Friday, February 28, 2014

Oscar-Nominated Frisbee Film


Floating Free (IMDb), a film by Jerry Butts documenting the 1977 World Frisbee Championships, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Film, Live Action at the 1978 Academy Awards. Other nominees included The Absent-Minded Waiter, Notes on the Popular Arts, Spaceborne, and the eventual Oscar winner - I'll Find a Way.

Info: The Floating Free documentary (10:30) captures the various events during the 1977 World Frisbee Championships at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The footage may be grainy, yet it's clear the flying plastic disc - as the central character - is quite versatile. A varied soundtrack follows the quick shots of action from event to event, showcasing Guts, Ultimate (Penn State vs. Santa Barbara), Freestyle, and Frisbee Dogs - all played in front of an enormous, responsive crowd.

Watch the entire documentary: (Ultimate game starts at 3:02, ends at 5:03)

Thursday, February 27, 2014

DC Breeze 2014 Schedule

As we wait for the DC Breeze to officially publish their 2014 schedule...
Screengrab from DCB website
here is a homemade Breeze sched(based on AUDL schedule)
DC Breeze2014 SCHEDULE
DateOpponent
Saturday, April 12, 3pm vs Toronto Rush
Sunday, April 27, 6pmvs Rochester Dragons
Saturday, May 3@ Philadelphia Phoenix
Sunday, May 4, 1pmvs Philadelphia Phoenix
Sunday, May 18, 11:30amvs Philadelphia Phoenix
Saturday, May 24@ Toronto Rush
Sunday, May 25@ Rochester Dragons
Sunday, June 8, 7pmvs Montreal Royal
Saturday, June 14, 7pmvs New York Empire
Saturday, June 28@ Montreal Royal
Sunday, June 29@ New York Empire
Saturday, July 5, 1pmvs New York Empire
Sunday July 6@ Philadelphia Phoenix
Saturday, July 12@ New York Empire
UPDATED 3/11/2014

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Previous (tentative) AUDL schedule:
DC Breeze2014 SCHEDULE
DateOpponent
Saturday, April 12 vs Toronto Rush
Saturday, April 19vs Philadelphia Phoenix
Sunday, April 27vs Rochester Dragons
Saturday, May 3@ Philadelphia Phoenix
Sunday, May 4vs Philadelphia Phoenix
Saturday, May 24@ Toronto Rush
Sunday, May 25@ Rochester Dragons
Sunday, June 8vs Montreal Royal
Saturday, June 14vs New York Empire
Saturday, June 28@ Montreal Royal
Sunday, June 29@ New York Empire
Sunday July 6@ Philadelphia Phoenix
Saturday, July 12@ New York Empire
Sunday, July 13vs New York Empire

The DC Breeze start their 10-week, 14-game season with 3 home games, and then have 4 consecutive away games, starting in Week 12. AUDL's DC team has a total of 4 back-to-back games, two of which are against the same team - played away on Saturday; home on Sunday. Byes are during weeks 5, 6, 8, & 11.

UPDATE 3/2: The July 12-13 doubleheader was removed from the AUDL full sched, but still appears on the Empire's schedule.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Sarah Itoh and Molly Roy Discuss Their DC Current Tryout

After two open tryouts and two invite-only tryouts, the Washington DC Current (MLU) announced their 2014 roster. At the February 2nd open tryout, two stellar players from the 2013 USA Ultimate champion Scandal team participated. Sarah Itoh and Molly Roy recently reflected on their experiences at the tryout, providing memorable moments and lessons learned.

SLUDGE: Tell me about your decisions to sign-up for the DC Current tryout.
Sarah: I was definitely interested from the moment I heard that Emily Baecher, of Brute Squad, had tried out for the Boston Whitecaps. For some reason it just hadn't occurred to me to give it a shot before then. She really ignited the whole idea for me and when the DC Current management reached out to us (which surprised me a bit), I was already sold.

I really thought I'd be going alone so I was excited to hear that Molly Roy and Amy Wickner were in as well. I was hoping more women would be interested though, so I was pushing for more of our teammates to join us. However, it was pretty difficult to sell at that point because it's something you really want to be prepared for and it's the middle of the off-season for the club scene. Another hesitation was that the risk of injury is typically higher when you're playing with bigger and faster bodies, which is inherent of most male athletes, especially those that you would expect to encounter at the professional level. Unfortunately, Amy ended up getting sick so Molly and I were the only women to attend tryouts.

