Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong!
2020 seems like an eternity away but you and I both know that two years goes by very quickly and in two quick years plus a few stray months we’ll be watching surfing at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. It’s sort of funny to think about right now, Olympic surfing, but let’s try to be serious because Australian coach Bede Durbidge is serious and he just announced his team.
Ready?
2018 Australian national squad: Julian Wilson, Matt Wilkinson, Owen Wright, Connor O’Leary, Adrian Buchan, Wade Carmichael, Mikey Wright, Ethan Ewing, Stuart Kennedy, Tyler Wright, Stephanie Gilmore, Sally Fitzgibbons, Nikki van Dijk, Keely Andrew, Bronte Macaulay and Macy Callaghan.
Chew on those names for a minute or two. Do you like? Do you love? Are you drunk atop your couch right now, the southern cross tied around your head singing Waltzing Matilda?
In case you wonder how these particular surfers were selected allow me to explain.
The Surfing Australia national selection committee includes seven time world champion Layne Beachley, four time world champion Mark Richards, ex-WSL surfer and talent pathway coach Kate Wilcomes, three time world champion Mick Fanning and Surfing Australia elite program manager Bede Durbidge. There was some readiness camp in January and then the selection committee picked the team from a 2012 issue of Australia’s Surfing Life.
Would you have chosen the same? Any additions or subtractions? The Wright family could win gold, silver and bronze if Tyler chooses to surf in the men’s division. I think she would have a shot at gold. She looked good at Surf Ranch.
Glenn “Micro” Hall is in the team photo but didn’t read his name in the press release.
I wonder if he is spying for Ireland?
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Note that this is the 2018 Aussie National Team, not the 2020 Olympic Team. Half of these blokes will have blown out their shoulder joints riding mountain bikes by 2020.
micro was merely over looked.
Hey you-minor, come and get a photo with the team .
And yes: it’s time to post this again:
https://youtu.be/OASGjMEPgZ0
Good to see the Australian team is as ethnically diverse as possible thanks to the inclusion of Cathy Freeman (I heard she charges).
Kennedy, O’Leary, Callaghan,Fitzgibbons are Irish .Macaulay Irish or Scottish. Buchan is South African ,Son of Wil and son of Wilkin are Vikings .Van Dijk is Dutch. Bede is a white Fijian and everyone knows that the Ewings come from Dallas .
Yes Europeans, what flavor!
If you put all of modern Europe in one room you will see just how diverse they really are having all come out of Africa around 200,000 years ago.
I’m surprised Noa Deane, Ando and Creed didn’t get the call.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Da…
I understand this chap is also ‘stralian.
Possibly the only ones that can pass the drug testing regime , watch the WSL start to distance themselves from the old drug culture of the lare 80s and 90s , its going to be interesting to watch the spin.
Well at least one of them , from the shire , can speak Japanese and feels at home in the birthplace of his mum (who has lodged a generation of Japanese pro surfing’s finest at the Elouera end of the beach) . They could hire Matt Pitts , former Australian pro surfer and star of japan’s now defunct Indoor wavepool.There’s a surfer who knows more about Japanese wavepools than anyone on the planet as well as being a talented bi-lingual commentator and translator.
Good to see how quick Mick got a job!!! I am very very happy that he wont be unemployed for too long
Yeah, poor diddums eh?
I was really worried about how he was going to afford to pay his rent, until I heard this wonderful news.
Yeah I don’t think all the property he owns, nor the beers business would have been enough to keep him tracking the globe to surf the novelty waves in Antarctica, Norway etc. So really very pleasing all round
I suppose he’ll utterly bereft of any company sponsorship as well…
Ooohhh. My heart BLEEDS for this poor, poor desperate man.
They Should ad Nicky Woods and Jason Buttonshaw just to mess with everyones minds
*Nicky Wood
get Jeremy Byles in as team nutritionist.
fuckin MAGA
Wonder if surfers will be allowed to display sponsors logos on boards?
Also bet tracksuits are gonna be big surf fashion items in 2020.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
so IPS days
Parko?
Little Parko’s in… big Parko nope
What would this bloke make of it? https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
MP The Legend ! I think he would have been as positive as his banned substance analysis.The man , no matter whatever else he did , certainly craved victory and went above and beyond to achieve it .
Incest Dancing on Water HERE WE COME!
where the fuck is jay davies
Must be something in this bus driving lark Longtom:
https://www.theguardian.com…
Cheyne not happy either, mumbled something about fins or loaded domes or something.
You’re all just jealous because you want to be on an Olympic Team.
Free condoms for all!
Only world champs need apply!
Weren’t Mark Richards, Tom Carroll, Barton Lynch, Damian Hardman, Mark Occhilupo, Pam Burridge and Layne Beachley available?