S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. With the Olympics just days away. We're talking about San Diego's homegrown athletes as they prepare for competition. I'm Jade Hindman. Here's the conversations to keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. 18 year old Katie Simmers from Oceanside is expected to be a strong contender on the waves.
S2: She's explosive , she's innovative. She has no fear when it comes to bigger surf , so I think she's poised to do quite well. Then.
S1: Then. A local Olympic skateboarder is making her second trip to the world stage while changing the sport. Plus , we'll check in on the men's water polo team. Is one of Santis own heads to Paris. That's ahead on midday edition. The 2024 Paris Olympics are just two days away , and a few San Diego born athletes will compete in surfing , skateboarding , water polo and much more. Later this hour , we'll actually catch up with some of those athletes as they get ready. But first we find out what's in store for surfing , which returns for its second year at the Olympics. The event will be held in Tahiti , over 9000 miles from Paris. Joining me now is Dashiell Pearson. He's associate editor of surfer magazine. Dashiell , welcome to midday edition. Hi.
S2: Hi. Thanks for having me.
S1: So surfing. You know , it made its debut in Tokyo in 2021. What's the significance of the sport being featured on the Olympic stage , you think ? Yeah.
S2: You know , it took a long time for this to happen. And and surfing's initial debut at the Olympics , at Tokyo 2020 , in 2021 was not the best representation of the sport. Um , I think many would agree. The waves were not very high quality , and this time around , however , it's being held at one of the world's best waves. One of the world's most feared and revered waves choppy Tahiti. And so I think the world will really have a chance to see surfing for what it really is this time around. Wow.
S1: Wow. And that wave is often referred to as the end of the road. So for those who don't know , can you explain what tofu is ? Yeah.
S2: So essentially there's a there's a road that goes around the island of Tahiti , but at one point it stops and that's in the tiny village of Chao Poo. And so it literally is the end of the road. And tofu actually in Tahitian translates to place of skulls or wall of skulls. So , you know , the locals have known this specific spot to be quite treacherous for for a long time.
S1: So what makes it such a treacherous wave like , is there some sort of I don't know whether phenomenon or something that just really makes this wave big and intimidating. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. So what it is , it's it's what surfers call a slab wave. And what that essentially is , is the swells come from very deep water and then they hit a shelf can be rock , it can be reef. In this case it's a reef. And so it's a very dramatic rise in the ocean floor. And that causes the waves to just dramatically shoot up into the sky and just barrel. And it's it's almost like the whole ocean is just unfolding over this reef. And sometimes it can even look below sea level. And then you have to contend with the very shallow reef if you're surfing the waves. So it's it's a very dangerous wave. Wow.
S1: Wow.
S2: It can get up into the 30 to 40 foot face range. And at that size , uh , everyone would be using a jet ski to to tow into the waves. And there have been a few swells in in the past two decades or so that have reached that size and surfers have ridden some of the craziest , scariest waves in history there. Um , we're not looking at that size swell for this Olympic window. I think a lot of the surfers will be grateful for that. But there will be waves. Um , we're still a little ways out , so the forecasting is still underway , and we're starting to get a clearer picture. There will be waves in the in the head high to overhead region at least. Wow.
S1: Wow.
S2: You know , it's it's a barreling wave. That's the focus of the wave. Um , there's not going to be a lot of turns going on or a lot of kind of maneuvers. It's really just the surfer needs to get into the barrel , stay as deep in the barrel as they can , and come out unscathed. The closest comparison would be waves like pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu. And , you know , in in Southern California , we don't really have waves like that. You know , it's more beach breaks , a few kind of rock reef breaks here and there , but not much slab waves like Choppa is.
S1: Yeah , well , you know , surfing is a different type of sport in that it's not always on an even playing field , literally.
