn’t the same skill be interpreted the same way every time irrespective of when the skill is executed? Plus just to add more confusion to the scenario the players are told that they can actually double hit the first attack over the net as long it is not two separate actions.    So bottom line is you can double the first attack as long it is one action but if you try and set it the set must come out with no spin. But off the pass the setter can set the ball and will not get called if there is spin. I don’t know about you but this sort of rule creation would do most heads in.

Talk about making it hard for the refs and players to understand let alone the poor spectators watching on not knowing why the ref stopped the rally.