A Foot On The Line: Recent Episodes
Danny Morrison & Jason Pocock
Two passionate clubbies discussing everything we love about the sport of surf lifesaving. Chatting to some of the legends of the sport, the up and coming athletes, and the people that make the sport happen.
Got feedback or ideas on what you would like us to cover. Click this link to send us a txt telling us who we should be interviewing
A bit of downtime but we are back to chat about some oof the amazing results that were delivered by Clubbies over in Paris & what we are excited about for the World Champs starting next week on the Gold Coast.
Got feedback or ideas on what you would like us to cover. Click this link to send us a txt telling us who we should be interviewing
Look in the dictionary for the definition of a legend - You'll probably find a description of Naomi Flood - or Floody as she is more affectionally known.
The list of achievements is way too long for this - so do some Googling, but the important thing is she is better placed than almost anyone to give back to the sport, and she is doing it in a way that revolutionising how we coach and manage Female participation - especially in the elite space.
If you get the chance to train with her do it.
If you get the chance to talk to her - do it.
If you get the chance to learn from her - do it.
Have a listen, and then jump on her Podcast with Allie Lyndon on Spotify called "Girl, If you knew". It's well worth a listen no matter if you are a female athlete, male athlete, coach, parent.
Cheers Floody!
Got feedback or ideas on what you would like us to cover. Click this link to send us a txt telling us who we should be interviewing
After nearly 2,500 responses covering just under 20,000 nominations we have found our winners in both the "People's Choice" and the overall "Golden Foot Awards" for each of the 29 categories!
Congratulations to everyone that was nominated and won an award - pretty fun to reflect on the season and celebrate the people that had a good year!
Awesome to have Jack & Nathan from Beyond the Beach to get their insights into the winners achievements as well.
Cheers
A bit of a run down of the Kiwi's that went over to Aussies on the Sunny coast and got served up a crazy 5 days of weather and waves.
Also a bit more info on the Golden Foot Awards to be released later this week.
Enjoy!
He's pretty humble about it (as Kiwi's we respect that for sure) - but Josh Minogue is actually one of the most well known Aussie Clubbies going around at the moment.
His voice is something most of us know - especially the Kiwi fans that love the Nutri-Grain Series and surf sports in general, but few people on this side of the ditch know that he was also a hell of an Athlete that could foot it with the best Surf Athletes that have ever strapped on a cap.
The sport is full of passionate people - none more than this guy - and to top it all off he's a top bloke as well. There are very few people that can give us better insights into what Aussies is all about and what it takes to win at that event.
A bloody enjoyable chat - Look forward to hearing more from this guy next week.
Bloody hell - That was a a hell of a weekend.....
A flat weekend surf wise compared to Christchurch 12 months ago - but it gave us some of the most insane racing we have seen in years!
An hour is never enough - but we go through as much as we could!
Looking forward to Aussies and the inarguable "Golden Foot Awards" - Stay Tuned!
4 days out from Nationals......Things are heating up.
The coaches of 2 of the strongest clubs in the country have a yarn about how their preparation is going and how their squads are shaping up.
We might even throw out a few predictions for the weekend which may or may not have a small amount of bias.
Love the chat boys!
Matt Cairns is a legend of the sport and we could tell stories about his involvement and achievements for hours.
But now he is bringing that wealth of knowledge back to the sport as the National Event Manager for SLSNZ - and we couldn't be happier.
3 weeks out from our pinnacle event of the year, we dig into how it is shaping up and what the brains trust behind the scenes is trying to achieve.
Regardless of the outcome from Nationals - It's great to have passionate life long clubbies continuing to give back to the sport in both a paid & voluntary capacity.
Bring on Nats!
2024 ERC's - The Mt Turned it on and we got a great weekend of racing.
A bit of a review of the event - Good and Bad things....a few grumbles as always....
Plus we round it off with the Nutri-Grain Ironman Series.