S2: I mean , you look at , you know , basketball , tennis , track and field , they all the competitors have the same playing field , the same opportunities. Whereas surfing that's not the case. And I believe that that's one of the reasons why it took so long for surfing to be entered into the Olympics. I think it's going to be really exciting , even if the waves don't end up being as good as Corfu gets. It's something new. It's fresh. It's something Olympic viewers and just sports viewers around the world haven't really seen much of. So and you add in the factor that Mother Nature can do whatever it wants , and that makes it really exciting. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , you know , back here , San Diego is proud to have one of our own on the USA Olympic surfing team , 18 year old Katie Simmers. She was born and raised right in Oceanside.
S2: She is one of the most exciting things to happen to professional surfing across the board. Not just women's professional surfing , but surfing in general in a long time. She made a statement early on in this World Surf League season , she won pipeline. You're right , at 18 years old , which pipeline is a , you know , one of the world's most dangerous waves ? And she won in stellar conditions and she really made a statement by doing that. And still she's number one in the world currently ranked. Um , she's explosive. She's innovative. She has no fear when it comes to bigger surf. So I think she's poised to do quite well at Tokyo in the Olympics. You know , she she's a top pick , a top contender for the podium. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , in. Team USA has three women on its team this year.
S2: And like I said , it really kicked off with that pipeline event where the women were out in very big pipeline and very good conditions , and they answered the call. They served phenomenally. And it really was kind of a a glass shattering , groundbreaking moment for women's surfing where they said , we're here , we can do this. Just give us the opportunity. Because in the past , they didn't have the opportunity to surf waves like pipeline. While the men were surfing pipeline , they were surfing elsewhere on Maui. But now the women are there at pipeline as well , and they're showing the world that they can do it. And it's really , really exciting right now. That's that's the big story of the year. The woman's progression out there in the bigger surf and , you know , in smaller surf as well in terms of aerials and just progressive maneuvers in general. They're really pushing the limit. And it starts with this younger crew , including Caitlin Simmers and then also the US's Caroline Marks , um , Australia's Molly Pelham and a few others. Mm.
S1: All right. Well , you know , one thing people always want to know about is the behind the scenes of the Olympics. Like , for example , you just wrote a piece all about the Olympic surfing village cruise ship. Uh , what is that ? And how do we get a ticket ? Yeah.
S2: So , you know , athletes at the Olympics , they typically stay in an Olympic village. Correct. And we all see the videos of the cardboard beds and stuff like that. Whereas in in Tokyo there's no hotels , there's no infrastructure like that. So I guess what they decided to do was bring in a part freighter freight ship and part cruise ship called the R-n.y five , and that's where the Olympic athletes will be staying. And from the videos I've seen so far , there are no cardboard beds on the ship. Um , it looks like luxury suites that they'll be staying in.
S1: Very nice. Well , when's the first event for surfing ? At this year's game ? So we know when to tune in. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. So the window kicks off on July 27th. They have ten days , um , to choose the best. The best time that for the swell. Um , it will take four days to compete , complete the competition. And so they're going to pick and choose when the waves are best. Um , it's looking like the beginning of the window. July 27th will have waves. So they're looking at a potential start on that opening day of the window.
S1:
S2: Um , you know , surfing has always been kind of an , an insulated sport where , you know , if you don't surf , you don't know anything about surfing. Whereas , you know , fans of the NFL or the NBA may not play basketball or football , but they they love watching it. And it seems like recently for a handful of reasons , including the Olympics. There are many more surf fans out there , many more surfers in the water. It just seems like the sport is exploding. So we'll see how this Olympics goes , I'm sure. I'm curious to see how the viewership ends up turning out in comparison to other sports , but like we've been talking about , I think it has the potential to be one of the standout sports at this Olympics due to the wave , due to the level of talent that we're seeing both on the men and women's side of things , and it's really going to be just an exciting event to tune into.
S1: Yeah , well , I hope you enjoy yourself out there. I've been speaking with Daniel Pearson. He's associate editor for Surfer magazine. Dashiell , thank you so much for joining me today. Oh.