Molly: It was a tough decision to commit, mostly because the tryout started at 5am and was a good drive from my house, but when Itoh said she was willing to do it too that made it much easier for me to commit because I wouldn't be the only girl and having a teammate there for support was immensely helpful.

SLUDGE: How did you prepare for the Current tryout?
Molly: I didn't get a chance to prepare all that much for the tryout for a couple reasons. First of all, I didn't fully commit to do it until a couple weeks in advance. Additionally, I'm used to playing some pick up in the weeks of March/April leading up to a tryout to help train and get back into shape, but that's much much harder to do in February when there's snow and ice on the ground. So for both of those reasons I was not super prepped for the tryout, which would be something I might change if I wanted to tryout again next year.

Sarah: Well, as I mentioned before I hadn't really thought about it until I heard that Emily Baecher had tried out for the Whitecaps, which was a few weeks before the Current tryouts. So, unfortunately I wasn't in the best running shape at the time as the club season ended in October and I usually take some time off to rest. I've benefited from strength training though, which is something new for me and is now part of my off-season routine. It's especially beneficial for any old injuries that need working on, like my knee. For the past few months I've been adding weights to my workouts and I've also started to spin (indoor cycle) on a daily basis. I usually start my track workouts around March though--when the weather is more cooperative--so, the only thing I really had time to prepare for was my mental game, which was tough because I really wasn't sure what to expect. I also changed my sleep schedule for a few days leading up to the tryout, since it had a 5am start time.

I was a little more nervous going into these tryouts than I normally would be for any other tryout because it was pretty obvious that Molly and I were going to stand out a bit. Honestly, I had no expectations of making the team but I wanted to be a real contender out there and most of my worries were considerably normal in terms of what one might mull over going into tryouts. That big one being, nobody wants to get shown up. The only thing I couldn't expect was how we'd be received by the other players. As we all probably know by now, there are sometimes social stigmas when it comes to women in predominantly male arenas. The Ultimate community is really amazing though and we knew a lot of the guys going into tryouts so it was something that had been on my mind a bit, but it quickly subsided once the tryouts started.

SLUDGE: Did you have an opportunity to watch any pro Ultimate games? What were your impressions??
Molly: I was a season ticket holder for the Current last year so I went to almost all of the home games and one away game. I knew a lot of the guys from Truck Stop, so that already made it fun to root for them, but the quick pace of the game as a result of the referees I thought made the games really great to watch even if you didn't know the players or the sport very well. I brought my parents to a game and they were extremely impressed, they kept commenting on how the players never stopped running.

Sarah: Yes, I attended several DC Current games and I have watched quite a few MLU highlight reels from the 2013 season. I was impressed with the level of play and I enjoyed the pace of the games. The refs really do keep things moving and the fitness level of the athletes is incredible. There were some really athletic plays last season and being able to watch them happen in person, with everyone cheering and heckling, made it much more exciting. It's especially nice to be able to watch players that you know and admire compete in what is essentially the birth of professional Ultimate. They will be a part of Ultimate history and I think that's pretty cool and unique. It's definitely a really interesting time for the sport.

SLUDGE: What did you not expect at the tryout? Any surprises??
Sarah: There were a few things that surprised me a bit. In regards to how I played, I was pleased with how well I did on offense, especially in the handler position. For the past two years I've been playing on Scandal's defensive line and I tend to be a downfield cutter in general so it's no surprise that I am not the most comfortable with the disc in my hands. I was especially worried about being shut down by the naturally larger wingspan expected of most of the guys who'd be marking me, but I was always able to get the disc off before the stall. I was also a little surprised that I was able to continually get open, when and where I wanted to be open, against the guys.

In terms of the tryout in general, I was surprised at how much faster play moved and the physicality of the game really stood out to me as well. There is definitely more contact between players, especially for positioning on a disc coming down and on defense in general. It was nice to be able to body-up and get in the lane to try and dictate where the cutter was going. I really enjoyed being able to play a more physical game. It's not that it doesn't happen in women's Ultimate, but it's just not as prevalent as it is in the open division.