6 Weeks Till Nationals!
Cory Hutchings - The G.O.A.T - If you only ever listen to 1 of our Podcasts....THIS IS THE ONE!
There is no question in my mind that this man is the epitome of excellence in terms of High Performance Surf Lifesaving - The best all round athlete that NZ have ever produced - and I'll happily debate anyone that disagrees.
We risked it all in terms of time - because we could have listened to stories for literally hours and hours on end.
In just over an hour it is not possible to truly celebrate what this man has achieved and what value he has given - and continues to give - to Surf Lifesaving locally and internationally.
He's an incredible human - funny as all hell - and has more knowledge in the surf than anyone alive in NZ.......There is some absolute gold in some of these stories!
Cheers Cory - Very much appreciated!
By popular demand we have folded and uploaded the livestream of The Invitational Draft.
Again we have were scuppered by technology rather than inability - but we got there in the end.
This is how the Invitational Draft played out in real time - Looking forward to the racing next week!
She's a Whanga girl - She's a Black Fin - and She's a beachie.....Well she was once anyway!
Then she decided to be a poolie. It doesn't happen very often but holy smokes she's been kicking some serious goals over 50 and 100m and things are only getting better.
5 x National Titles in the pool a couple of weeks back and then selection for the German Cup in 3 weeks - things are shaping up nicely for a potential 3rd shot at the World Champs for the Black Fins.
It's a cool story regardless - but there is something special about his athlete, and we can't wait to watch her cut loose.
What a legend - James Scott got his first shot in a Black Cap at the International Surf Rescue Challenge in Texas and it was a hell of a debut.
Some great insights into what it was like to put your foot on the line on the international stage and race against the worlds best.
Now its straight back to coaching and ripping in for the rest of the summer
A quote from Jason Pocock - "NZ is the Best IRB country in the world - FACT!".......
...and you're gonna have a tough job convincing me that these 2 blokes are not the best NZ has ever seen.
- Inducted into the SLSNZ Hall of Fame in 2016
- 20 National IRB Titles
- 3 National Surf League Titles
- 8 x Overall Club Champions.
A couple of top blokes that revolutionised IRB racing in NZ and transformed the sport from a "motor head" scene to a bona fide High Performance Athletic Endeavor.
They can throw some banter too!
A quick chat about everything that has been going on over the past couple of months. No specials guests this time but we review things like:
- Aussie Pool Nationals
- Battle of the Tasman
- The Kayak World Champs
- A few changes in the coaching scene in NZ!
Next up we should be chatting about IRB's with some utter legends.
Kiana O'Fee had a couple of tough years where racing was hard to come by and she came agonisingly close to a Junior Black Fins spot last time around.
But she has regrouped, put in the hard yards, and had one of the most successful U19 seasons that we have seen for a long time both in NZ and Australia. The reward for that success has been selection in the Black Fins for the International Surf rescue Challenge in Texas in a couple of months.
Yet another strong Female athlete that has come out of the Spindles led Mt Maunganui environment - we are stoked for her and can't wait to see her throw down against the worlds best in USA!
WE'RE BACK!!!
Like the high performing athletes we are (were) we've a bit of a break after Nationals and are just getting back into some work! Thanks for waiting.
During the break there has been a stack of work going on in the background in the SLSNZ HP space with some new coaching teams, HP Squads, and now 3 team that will be racing this winter!
A great chance to chat to Steve & Tanya about what has been going on and the plan for the next 12 months!
Cheers Coach & Tanya
Well bugger me - That was a hell of a weekend in Christchurch......
- Massive Surf
- Great Weather
- Cracking Racing
- Thrills & Spills
- ......and 3 commentators that kept us fully entertained with their sensational chat.
We bring in Matt Sutton (aka Gums McClurg 2.0) to review the key aspects of the 2023 Nationals - and look we probably got a bit carried away, so if you have a spare 1 hour 45 to kill - sit back and enjoy!
Cheers Chch and SLSNZ - That was one for the books!