S2: Oh. Thank you. It was a great pleasure.
S1: Still ahead , we catch up with a skateboarding legend and a skateboarding trailblazer who's headed to Paris.
S3: Skateboarding is all about the change in direction and being open to it. So a lot of times I'm like , I'm dropping in and I pretend like it's my first drop in again.
S1: Hear more when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. On today's show , we're catching up with some of San Diego's Olympic athletes as they prepare for the big games , which kick off this Friday , July 26th. Now let's turn to the world of skateboarding. The sport debuted at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Bryce Whetstone was 17 when she competed in the first ever U.S. Olympic skating team. She placed sixth overall , and she's about to do it all over again in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Oh , and we should also mention she is the 2019 and 2021 U.S. National champion. Price is from Encinitas and joins us now. Bryce , welcome to Midday Edition. Hello.
S3: Hello. Thank you for having me. Oh my goodness. Oh my gosh.
S1: We're so glad to have you. You did just give us the Miss America. Hello hello. Hello.
S3: Hello. Can you go hello.
S1: Limbo music on the spot. We've also got in studio with us Willie Santos , who is Bryce's coach and skateboarding legend from Mira mesa. He turned pro at the age of 15. He holds a number of skateboarding titles from the 90s and early 2000 , and nowadays he coaches up and coming skateboarders. Willie , welcome. Yes.
S4: Yes. Thank you. It's really awesome to be here. Thank you for this opportunity. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. So glad to have you both here in studio. So , uh , Bryce , I'll start with you. The Olympics , you know , they're just days away. Uh , so how are you feeling ? Oh.
S3: I think that's a great question. I always feel very nervous and excited at the same time. It's kind of like a blend , but I think I'm doing good. It's. It's a lot of , like , self-questioning sometimes , like , oh , am I doing the right thing for the day ? But then I'm like , I got to be doing the right thing. Like , I feel good , you know ? And leading up to it , I just want to make sure that my family and me , like we're all happy and and healthy , you know. So yeah , I'm doing good. Yeah. Yeah.
S5: Yeah.
S1:
S3: I think most likely I always think of the Olympics is like this really big thing. But sometimes I like dim it down to something smaller so I can see it in a more clear perspective. I'm feeling good about the prospects. I think I'm I'm always rooting for myself and all my friends and everyone there. But then , of course , I'm always like , oh my gosh , it's happening. Like , like this is really happening. It's not just a dream , even though it still is. It's it's it's happening. Yeah , yeah.
S4: Me vibes.
S6: Yes , yes.
S1: You bring the good vibes that that is important I mean and I guess in doing that , you know , you're able to kind of the reward is the experience right.
S3: Oh totally. So many times you go into something and you're like , oh , I want to make it this way. Right ? Or like shape it into something. But at the end of the day , like , if you enjoy it , that's the part you remember. And then that that's the part you can share with people. So the experience is beautiful. Like Willy knows wherever we go we have a good experience. Yes. I mean , for the most part.
S1: And Willy , you were a teenager just like Bryce. Oh , yes.
S4: When you. Once upon a time. Yeah. Yeah.
S7: Yeah.
S1: So you've been writing professionally for a while and also won many championships back in the 1990s.
S4: Um , when I was skating in the mid 80s , like when you saw a female skater , it was like you were seeing a unicorn. And now it's when you go to the skate park. Sometimes there could be more girls skating , and it's wild. It's really cool. Yeah. And the progression that the girls have have gone , it's it just keeps going up and up on the ladder.
S1: Well , 2021 was the first time skating entered the Olympics. What about San Diego ? Makes it a place where skaters can really explore and thrive in the sport really well.