Molly: Biggest surprise was honestly just how sore I was the next week. Stairs were very difficult for like three days.

Sarah: I, also, expected to be sore after the tryout, but I did not expect to be that sore. Molly and I actually called each other for a few days to see how the other was doing. Given our late decision on attending the tryout, we just hadn't been physically prepared the way we would've liked. So pushing ourselves as hard as we did, and for four hours, was really tough on our bodies.

Molly: Other things were about what I expected in a good way--the other guys trying out were very accepting and supportive and didn't make that big a deal about us two girls being at the tryout. They cheered us on like they did each other and worked hard when I went up against them. There obviously was some novelty to us being there as the only girls, but it wasn't as big a deal as it could have been, which I appreciated--I play better when I can work hard under the radar than when I feel a lot of pressure. Playing-wise, I also found that I was much more effective in the zone scrimmages when I could find the holes on the field than when we played man-to-man and I had a harder time getting open on a single defender in a small space.

Also, I don't own turf shoes, so I was at a further disadvantage with my sneakers and couldn't change direction as well as I would have otherwise, which would have helped me in man-to-man scrimmages.

SLUDGE: Any memorable moment(s) for you at the Current tryout?
Molly: One memorable moment for me was when I made a big catch during the huck drill--there was probably about half the tryouts in line for the drill watching me go, and I got position on my guy and went up big to catch it and got a bunch of cheers. I felt pretty good about that!

Sarah: The sprints were really memorable! Some of the most memorable moments involved big plays in the huck drill. A lot of guys got huge when going up for the disc and some of them just smoked their defenders on a cut. I had a nice run when I faked an in cut and got open for the huck. I heard my defender gaining on me so I had to get big early and I came down with the disc to some cheering. The drill was setup in a way that left all eyes on the cutter and defender so there was some added pressure and excitement to it. Other memorable moments included watching some of the returning players shred the cup in scrimmages. The fields were pretty small so play felt really cluttered at times, yet some of the guys still threw through tiny gaps in the middle of zone defenses. There were a ton of throws that I just normally would not expect.

Molly: Also, I have to say it...I actually had to stop early because I got a disc to the eye during the tryout. I made an in cut and my defender got a step on me and I was so sure that he was going to catch the disc that I put my hands down; he didn't end up getting the disc and the disc nailed me in the face and I got a black eye. It wasn't a lasting injury, which was great but I spent the last hour of the tryout icing. It was a silly mistake on my part, and I didn't get interviewed after the tryout like Itoh did, I'd guess cause they didn't want it to look like the girls got beat up at the tryout (haha). But it has to be said that that was a pretty memorable moment of the tryout for me!

SLUDGE: So, did you have fun?
Sarah: I had a lot of fun at the tryout. Ultimate is always a good time for me and it felt good to walk away knowing that I performed well. I feel a little more confident in some areas that were pretty grey before and I enjoyed being able to play with more of the best athletes in our sport. The guys were really awesome in terms of accepting us and I didn't hear any negativity associated with our presence there. It was a great time and I would definitely do it again, even at 5am. 4am though--forget about it!

Molly: I had a lot of fun!! It was a great challenge and I felt like I held my own. Though I never want to have to wake up for another 5am tryout again, it was definitely worth it. Props to those guys that went out at 5am multiple times!

SLUDGE: What did you learn about Ultimate from this tryout?
Molly: I learned/reinforced the knowledge to never give up on the disc even if you think your defender will get it!!! Also that sneakers suck on turf. Seriously though, it was more of a skills focused tryout than a strategy one, so I learned the way you do when you step up to a new challenge and push yourself hard in little, mostly undefinable ways, but there weren't big revelations I took away about the game of ultimate since we weren't focusing on learning or implementing new things so much.

Sarah: I learned that the physical game can be a lot of fun and it's something that we, especially in the women's division, should not shy away from. Sometimes you really have to fight for positioning so some contact is okay, so long as there's no foul. It can really help win the lane, especially coming off a dead disc.

SLUDGE: What did this tryout teach you about professional Ultimate?
Sarah: Well, I don't think there's much of a difference when it comes to the fundamentals of Ultimate at the professional level when compared to the club or college scene but there is obviously a difference in the athleticism of the players. So the game moves a lot faster and you'll see some really impressive plays. The Innova disc was also new and that took a little bit of time to get used to but, for the most part, I don't think it affected my throws.