The countdown is on with only 3 day to go until Nationals Kicks off in Christchurch - 3 years in the making but it's looking like this one may actually happen.
We welcome current National Ski Champion, Current National Run/Swim/Run Champion, Co-Host of the Tent Talk Podcast, and all round champion bloke - Max Beattie to thrown some highly uneducated predictions into the mix for this weekend!
Travel safe everyone - Get ya foot on the line and have a shot!
It's been a busy week but we grabbed the opportunity to jump online with some of the legends that competed in the Summer Of Surf last weekend and the Nutri-Grain Series the week before.
We are calling it - "This was the most successful 10 days of racing Kiwi Athletes have ever had!"Big call I know - But it's hard to go past the success that these guys and the rest of the Kiwi's in Australia are having this season.
Keep it up you lot!
We did promise we'd get some boaties on the show - it just took us a bit too long.
The Titahi Bay U23 Women crew has gone from strength to strength in the last couple of years and (along with their great rivals from Piha) sit right at the pointy end of Women's surf boat rowing globally.
Tim Marsden, Rosie Darrah, & Jaimie Balmer talk us through the Trans Tasman Test Series against the Aussies, their weekend over at the ASRL in Bulli, the lead into Nationals.....and how they know that Tim is about to put them into a Cave of Death.
A great chat with some awesome humans that really earned their Black Cap in Waihi!
A week or so late - but a bit of a wrap up of the ERC's last weekend and the Nutri-Grain Iron Series results from round 5 & 6 at Kurrawa.
A Quick(ish) preview of the things we are excited about for the upcoming ERC's at Mt Maunganui this weekend as well as round 2 of The Invitational.
The wind and waves are going to play a factor, and there are some people coming back to racing in NZ for the first time since 2020!
Travel safe everyone!
It's a tough one to introduce - but I can't deny this guy has achieved an insane amount in his career so far - and he's only 40.
From Nippers, to being an average athlete, to becoming a good athlete, and then a world champion, and then moving on to coaching some of the best Athletes the world has even seen - He's done pretty good....
It's been a month or so since we spoke to Joe Collins and a lot has happened in the world of Clubbies.....
Jase & I review some of the events that happened over December locally and internationally and look forward to Rounds 3 & 4 of the Nutri-Grain Series.
- Whangamata Classic
- The Invitational
- The Mount Monster
- Round 1 & 2 of the NutriGrain Series
- the NR Trans Tasman series
All the best to anyone racing this weekend Team!
Cheers
It's taken way too long, but finally we managed to get an hour or so with one of the most exciting Surf Athletes NZ has produced in the last decade!
Joe Collins is one of the best examples of a NZ battler that made the commitment to chase his dreams in Australia, and has come up trumps better than anyone expected.
Fitzroy Born and Bread.....
The first Kiwi to win an Aussie Ironman Title (U19)
3rd in the Nutri-Grain Ironman Series in his rookie season
3rd in the Aussie Open Ironman in his first year
3rd at the Coolangatta Gold this year
The man has been making massive waves on and off the water - And once again....he's a top bloke - We love it!
Cheers Bro!
He has a number of cheeky nicknames that I'm sure he would rather keep secret - like 2% & Robbie Deans....
Having just won his 2nd consecutive world title as coach of the Australian Lifesaving Team, Kurt Wilson has cemented himself as one of the best HP surf coaches on the planet.
His team delivered more or less everything they set out to do, and it was impressive to watch!
A Kiwi at heart with strong roots in South Brighton, Papamoa, and as his current home at Currumbin, Kurt has influenced a huge number of successful elite athletes over the years.
By his own admission - he'll be around for years to come......So watch this space - he ain't done yet!
Cheers for the chat bro!
Beachies........Amazing beachies......and amazing people!
