We are in the middle of the Swiss Alps, well above sea level, in a beautiful ski town called Gstaad. Strangely enough, it is the site of the 2007 Beach Volleyball World Championships.

A beach volleyball tournament in the middle of the Swiss Alps? On paper it sounds ridiculous. But if you were here with me right now, you would realize just how serious this town is about being host to the biggest beach volleyball tournament of the season.

The town is abuzz with talk of the tournament. Every store window displays beach volleyball paraphernalia and event posters, billboards advertise at every street corner, and they have built an 8000 seat stadium right in the center of the city. And during the last couple days leading up to the event, when I venture out and around town, I can just sense the excitement. Admittedly, it's a notch below Olympic level excitement, but it's definitely a few notches above the Grand Slam or Open events.

For Ahren and I, it will be a telling test of how well we can compete with all the extra pressure. The Olympic pressure is the ultimate test for athletes, but this event, will at least resemble that type of pressure.

We have had flashes of brilliance this year, mixed with some mediocre play (including a couple of recent 25th's), so it will be interesting to see how we respond. Do we have what it takes? I believe we do, but keep following along to find out!!