Molly: A big difference playing with the MLU versus club ultimate was the use of the Innova disc. It definitely took some recalibrating to get used to throwing it--you had to make sure to actually through the disc totally flat, whereas with a Discraft disc you usually put some tilt on it, expecting it to flatten out as it flies. That took some getting used to and was an interesting test of my throwing skills!

SLUDGE: How will your DC Current tryout experience improve your Ulti skills in 2014?
Molly: Mostly in those indefinable ways I mentioned earlier that you get from pushing and challenging yourself. Also it was a nice confidence booster to see that I could in fact hold my own in a tryout of mostly guys, instead of just hoping I could in theory.

Sarah: I plan to be more physical on my man to man defense, something we like to call bad-touch D on Scandal. I also plan on picking up the pace at which I play by working on quick passes before the mark can set and exploding off of the release.

SLUDGE: What advice/lessons learned would you give to others seeking success at a professional Ultimate tryout?
Molly: Get turf shoes. Play confident, work hard, and keep your head up. It's not really any different from trying out for any other team you want to make!

Sarah: Well, my advice for tryouts is pretty simple and it's not restricted to just the professional level, but for any team and sport. Try your best and work hard in your training leading up to it. Walk in being prepared, both mentally and physically. Tryouts can be long, the Current tryouts were about 4 hours each, so make sure you know what you're getting yourself into and be good to your body. That could mean abstaining from partying the night before or making sure you're getting enough sleep. Eat and hydrate before and throughout the tryout and make sure you're adequately warmed up for the tasks ahead of you.

SLUDGE: So, what was the outcome of your tryout?
Molly: I didn't get asked back to the next round, but I really appreciated the opportunity to tryout. It was fun!

Sarah: I didn't make it to the next round of tryouts. Unfortunately, the DC Current hadn't gotten back to either of us about our performance and the outcome of our efforts that morning. There must have been a bit of miscommunication going on somewhere because the way in which we found out was not ideal either--but it happens. I was still happy to have had the opportunity to tryout and I am still a fan of the DC Current.

## [Links inserted by SLUDGE]

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

DC Current 2014 Roster

The Washington DC Current finalized their roster for the 2014 MLU season. A lot of familiar names; 18 out of 29 players (62%) were on 2013's Current team.
Gone: Seven (7) players not returning to the playing roster are: Jonathon Neeley (DC Breeze), Keven Moldenhauer (Current Head Coach), David Boyea, Francisco Hazera, Sean McComb, Aden Stinebrickner-Kauffman, & Ryan Todd.

New: Eleven (11) players are new to the Current roster -- Lloyd Blake, David Boylan-Kolchin (Truck Stop), Andrew Fickley, Ben Fleming (Truck Stop), Paul Grabowski, Cody Johnston (Truck Stop), Connor Maloney, Eddie Peters, Glenn Poole, Peter Prial (Boston), & Freddie Tsai.

Compared to Truck Stop's 2013 lineup, the 2014 Current rostered eighteen (18) Truck players, which is more (quantity) than last year's roster.

View footage from the early morning tryouts:




Question: how many current DC Current players currently live in DC?

Answer: 8. [SOURCE

Monday, February 24, 2014

Capital Ultimate Camp

The longest running Ultimate summer camp in the Washington, D.C. area continues for the 2014 summer.
2014 CUC sessions:
  • July 7 - 11 (9am - 3pm) @ George Mason HS in Falls Church, ages 12-18
  • July 14 - 18 (9am - 4pm) @ HB Woodlawn in Arlington, ages 10-15
  • July 21 - 25 (9am - 4pm) @ HB Woodlawn in Arlington, ages 10-15
  • August 4 - 8 (overnight) @ St. Margaret's School in Tappahannock, ages 14-18
CUC is led by Will Smolinski (DC Current coach) and Dave Soles (founder of WAFC Jr.), who are both experienced at coaching ultimate. For more info on Capital Ultimate Camp, visit http://www.capulticamp.com.