It's pretty hard to find the right words to describe these 2 legends - Arguably the best Female beachies to ever get face fulls of sand for a living, Melissa Cracroft Wilson (nee Howard) and Chanel Morrison (nee Hickman) had possibly one of the most intense rivalry's in surf history.
Their backgrounds and journeys are so different, but somehow their paths crossed at the right time and they went very quickly from training partners, to fierce rivals, to international superstars, and then to being best mates!
They defined what it meant to be "Elite" when they were at their best, and it is a hell of a story. Between then they have won more NZ, Aussies, and World Beach titles than anyone I know - and it's not by accident.
Listen & Enjoy
Just 3 weeks until the ILS Rescue World Champs in Italy and what better way to preview the event than bringing in a couple of legends from the Black Fins (and Kev as well - HA).
Between Jase, Macca, and Kev there would be very few groups with more knowledge, experiences, and success at international level, so to chew the fat over a beer with these guys was bloody good fun.
Despite the wealth of knowledge - It's pretty hard to pick a winner for World Champs this year, but we have a red hot crack! Cheers lads!
Over the years, a lot of people have told Jason and Myself that some up-n-coming athlete is a bit of a legend, a future super star, or just a really good kid.....
Most of the time they are actually great kids & pretty good athletes to boot......
But Rosie Falcous????? Holy smokes! Jase is a teacher and not many 16 year-olds render him virtually speechless.
Quite frankly I don't really care whether she ends up on the top of an international podium (although I bloody hope she does), because in my mind she is EXACTLY the kind of person that Surf Lifesaving needs in the sport.
We have had some unreal Female sprinters represent NZ in the past, and Rosie is next on the list as a future super star!
Thanks for the chat mate - and all the best in Italy!
The world games tends to fly under the radar in NZ clubbies - even through we've had some of the world best ever Pool Champs athletes wear a black cap with a silver fern. This is effectively the Olympics for Non-Olympic Sports.
Scott Bartlett has lived and breathed pool rescue for literally decades as an athlete, coach, selector, and now parent!
Let's be clear - succeeding in the pool at the upcoming ILS World Champs in Italy is going to be mission critical in wrestling back the overall world title from our mates across the ditch!
Cheers for the insight Scotty!
She's been a tough couple of years for Surf Sports, not only in NZ but globally as well.
The team at the Summer of Surf have been doing some serious mahi over the year to keep surf sport cranking in Australia in particular. It provides an awesome platform for athletes that specialise in all disciplines (not just Ironman / Ironwoman).
...and now.....the SOS is looking to other countries, and guess who is first in line!!!!
Plenty of other huge announcements coming for the wider SOS series too!
Cheers Benny - Awesome to chat to another passionate Omanu clubbie giving back at the highest level.
We didn't have a chance to chat about the NZ National Champs, so next best thing is to chat about all the stuff we love about the Aussie titles with a coupe of guys who have been there more than most!
5 straight days of racing against the best in the world is tough - but it's a hell of an experience.
There are dozens of kiwi's putting their foot on the line this weekend - It's gonna be great to watch them have their shot!
Cheers to Spindles, Mike Janes, and Zac Franich for giving us some insight into the Aussie experience.
We describe her as Surf Lifesaving NZ's favorite little sister.....but Olivia Corrin is way more than that.
An insane season within the Nurti-Grain Iron Series this year finishing 10th and qualifying for next season....
A Current Black Fin member
National Champion
Midway SLSC Legend
Current GON "Girls of Northcliffe" member.
She personifies everything that is amazing about the sport of Surf Lifesaving and is living proof that you can chase your dreams and make it happen.
Apologies for the break in chat about the 37min mark - The Gold Coast has had some average weather.
One of the easiest introductions i'll ever have to make:
One of the best humans to wear a pair of speedo's and a clubbie cap.
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Loved by everyone on the beach.
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3 x national board champion
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Former Black Fin.
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Coach
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Mentor
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LEGEND
Andrew Newton is simply an icon of surf lifesaving in NZ.....And while he was (is) a sensational athlete, I think most people respect him most for his "Why". He does things for the right reasons - he trained his ass off, he raced harder than most, and of course he plays harder than all of us!
