3on3 Floorball @ SURFEST Newcastle Beach Australia

In front of 50,000 spectators and wrapped up in prime time TV coverage, 3on3 Floorball hit the main beach of Newcastle Australia. Newcastle a city of 300,000 with a twin city neighbour of same population, hosts one of the most unique sporting events in the world every April - SURFEST. This clip is from SURFEST 2001. All 14 of the most recent World Surf champions come to honour 5 times world champion legend Mark Richards. 300 Floorball players also came to this event and caught the eye of spectators whenever someone was not on a wave. Blondes v Brunettes was a feature attraction for the audience whilst females alike enjoyed the guys and girls hammering each other with Floorball skill on the 10x20m court surrounded by palm trees. Over the 4 days about 2000 people also played on court outside competition time including some famous faces from the surfing circuit. There were in fact a few more palm trees than in this video but winds got up a bit earlier. It was incredible to see locals still packing out the court in a free come'n'try until 3am in the morning when security asked them to leave! This has definitely be, and will be in future, one of the best promo's in Australia and a fixture in a future 3on3 Floorball tour package of Australia through the off-season months of June/July.

It is important to thank a number of people for an event like this:
Newcastle Council - lent me a tractor to level the beach :) which was lucky because high tide came 1m from the rink :)
Newcastle Construction - amazing what guys will do for a sausage sanger with Kelly Slater.
Rainer Martiskin, David Morris, Marko Pederson, Geir Bjornstad, Leif Tannfors, Phil and Karen Brown, Warren Smith (legend organiser of SURFEST), Rhys and Drew - two most talented junior players I have seen even comparing SWE and FIN juniors, Ch 9, Peach advertising and all the great people who lent stuff like palm trees and their eyes. Silja Solem was also a great help with good ideas at the time.

I would like to dedicate this video to my grandfather 'Papa' who passed away the following Monday after this event and I am so lucky to have spent the last night with him back up in Tamworth. To 'Papa' thanks; for teaching great work ethic, humour and the value of being an Australian sportsperson, fan and pioneer :)

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• SURFEST
• Kelly
• Slater
• action
• hockey
• Floorball
• Unihockey
• Salibandy
• IFF
• Florbal
• 3on3
• soccer
• Innebandy
• tennis
• sports
• talk

[Welferange]

no goealies? =P

[FLOORBALLtv]

Not for this tournament but others yes we had goalies...that is more fun too :)

[PeterHighLife]

big goal

[gizzoc]

In "who the hell cares" we call it "watch something else"

[Cactuspanker]

and let me guess you don't think those resemble hockey sticks!

[lamppu31]

In street hockey you use hockey sticks, I believe.

[Cactuspanker]

In North America that's street hockey, with small goals

[Legendsinsport]

This is worth moving to Australia!!!