"No, that was a Beach Boys song. We’re talking about USA Surfing."
The Tokyo Olympic Games may be postponed for a year but that doesn’t mean the USA Surfing, the officially recognized governing body, is standing pat.
Following the World Surf League’s lead, which has a standup paddleboarder leading the charge, USA Surfing just announced that Doug Beal, longtime CEO of USA Volleyball and man who has also never surfed, as its new Chairman of the Board.
Excited?
Obviously but let’s turn to volleyballmag.com for the very latest.
Surfin’ U.S.A.?
No, that was a Beach Boys song. We’re talking about USA Surfing.
And USA Surfing’s new chairman of the board of directors is Doug Beal, a volleyball guy who, well, is not exactly a surfer.
It puts a whole different spin on Surf’s Up.
“It’s likely to be a very popular, visible sport on the Olympic calendar in Tokyo,” Beal said.
He may live in Colorado Springs, kind of far from the ocean, but that’s not the point. Beal, the former USA great volleyball player, 1984 Olympic gold-medal coach and longtime USA Volleyball CEO knows how to Get Around the international sports waters.
So when USA Surfing needed someone to guide its Surfin’ Safari, Beal was the guy.
Beal said last fall he got a call from a USA Olympic and Paralympic Committee consultant on behalf of USA Surfing and asked if he would help out.
“I said sure, and they happen to be located in San Clemente, which is where most of my wife’s family is,” Beal said. “So under normal conditions we go out there half a dozen times a year to visit her mom, sisters, and cousins.”
Very cool.
Erik Logan and Doug Beal leading surfing out of the wilderness and into the promised land of Oprah Winfrey respect and multiple gold medals.
Very neat.
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This is a brilliant move to corner the “people who wear visors and also wear sunglasses on the back of their neck” demographic. That’s pivotal to their growth strategy.
I’ve also noticed that people who have no idea what surfing is supposed to look like, tend to be impressed with my style. So I also support this hire from that angle. I say kudos!
a cyclist and a sup mated to create male beach volleyball
Shit – he’ll be ‘Waterman of the Year’ in not time. Or wait – does that only go to billionaires to appease their fragile egos?
…”surfing is stupid, quaint, and meaningless”
Is in not?
right? Its just nuts.
I missed that one. Can I have a refresher please?
I had mentioned that the leadership of WSL is like a badminton player running the tennis tour. Cheeky, Ill admit.
Beach volleyball peaked a bit earlier than surfing but boy were the glory years glorious. You’ve been warned – once you start down this YouTube rabbit hole you might not escape.
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Serious beefcake, yoww!!!
Probably the best thing to happen to US competitive surfing since the Bronzed Aussies defected there…
Do you reckon, with those guys in charge, we could have a sup/volleyball hybrid sport ready for say, 2028? Have we stumbled upon the true direction of our beloved wsl?
Can’t be far from Euros playing wacky tennis with wooden bats on waves at Canggu. So not much of a stretch to jump the gun and design the volleyball version. And it will be jumping sharks too.
It all fits doesn’t it…likely they’ve been conditioning us for years. Got to admit, part of me is looking forward to the Teahupoo event
Don’t get me started on Cuban Women’s Volleyball again
Taken years of therapy to get my mind out of that fantasy
If Olympic’s surfing debut looks/feels like the volleyball scene in Top Gun then life will, truly, be perfect.
Now that cunt Beal is gone, I can finally realise my dream of being Beach Volleyball czar. And let me tell you, I have big plans – visibility, positivity and most important of all, G-strings on the women and overalls for the men. It’s likely to be very popular.
Can I be your Beth Greve?
The position is free actually. The first interview question is:
“Beth, which is the correct way to apply a G-string and can you identify the front from the back part of this piece of essential volleyball equipment”
Ah come on – please make g-strings official equipment for the men too. That or the mankini.
Never let it be said I wasn’t an equal opportunity czar. A show for the women spectators is a crucial market. I’m open to discussion on the male attire. Mankini’s with a ballsack pop for an extra point.
I can’t think of a worse excuse than my wife’s family live there!
My wife’s family used to live there?
Are they talking to you again since your euro flu trip ?
Now that you mention it… I don’t know!
Oh well
If you haven’t received any court documents from them you’ll probably be able to continue seeing your kids for a while yet…
Prophmatic of doom!!
new phone who dis?
Please explain?
Just relocate the whole shooting box to Lemoore or Palm Springs and be done with it.
Or put astro in a box and shoot him to Uranus
Up ur anus !
That’s funny!