Awesome to chat to one of the blokes in NZ that every athlete should aspire to be like on and off the water!
There are a lot of things that Gizzy can be proud of - and Cory Taylor is certainly right at the pointy end of that list in terms of Surf Athletes that have come from Gizzy and made it on the International stage.
5 x NZ National Ironman Champion
1 of 2 men to win every individual SLSNZ National Title.
Black Fins Captain
Nutri-Grain Ironman
2nd in the Coolangatta Gold - 2021
100% Gizzy loyal
Top bugger!
Another chat with a born & bred Kiwi legend who has been killing in internationally for a number of years.
Cheers for the chat CT - Chur!
This one was easy as - and needs very little introduction.
A born & bred "Bay of Dreams" legend, D-Mac has set a global standard for Board & Ski paddling at all levels - and can even smack out a half decent Ironwoman as well when she feels the need.
But its no so much about WHAT she has achieved - it's more about HOW she has achieved it!
For us - Danielle is the personification of the term "A Foot On The Line". She just loves to race - and it doesn't matter how long or short it is, how prepared she is, or who else is lining up - She just gets on the line and gets it done. Some of her results haven't been too shabby either.
Another fun little chat with an international super star that has plenty more in the tank!
Cheers D-Mac!
This one is special - It almost feels like we shouldn't have done it because I honestly don't think that a 1 hour Podcast can do justice to the impact that the Velvin family have had on Surf Lifesaving in NZ.
It doesn't matter if it is sport or lifeguarding related - anyone and everyone that has pulled on a competition cap, worn an official shirt, or stood in between 2 flags on the beach, has most likely had their journey influenced in some way by Brian and Todd (whether they know it or not).
From running around as a 10 year old at Fitzroy, to being NZ's one and only "Grand Knight of the Order of Lifesaving" (there are only 35 globally), Brian Velvin has delivered more for this organisation than anyone else on the beach.
And following in his footsteps is his son Todd - Life Member of SLSNZ and a former Lifeguard of the year, Todd "gets it" better than anyone else I know.
The SLS community is lucky to have this family on the beach - They TRULY embody the slogan "In It For Life".
Cheers Brian & Todd - Looking forward to those beers in 2022!
The "Power Couple" of IRB racing in NZ and globally.
A couple of Sunset Beach's finest residents, Taylor & Shane have been the dominant force in IRB racing for a number of years, and are the ILS current World Champions after their dominant performance at Adelaide in 2018.
The Sunset club has taken IRB High Performance to another level in recent years and their results nationally and internationally as well as the size of their competition squad is a direct result of the passion and dedication of Shane & Taylor (as well as a few others).
A great chat from some absolute super stars of Surf Lifesaving and IRB racing in particular.
Cheers team - All the best for the season!
As the saying goes - Not all hero's wear capes (or skull caps).
Surf Officials are one of many unsung hero's of the surf sports world so it's only appropriate that we chat to one of the best blue shirts getting around the beach.
Greg Rieger doesn't need much introduction - he one of the nicest blokes you'll ever meet, has a heart of gold, and gives up a stupid amount of time to make sure that we can all do the sport we love. Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service is his home - but he does a sensational job at every beach & pool.
As he points out......He's one of many legends that wear a blue shirt every season - but this guys and his family are pretty special for a number of reasons.
A great chat with a top notch bloke
Super privileged to be able to chat to a guy that is an inspiration in more ways than one!
Scott Martlew - Rio & Tokyo Paralympian in the Canoes, South Brighton Clubbie, National Gold medalist in the Canoe with some top roosters from the deep south.....and by the sounds of it he back himself with a beer in hand too.
Awesome to chat about his experience in Tokyo, and how he came to be Paralympian #198.
Cheers for the yarn mate - Looking forward to coming to New Brighton in March - and taking you on at the Sth Brighton SLSC after the actual racing!