A friend of Sludge provided this positive feedback on CUC 2013:
"My 10 year old son found the Capital Ultimate Camp a really fun way to get better at the game and make new friends. It was a great group of coaches who were helpful, supportive for all levels of play and most of all made it fun for all. The setting at HB Woodlawn added to great atmosphere of creativity and fun the coaching staff encouraged. The last day of camp awards were emblematic of the supportive imaginative tone the camp set all the way through. We will be signing up for next year!"
- Diana W. (Arlington, VA)

Friday, February 21, 2014

Q & A with Provider of AUDL Uniforms

The American Ultimate Disc League's exclusive provider for league apparel and uniforms is VC Ultimate - an Ultimate apparel company outfitting the Ulti community since 1998. If you have ever ordered any of VC's quality merch, then you know they will treat you like a pro. VC Sales Director Adriana Withers - who is no stranger to interviews [Skyd, UI, Ultiverse] - took a break during VC's busy season to give some insight on the AUDL uniforms.

SLUDGE: What is your design process for the AUDL uniforms? How long does it usually take from start to finish?
Adriana: The design process for the AUDL uniforms starts with a having each teams complete one of our design briefs, and providing any examples of uniforms that they are inspired by. For the 2014 season, our lead designer actually came up with a couple dozen concepts to use as bases for what we thought were slick, professional looking uniforms. The Vancouver Riptide uniforms are based on these concepts, as an example.

Time to completion completely depends on the comprehensiveness of the designs presented by the team, and their particularness to detail. With some teams, we can take their design brief and be done in a week with only one or two quick rounds of adjustments. Other teams have complex ideas that need to be hashed out over several rounds of art revisions, which can take a few weeks.

SLUDGEHow does this process differ from working with other clients (e.g., club teams)?
Adriana: It's the same process.

SLUDGEHow much input does an AUDL team have in their own uniform(s)?
Adriana: Teams have the final say, 100%. We'd love to have a bit more control in some instances, but really it's the teams and their owners that know the character that their uniforms are to communicate.

SLUDGEAny details/examples on those "instances"...?
Adriana: Ha! Nope.

SLUDGEAre there any AUDL guidelines that must be followed for team uniforms?
Adriana: AUDL logo on the sleeve, VC logo at the nape of the neck. Other than that, the sky's the limit. As for any VC uniform, we wouldn't produce designs based on content that was inappropriate or negative, but that's easy since everything about Ultimate is positive, right?

SLUDGE: What are the biggest challenges when designing a pro Ultimate team's uniform?
Adriana: With every team having their own vision and style, it's difficult to maintain a "look" or "feel" amongst all of the different AUDL team uniforms. From an overall design perspective, we find that difficult because we want the AUDL to have the best line of replica jerseys on the planet. An overarching coherency amongst designs would benefit this. That said, Ultimate uniforms have for years been about team spirit, originality and character – all things that the sport of Ultimate embodies.

SLUDGEAre there any differences in the style of jersey and shorts for an AUDL uniform, compared to what is offered to other Ulti teams?
Adriana: No. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. All teams – professional, youth, pick-up, college, club – receive the same great product and the same stellar service ordering from VC.

SLUDGECan you provide a preview of the 2014 uniforms? Also, are there plans to update any or all of the 2013 teams? 
Adriana: You'll have to ask the teams that one... The Riptide's jerseys have been released already, and are beautiful. Keep an eye out for their launch in the AUDL Store soon - www.audlstore.com. Not sure yet about new jerseys for 2013 teams since uniform deadlines aren't until next week (end of February).

SLUDGEWhere are the AUDL uniforms made?
Adriana: All AUDL uniforms are made out of our local manufacturing facility in Toronto, Canada.

SLUDGEWhich AUDL team is the top-selling jersey? Which team sells the most merch??
Adriana: Top of the league last year (2013) were the Toronto Rush and the Chicago Wildfire.

SLUDGEIn your opinion, what makes a really great designed uniform -- for any sport?
Adriana: Clean fonts, a strong main team design/logo, bright contrasts and a VC logo.

SLUDGEDo you have a favorite design for an AUDL team? If so, which team??
Adriana: I'm REALLY excited to see the finished design for the Montreal Royal, but I'm biased given that I am from Montreal, and that's the last city I played Club ultimate for myself.

SLUDGE: Thanks for your time, Adriana. Anything else you would like to mention?
Adriana: We hope you enjoy them, and pick one up to support your favorite team. The AUDL is doing a lot of positive things for the sport of Ultimate, including launching significant exposure and growth initiatives. Both the AUDL and USA Ultimate are making a huge difference for our sport, and I hope people support both of these associations in whatever way they can.