S4: I mean , there's a lot of like when I first started skating , it was very rare that there was any skate parks. The first skate park that I skated was in Linda Vista. It was called Razor's Edge , and I think that was like in 1989. It was the first vert ramp that I dropped in , and I remember dropping in and it felt like a year till I got to the other side. And then now jumping to 2024 , there's like practically skate parks in every city. Yeah. Like literally. Right. Yeah. So they got it good here. The kids going up. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I mean there's this long list , right , of of skating legends who have come out of San Diego like Patty Magee , Tony Hawk and the man beside you , Willie Santos.
S3: I. I just don't think sometimes , like , I think about myself and I feel like sometimes as people , we never hold ourselves , like , really high up or like for me , I never see myself as a part of that. I always see it like I'm watching from a worm's eye view , like , oh , they're all there. And I don't realize that we're all doing it together. And I think the magic of that is skating is so it's kind of like so universal that every person can be a part of it , whether they know a lot about it or not. And that's what makes a language beautiful. Like , anyone can speak the language if they're around it enough , which like , I always love and like Mike McGill , Rodney Mullen , um , Tony Hawk , Willie Santos. Hey , like , skating with them is. It's so otherworldly because it's so much more than that. It's like being a part of something that you've always heard , like on the radio. And now it's around you and the floodgates are opening. It's really beautiful , and I'm always grateful for it. Like , sometimes it brings me to tears. So yeah.
S1: You've you even you bought your ukulele in , um , with you , which I'm eager to hear later in the show , but thank you.
S3: Yeah , it's honestly , like , sometimes I always feel like when things pair together , it's very , um , ethereal. And sometimes , like , in my world of skateboarding , I feel like I kind of need to bring my ukulele or like , bring a little bit of music and kind of just calms me down beforehand because it's so easy to get caught up in the air , you know , like literally up in the air with skating and all the things you're doing. It's like moving so fast. So I always feel like in the motion of skating , you break it down and you get emotion. And what's so amazing is like making sure you're always grounded , even though there's a lot moving , making sure you have something to ground you. So I love music because singing is like skateboarding. Um , I just think that's kind of me as a person. So I always bring it with me , I love it. Yeah.
S4: Yeah. She's constantly playing , uh , free concerts , whether there's a lot of people or not. She's playing.
S7: Yeah , yeah.
S4: It gets her in the flow state.
S1: Yes , I love that. Well , Bryce , I want to hear about , you know , both of your early memories of skating in San Diego. You grew up in Encinitas. Legend has it you actually learned to skateboard at the Encinitas YMCA.
S3: The YMCA , it was fun. Um , I remember the first time I went there , my dad , he told me that we're going to go skating in a swimming pool , and I'm like , okay , I'm just gonna go like , what's happening ? So , like , we didn't swim. We skated in the pool. So we skated in the bowl and I pretended I was a fish swimming around in the bowl. But skating , skating around , it's like a.
S4: Fish out of water. Yeah.
S8: Yeah.
S1: Willy , what about you ? What were your early memories ? Skating as a kid in San Diego.
S4: When I first saw it , it was , um , at my elementary school , and the older guys from high school were doing board side rail slides on the curb , and I was just blown away seeing it right there in front of my face. And it was like , I want to do what they're doing. That was so cool. And then eventually it was like , launch ramp stuff , like jumping off the ramps , and I just fell in love with it. Yeah.
S7: Yeah. Gosh.
S1: One thing I always wonder about that is like , what are the dangers in learning how to.
S4: Well , you learn to. Fall.
S7: Fall.
S1: Yeah , that's what I was. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
S7: Yeah.
S1: So there's a way to fall. Yes.
S7: Yes.
S4: Or you just take it as it comes. Okay.
S7: Okay. You learn as you go. Exactly.
S1: Either way , you're gonna learn. Yep.
S7: Yep. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
S3: All right. Which I love. That's. That's what I'm learning. Like , there's not every day you're learning. Even if you're not trying to learn. You end up learning. And it's like I go home that night. And like , I've never learned so much in my life just from being with a person or , like , having an experience like skateboarding and and everything that starts with an S. I'm just. Kidding.
S5: Kidding.
S3: But yeah.