Possibly one of the nicest people to ever wear a black cap - Sam Lee was kind enough to talk some rubbish with us for over an hour - So much good chat!
Let's be clear here - Sam is possibly the MOST successful international athlete to ever come out of the SLSNZ stable, and it just makes it even better that she is an amazing human to boot. At the very least she is right up there in terms of NZ best ever!
Thanks so much Sam - Really looking forward to seeing you on the line back in NZ with a ski paddle in your hand.
We've gone global (kind of).....
Super privileged to be able to spend a hour speaking to a couple of amazing Australian clubbies who have just returned from Tokyo Olympics and are doing their quarantine.
Lachie Tame is a legend of Surf Lifesaving in Australia and just completed his 2nd Olympics in the Kayaks. A 4 x National Ski Champion, SLS Hall of Fame athlete, Olympic Bronze medalist, and Avoca stalwart - Lachie is well known around the sls traps.
Ellie Beer is a Currumbin beachie who has trained under Robbo at the Vikings since she was about 12 and has won countless accolades. Having just completed her first Olympics in the 4 x 400m relay at the ripe age of 18, Ellie gives us her view of being at the Olympics and what being a clubbie means to her.
More Olympians in MIQ!!!
Once again we have been very privileged to speak to a couple of surf club legends who have just returned from the Tokyo Olympics.
Kurtis Imrie (Paekakariki) and Teneale Hatton (Orewa / Piha) have been around the clubbie scene for ages and gave us a bit of insight into their Olympic experience and journey from sandy groms to Olympic Finalists.
Thanks so much Kurtis & Teneale - Can't wait to see you on the beach again.
It wasn't something we were planning on - but we got the chance to speak to new NZ Olympic Swimmers, Clubbie Legends, and all round good buggers - Carina Doyle & Zac Reid while they were chilling in MIQ.
A great chat with some awesome people.
*** Disclaimer - We had some technical issues with Danny & Jase's sound file so there is a slight delay from Jase & Danny. It's not perfect by any stretch....but that's what can happen when a couple of muppets try to get fancy.
Thanks Carina & Zac
We are back with an actual guest to talk about actual stuff - who would have thought.
Steve Kent - Olympian, World Champion, Black Fins captain, and ILS Athletes Committee Chair joins us to talk about his journey in Surf Lifesaving and some of his best experiences in international competition.
We also have a couple of new features as well where Jase & Danny call out some Flyers & False starters, we have a look around the world the see what some clubbies have been up to, and we highlight our first "Club of the Month".
Steve Kent chooses the first Grom of the Month.
Awesome chat and sets the be pretty high for our future guests.
Welcome to "A Foot On The Line". A new Podcast hosted by Jason Pocock & Danny Morrison discussing everything we love about the sport of Surf Lifesaving.
A Foot On The Line celebrates the people that are prepared to get out there and have a shot at their goals - whatever that may be. For us, this podcast is a similar situation.
In Episode #1 we discuss the goals of this podcast, the people we are planning to have as guests, and the possible direction of the chats. We are fairly unskilled when it comes to delivering podcasts, so hopefully this will evolve into something worth while that people can engage with.
Grom of the Month
Each Month we are going to call for nominations for "Grom of the Month" (GOTM). This is someone who is out there doing it - putting their foot on the line in competition or training and giving it their best shot. It doesn't have to be a super star athlete - just someone that is having a shot at whatever they want to achieve. It could be a PB in a Time Trial, finishing a ski session with out falling off, or just getting out there in the cold by themselves and doing the hard yards.
Send through nominations via Instagram or the Facebook Page and we'll get our monthly guest to choose their GOTM. We'll send out some prizes to the winner each month.
Looking forward to Episode # 2, we are going to speak to Steve Kent - Current captain of the Black Fins, World Champion, Olympian, and current Chair of the ILS Athletes Commission.
Cheers!