## [Links inserted by SLUDGE.]

Thursday, February 20, 2014

WhatsApp Founders Play Ultimate

Facebook just bought the mobile messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion. NINETEEN BILLION DOLLARS! The WhatsApp founders  - Jan Koum (37) and Brian Acton (42) - played and play Ultimate together. See below for the many references to Ultimate:

Via FT
Via Wired
Via Forbes
Via NY Mag

US Open Overall Flying Disc Championships

Less than 5 months until the U.S. Open Overall Flying Disc Championships!
U.S. Open Overall Flying Disc Championships 2014

When: July 13 - 19

Where: Fredericksburg, Virginia

The U.S. Open Overall will feature seven disc events:
Accuracy - To throw as accurately as possible through a square target.
Disc Golf - Like golf, but with a discs, and the golf holes are replaced with metal chains.
Discathon - A racing event with mandatory throwing obstacles.
Distance - Huck the disc as far as possible.
Double Disc Court - played by two teams of two players each and two discs, kinda like tennis & hot potato.
Freestyle - Performing art via creative, artistic and athletic movements with flying discs.
Self-Caught Flight - Has two events: 1) Maximum Time Aloft (MTA), a player aims to accumulate a maximum number of seconds between the throw & catch. 2) Throw, Run and Catch (TRC), the object is to accumulate a maximum number of meters between the throw & catch.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Prices and Rankings: 2014 Tryout Fees for Pro Ultimate Teams

Tryouts for professional Ultimate teams started at different times since October. Each tryout had a registration fee ranging from $20 to $80, plus some offered additional swag like a disc, or more.
Average Costs
Overall: $38.90 (25 teams)
AUDL: $40.44 (17 teams)
MLU: $35.63 (8 teams)

Highest
AUDL: $80; Montreal Royal
MLU: $50; Portland Stags

Lowest
AUDL: $20; San Francisco FlameThrowers; New York Empire
MLU: $20; San Francisco Dogfish

Note: Dollar amounts shown were the initial published registration fee, not the higher "at-the-fields" amount or adjusted amounts. Fees for the four Canadian teams were not converted into US dollars.
UPDATED 2/23/2014Averages updated; now showing 2 decimal points, instead of rounding up/down. Chart updated. Lions tryout was originally posted as $60, but should have been the non-sale amount ($75). 

Most Expensive to Cheapest Tryout Fees
1. $80 - Royal
2. $75 - Lions
3. $50 - Wildfire, Raptors, Rochester, Stags
7. $40 - Phoenix, Rush, Breeze, Riptide, Whitecaps, Current, Spinners
14. $35 - Mechanix, Spiders, Rumble, Rainmakers
18. $30 - AlleyCats, Revolution
20. $28 - Wind Chill
21. $25 - Radicals, Nighthawks
23. $20 - FlameThrowers, Empire, Dogfish

Compare to last year's (2013) fees.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Ale Drink to That!

"He was a wise [person] who invented beer."
-Plato

What The Huck Huckleberry Wheat Ale

Info: From Fernie Brewing Company (Fernie, British Columbia), the Huckleberry - native to the Rocky Mountain region - is prized for its sweetness and deep color. Blended with a touch of wheat to create a smooth and creamy beer with some HUCK(leberrie)S. A year-round FBC favorite for both its name and taste.

Yes, yes, they do field sponsorship requests. Download Form.

[h/t Stella Ultimate]

Monday, February 17, 2014

Kids Write the Darndest Things

The trip to Outer Banks, NC, is an annual destination for Sludge. Playing ultimate on the beach is a primary purpose for this fall getaway, along with other activities.

Anna (age 12) wrote a wonderfully detailed journal entry during our October trip.
"I decided that for every beer adults got, I should get a root beer."
"Frisbee was fun, especially since there were four kids so it was even."
Journal entry by Anna

Drawing of Beach Ultimate by Keller

Friday, February 14, 2014

Eyes for U,LTIMATE

Happy Valentine's Day!

I only have eyes for U...LTIMATE!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Frisbee Snowshoes

Get ready for this brilliant idea!  Ready?
SNOWSHOES MADE FROM FRISBEES!!!
UPDATE: Not original.