S1: Speaking of S's skating and surfing , which are both in their second Olympics now , are unique sports , you know , because they they kind of have their own subculture , the clothing , the lifestyle , the music.
S4: Let's hear what you say first.
S7:
S3: They don't just shape who you are as a person. They give you so much inspiration and they almost shape you. They basically , as a person , make you kind of like free to take on anything , any role. You become kind of like air or water , you know , it's something where you're always adapting , you're always trying to understand. You have this openness that's very beautiful because surfing is probably you want to be the most open minded you ever have been , because the ocean can be forgiving or unforgiving. But the most amazing thing is , like you as a person , there's so much more than just you. It's like the whole environment you're in. So I've learned to understand the environment , you know , even more than just myself , but making sure that the environment around me , I take time to get to know it and love it for what it is. And skating and surfing , that's just my my feeling to begin the conversation.
S5: Yeah , like like.
S4: Street skating. Um , you could you could do it anywhere. So when you're just walking around , especially , like this campus right here at Sdsu , I've skated in and it's been in videos that I've been in and , um , hopefully I won't get a ticket now , but , um , you , when you're just walking through it like you're like , oh , this. You could do something right here. I'm doing these tricks and it just , uh , it's it's cool. Like like like she said , you just flow.
S7: Well , I.
S1: Want to talk a little more about your impact , Willie. You're one of the first Filipino Americans to be a pioneer of skateboarding.
S4: Like , I remember , uh , skating this , uh , this spot up in San Francisco with with Tony Hawk , And he was filming me and I was trying to certain trick backside sell side shove it. But then one of them went a little bit further and I was like , hey , Tony , I think I could do a backside tail side 360 , shove it. And then within a few tries I made it. So sometimes it's like you're trying something and then it turns into something else And I guess technically I was the first to do a backside tell. Side 360 shove it on video at least. And that was like. And it was funny because not years later , like seriously , 20 years later , a buddy of mine was like , oh , when when you did that backside tail side. 336 shove it. We showed up later and people were talking about it and I had no idea. I was just doing it. I was just in the moment , I guess that was. Yeah.
S7: That was your thing ? Yes. Yeah , yeah.
S1: Beautiful for you.
S4: And , um , you know , a lot of Filipinos around the world , they're definitely proud of what I've done. And maybe , you know , the younger kids , um , they may not know me , but it's cool that the older kids kind of like school them. Like , hey , this is so-and-so. And but , you know , like , you know , going on tour with her around the world , it's amazing to see the kids that she's inspiring. And every once in a while , there'll be someone coming to me that was like , hey , Willie , I was actually the the announcer at that contest that you won in. Um , you remember that when. Yeah , in Budapest I won the world championship in Münster , Germany. And the guys like either the announcer or the judge , he's like , I was there. And when I did that or when that happened.
S1: That is. Oh , wow. Well , Bryce , and you've certainly had a huge impact. Earlier this year , you were honored at the Encinitas Skate park for Women's History Month. Um , historically , skating has been thought of as a male dominated sport.
S3: A lot of times when I'm like recognized for something like that , I'm like , oh my gosh , it's so many more people than just me. That's that's got me to this place. So I want to almost like bring it throw back to everyone else too , who's been like there for me. I feel like women in general and skateboarding in life , like they bring so much gracefulness and just they bring kind of this eloquence that's really , really needed , especially in skating , because I think when something begins , you see kind of how it starts and it kind of gets stuck in that beginning , and then all of a sudden there's something new that's introduced to it. Like all these girls that have been doing these tricks that I never thought I'd see even like seven 20s now and all of these things. And I'm like , that's what life is about. It's about like what Willy said. It starts like something and then it turns into something else. So I think being there , like getting to be represented for Women's History Month , I'm like , all the women are hard workers and amazing , and I just want everyone to know that , like , it's so much more than just the one thing that you're doing. Like all the things that you've done have led you to that moment , right ? I just think all women are so powerful and amazing.
S1:
S3: There's so many ways you can go with that. So like when I'm on my board , like about to drop in , I'm like , where am I going ? I'm like , nope , just clear mind. Like , try not to be in one spot. Like try to have that openness because I feel like skateboarding is all about the change in direction and being open to it. So a lot of times I'm like , I'm dropping in and I pretend like it's my first drop in again. Kind of , yeah , because everyone is like a first drop in.
S4: So I try to witness that at the YMCA. A kid dropping in for the first time.
S7: And he did it.
S4: Oh , wow. That was pretty special. He was probably like 12 or 13 years old. Okay.
S7: Yeah , yeah.
S3: That's amazing to like having a mindset to just talk to people around you and all of a sudden you learn new tricks and it's like , that's awesome. You just met someone through skateboarding. I see the more people you meet at the skate park , it's the best it is. Yeah.
S5: Yeah.
S1:
S4: But then , you know , obviously , sometimes you got to turn on that switch , that it's the competition time. Yeah , yeah. So here's the experience. Um , I think it was like in 2016 , I got invited to a competition in China , and between that , I hadn't skated in any competitions. Uh , probably like a good 5 or 10 years. And I was like , okay , I guess I got to try and skate this contest. And I was the oldest one. I think I was like 38 and I , I had to click back in my head , like what I used to do , how I got into that state of mind. And I did and I , uh , I qualified first at that contest. There was kids from anywhere from like 12 and then maybe 25. And that evening it rained and a buddy's like , oh , you know , if it rains , they'll just take the standings. You'll get first place. But it did clear up the next day and I did skate the contest again. And what's tough is like if you get if you qualify first , it's it's pretty tough to even make first place to hold it. And at the end of the day , I ended up winning the contest. So that was really cool. Wow. Yeah.
S7: Yeah.
S4: So I had to , like , get in that frame of mind , right ? Yeah.
S7: And it worked.
S1: Well , it sounds like you were taking candy from baby.
S7: That's what.
S1: Well , that's pretty awesome.
S4: But it was a fun experience. Uh , winning that contest. And I was going to Japan the next month , and I called my wife like , hey , Shelly , we're coming and got some money to go there. Yeah. So she met me on the tail end of the trip because I was going on a skateboard tour in Japan.
S7: That's pretty cool. Yeah , I think that's.
S3: Awesome how you said , like , have fun like that mindset. Because it's crazy what happened. Like when you let loose and have fun , it's like , that's the magic. Everything comes to. Life.
S5: Life. Well , I mean , speaking of that.
S1: Yeah , I mean , sometimes , you know , when our hobbies become our careers , you can lose some of the joy and , and whimsy that drew us into those things in the first place , but that doesn't that doesn't seem to be the case for you.
S3: For me , it's the memories. Like I go back to these certain memories where my mom's with me , outside of one of the fences at the contest , and she's just looking at me and she's like , we have that moment face to face , where she just tells me one thing before I go , or I run to her after the contest and just give her a hug. And for me , it's those moments that I'm like , that's why I do this all. Like , you do it because you're so thankful , but you do it because there's those moments that you have that you never forget. So I do it for the unforgettable moments. And I think the optimism comes from that because I just realized , like life is about being present , like what you said , and that's the truest present that you can have , is making sure you take in everything at once. And I think skate tricks are like that. Sometimes you're only present on that trick you're doing , and then you , you're done and you're like , what just happened ? Because you were so in the moment that the ones after you're like , I don't even know what just happened.
S7: It just made the trick. Right ? Yeah.
S5:
S1: Well , Bryce , what advice would you give to little kids hoping to make it to the Olympics someday ? Or maybe. Um , a better way to put it.