Olympic Frisbee Disc

Wham-O Frisbee Disc packaging; front (left), back (right)
Color: White
Weight: 127 grams
Design: Torch with Olympic rings in center surrounded by a band of text "United States Olympic Committee" and an outer band of "Frisbee Disc" repeated text.
Year: 1979
Manufacturer: Wham-O
Packaging text: Here's another way to support your U.S. Olympic Team.

[via eBay]

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

AUDL West 2014 Schedule

An expected part of the pro Ultimate player's job description is travel, which costs money. Team owners are making a financial decision when scheduling back-to-back games by reducing travel costs.
Distance Chart: AUDL West teams
All AUDL West teams play back-to-back weekend games: Seattle Raptors (2), San Fran FlameThrowers (2), Vancouver Riptide (2), San Jose Spiders (4), and Salt Lake Lions (5). Via SemiProUltimate, teams posted a 11-27 record, in 2013, when playing a second back-to-back game.

Scanning Salt Lake's 2014 season, the Lions are scheduled to play the most back-to-back weekend games in the West. A 2-game homestand against the same team bookend their 14-game season.
SLC Lions 2014 Schedule
The four regular season games between the Bay Area teams -FlameThrowers vs. Spiders - will be on every fan's calendar.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Frisbee Time

The time will come when your Ultimate discs will collect more dust than air. Here's a crafty solution for transforming your discs into a more practical, timely gift.


Handmade Upcycled Frisbee Wall Clock [etsy]

Info: The plastic disc used to provide round-the-clock fun; it's still round, but now only serves as a clock. This unique wall clock is handmade and can be customized from a disc which you can pull from your own stock. More analog than this digital option.

Price: $30-$55

Monday, February 10, 2014

Olympic Commercial Shows some Frisbee, Love

This Norwegian Olympic commercial for XXL (Norway's Eastbay retailer) shows a very athletic and supportive scene at the airport. "Whatever team you play for" is the tagline and you will see how it's ultimately embraced.

(SPOILER: The Frisbee is a hero!)



This proves why you should always bring a disc with you on your travels.

Hey, if Norway is sending an Ultimate team to play at the Olympics, their medal count would improve.

[h/t Rachel]

Olympic Spirit vs. Ultimate Spirit of the Game

Besides the Olympic rings resembling round plastic discs, the Olympic Charter also has a lot in common with ultimate's Spirit of the Game. Read on...

Fundamental Principles of Olympism [Olympic Charter]
1. Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.
2. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.
3. The Olympic Movement is the concerted, organised, universal and permanent action, carried out under the supreme authority of the IOC, of all individuals and entities who are inspired by the values of Olympism. It covers the five continents. It reaches its peak with the bringing together of the world’s athletes at the great sports festival, the Olympic Games. Its symbol is five interlaced rings.
4. The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

Spirit of the Game [USA Ultimate]
"Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect among competitors, adherence to the agreed upon rules, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate unsportsmanlike conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting opposing players, dangerous aggression, belligerent intimidation, intentional infractions, or other 'win-at-all-costs' behavior are contrary to the Spirit of the Game and must be avoided by all players."


Sunday, February 09, 2014

Recreating the Olympic Rings Fail with Ultimate Discs

During the opening of the Sochi Winter Olympics, four of the illuminated Olympic rings opened at the start of the ceremony, while the fifth ring remained closed. Here is what the mishap would look like using USA Ultimate Approved Discs, of which, there are only four:

Discraft, Innova, Daredevil, Eurodisc... & (Wham-O)

Friday, February 07, 2014

Start Times for Pro Ultimate Tryouts

The 2014 pro Ultimate seasons begins in April and will feature 25 teams -- 8 from MLU + 17 from AUDL. All teams have completed/scheduled their tryouts (sometimes called a "combine"). While most league games start between 12PM and 8PM, only eleven teams (44%) scheduled their tryouts during that eight-hour window.