S5:
S3: I would tell her that you don't need to think too hard , because one little thought that you have is enough sometimes. And there's this thing where you follow your heart and you trust yourself , and that can carry you through , like carrying the one in a math problem. So always trust yourself because you trust yourself to get this far. So your perspective will change. You'll grow up , but you don't really grow up that much. So as long as you're listening to that part of you that you know is right , that's the best thing to do. And having courage , of course , because that's amazing. Courage is like your entourage that follows you around places. Yeah.
S5: Yeah.
S3: So believe in yourself.
S1: That is excellent.
S4: So inspiring. Bryce. Oh.
S7:
S5:
S1: Well , we'll be cheering you on. Of course. I've been speaking with Bryce Weston , Olympic skateboarder from Encinitas. She'll be competing in this year's Olympics for a second time , with skateboarding park events taking place on August 6th and seventh in Paris. Bryce , thanks for being here. Best of luck to you.
S3: Thank you so much and hopefully we can catch up soon and I can't wait. Thank you Jade. This was the. Best.
S5: Best.
S1: Thank you. You're awesome also. Willie Santos Bryce is coach and skateboard legend from Mira mesa. He currently coaches up and coming skateboarders all over the world. Willie. Thank you.
S7: Thank you , thank you.
S4: For the special. Time.
S7: Time.
S1: And , Bryce , before we let you go , I've been looking at that ukulele you have over there. I'm hoping you can play us a little tune before we go.
S5: Oh , no. Really ? No.
S7: Oh , yes. Okay.
S3: Okay.
S7:
S1: We'll have. We'll have an original song first and then get a little.
S7: Bit of you just you can.
S4: Dive into another song.
S3: Okay ? Okay , okay. This is a little one I wrote a long time ago. Hmm. Let's see if it works. I wonder if I should do it.
S9: I know life is confusing.
UU: You know it's true. We all. The thing that I am amusing. We don't think things through. How about we find.
S9: The answers to.
UU: Our problems ? How about we find something new ? Or we can sit there waiting till soft and sighing and painting the sky blue.
S1: Oh , such a beautiful voice. Coming up. How it feels to prepare for the Olympics.
S10: When you become the veteran. The the pressure is put on your shoulders. But , uh , you also know how to deal with it better.
S1: KPBS Midday Edition returns after the break.
S9: Only fools.
UU: Right , shin. But I can't help falling in love with you.
S1: Welcome back to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. The 2024 Paris Olympics kick off this Friday , and we just heard from Bryce White Steen , Olympic skateboarder from Encinitas. Now , let's catch up with another San Diego raised Olympic athlete , Alex Bowen. He played water polo at Santana High School in Santee. Now he's headed to his third Olympics on the U.S. men's water polo team. I caught up with Alex last week while he was training in Croatia. I asked him what his days were like leading up to the big games.
S10: Oh , it's good we got here yesterday. We're only in Croatia for a couple days. We had a little European trip to get us right for the games. We were just in Greece and Slovenia and now we're in Croatia before we go to France. But yeah , days have been jam packed full of meetings , video and practice. We're still training 4 to 5 hours a day in the pool , about an hour in the gym , and we've got probably about two hours worth of meetings about every day. So , uh , it's a lot , a lot of time , a lot of effort. And any time that we're not doing something , we're taking a nap. So. Right. It's very full days. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. It sounds like you all are really focused on the Olympics. Um , I mean , take me back to your high school days on the water polo team at Santana.
S10: And , uh , I drew myself in the Rio Olympics in 2016 and I made it to that and kept it going. So I had the idea that I could make it just because looking at the team , there was going to be a couple guys retiring , and I thought that there was a chance and , uh , I got my chance , so. Wow.
S1: That's great. I gosh , you had this vision in your mind , and you made it happen.
S10: You know , it's , um , it's not so much of I wish this could happen and not working towards it , but it's always like making sure that you're taking those steps in the right direction.
S1: Yeah , well , I'm curious too.
S10:
S1:
S10: There's a couple good clubs. I played for San Diego Shores and , uh , played for my dad at first and then went to San Diego. Shores played under Doug Peabody and , uh , the Sandy shore organization. And they're very competitive , still very competitive. And I try and come back and give back when I can. So it's , um , they've really helped grow me as a person , and I can't thank them enough for it. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well , Alex , this is going to be your third time at the Olympics.
S10: Uh , I've gone. I feel when you become the veteran , the. The pressure is put on your shoulders. But , uh , you also know how to deal with it better. The. I think this is our. This is the best chance we have at the Olympics. Uh , that I've had , uh , comparing the the last two. We have a very talented group. We've gained a bunch of experience in the last three years since Tokyo and just have a lot of talent , and now we have a lot of experience where we're , we're we're hungry and we're , we're we want it. So we're we're coming for it. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well , you mentioned that this team has the best chance you feel. And the men's water polo head coach said in June. And more than 25 years of coaching , this is one of the most talented teams that he's ever worked with.
S10: And we are. We just been able to grow and grow up as people in the last couple of years , and we've had so many people play for top level clubs in Europe playing in Champions League , playing in Euro Cup and and really get the experience of playing against players abroad. So coming back to the US and being able to share that experience and share that growth with everyone has been instrumental in how our team has developed. Wow.
S1: Wow. All right. Well , I mean , you're known for your precise accuracy as one of team USA's top goal scorers. And , uh , it was the same reputation that you carried at Sanford , too. You scored over 200 goals and were named a first team All-American.
S10: It's it's holding to the basics and being able to put the ball where you want it to do that , and you need to have your arm in the right position. You have to need your arm to feel good and you have to work the whole body , because shooting isn't just with the arm , it's throughout the whole. It's through the whole body. You really need to use your legs to get yourself into position to be a good shooter.
S1: So you do conditioning then year round.
S10: Oh , yeah. Uh , the season goes for a long time , I really don't get that much time off. The season starts and the pro season abroad starts in September and ends in May. And then we come home and we start with the national team. Yeah.
S11: Yeah. Wow.
S1: Wow. Speaking of having only a little bit of time , I mean , you currently compete for a water polo club team in France.
S10: It was a very. It was a great experience. The teammates I had there. I'll remember for the rest of my life. They're a great people. And we did. We had a very successful year. We ended up taking second in the in the French league. And , uh , next year I'm going to , uh , to play in Spain and , uh , in Barcelona. So I'm excited for that next chapter as well.
S1: Yeah , it sounds exciting. You mentioned high hopes for team USA's prospects this year.
S10: So we have a very tough bracket with Italy. Italy is our first game. They play Romania , Greece , uh Montenegro and then Croatia. So really those are the teams that are in our head , right , that are in our immediate , uh , attention right now. So we're really focusing on , uh , our bracket and , and getting into that crossover game. Hmm.
S11: Hmm.
S1: Well , you know , getting to the Olympics and taking everyone with you is not cheap. I understand there's a fundraiser going on to help the team through a T-shirt company.
S10: It means so much to me. Um , knowing that I have such a great support system back home. Ian and Kurt have been incredible for us and helping with with the t shirts and everything. They did a had a great job with our game against Montenegro , uh , in June and they sold out. So I'm excited that they're doing another run. My my fiance helped manage the whole thing , so I can't I can't thank her enough as well.
S11: Yeah , well , I.
S1: Heard about a fundraiser to send your dad , um , Santana's water polo coach and your mom to Paris to watch you compete.
S10: They're. They're going to be there. They've got tickets , they've got there , they've got their , uh , their Airbnb ready. So yeah , I'm excited to have them there and to share the moment.
S11: That's great.
S1: It really sounds like water polo has , has been a family tradition for you.
S10: I mean , I've been able to live out my dream and my my parents have been the most supportive people in my life , and my fiancé has been able to , to to join me on this journey as well. And I'm excited to to have her there as well.
S1: That was Alex Bowen , Olympic water polo player on the U.S. men's team. The preliminary round and first game for the men's team will be this Sunday , July 28th against Italy. That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