Earliest Tryout Times
MLU: 5:00 AM, DC Current
AUDL: 7:30 AM, Cincinnati Revolution 8 :00 AM, Minnesota Wind Chill
Latest Tryout Times
MLU: 8:30 PM, Philadelphia Spinners
AUDL: 10:30 PM, Philadelphia Phoenix

Seven teams held their 2014 season tryouts last year:
October 2013
Rochester Dragons (AUDL)
Salt Lake City Lions (AUDL)

November 2013
Cincinnati Revolution (AUDL)
Indy AlleyCats (AUDL)

December 2013
Boston Whitecaps (MLU)
Detroit Mechanix (AUDL)
Montreal Royal (AUDL)

Thursday, February 06, 2014

More Updated Logos for FlameThrowers

Another round of "revamped" logos for San Francisco FlameThrowers based on news of recent player signings, where all five play for the city's club team, Revolver.

RELATED: Previous logos

Ultimate Medal Count

The Winter Olympics start tomorrow in a country (Russia) that has yet to win a medal at a World Flying Disc Federation Championships or The World Games Ultimate ("Flying Disc") competition. Since 1983, there have been only eighteen countries that won a medal at international Ultimate events:
Teams from North America have won the majority of medals; 134 medals (~41%) by the U.S. and 53 (16%) by Canada.

Top-3 medal-winning countries (out of 18):
1. United States, 134
2. Canada, 53
3. Japan, 31

Countries with most gold medals (out of 9):
1. United States, 73
2. Canada, 16
3. Sweden, 10

[SOURCE: Medal Count dataMap by Sludge.]

Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Map of Invitees to U.S. Junior Tryouts 2014

USA Ultimate released the invited list for the two National Team U-19 tryouts scheduled to take place in March -- in Atlanta on March 15-16, and in Seattle on March 22-23. The tryout camps are meant to help coaches roster a boys and girls National Team for WFDF World Junior Ultimate Championships in Lecco, Italy over July 20-26, 2014.

Tryouts invited 176 athletes (79 females, 97 males) from 27 states. Washington state is represented by the most U-19 athletes (28; 15.6%); Minnesota is second with 13, followed by Pennsylvania (12). Here's a state-by-state breakdown of the combined list:

[Data Source: USAU]

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Frisbee Combat League

It's safe to say this video game won't win any Spirit of the Game awards.


Frisbee Combat League from XMPT Games is an arena based deathmatch game where you have to take out the opposing teams using your limited supply of Frisbees. They have a tendancy to bounce around, so after only a few throws, the arena gets very manic. Modes for this game include: team deathmatch, a wave-based horde mode, and a number of multi-player options. This new game for Sony PlayStation Mobile is still in development.

[via The Vita Lounge]

Ultimate Wake Up

Thinking about Ultimate when you awake is pretty normal. And, it just got a little easier.

Wake-Up Light [Philips]

Info: Inspired by nature's sunrise this light therapy alarm clock uses a unique combination of light & sound to wake you in a more natural way and feeling more refreshed. Making it easier to get out of bed. The digital clock is an orb ringed by a soft light. The light of the sunrise simulation shifts from yellow to bright yellow. More relevant, this alarm clock LOOKS LIKE A FRISBEE!!!

Price: $69.99

Monday, February 03, 2014

Make It Rain, Seattle

After last night's Seahawks victory in Super bowl XLVII, here's an "update" to Major League Ultimate's Seattle Rainmakers logo...
[Inspired by: the Gatorade bath]

The Break Side

Episodes 1 and 2 of The Break Side just dropped. James Wagner and Chris Schasse created this web-series by documenting their travels of the western United States in the 2013 summer. Their inspiration was seeking to combine travelling and playing Ultimate, and shows "the connections and experiences that can be had through travel and within the Ultimate community." This video project was initially supported by a Kickstarter campaign.

Enjoy their shenanigans and the "catchy" jingle...The Breaaak Side!

Sunday, February 02, 2014

Super Odds


Final results of your bold Super Bowl XLVIII predictions are in:

Predicted Winning Team (Qty)
Seahawks = 5
Broncos = 9

Seattle won 43-8 over Denver. Five predictors (Anna, Christy, Michael F, Joe & Steve) out of 14 (35.7%) correctly selected the underdog. Yes, 3/4 of the Fishpez fam predicted the outcome correctly.

Closest to the Hawks total (43) = Steve (28)
Closest with the Broncos total (8) = Christy (16)
Most on-point with predicting the winner AND the actual score = TIE Both Steve & Joe predicted a Seattle win & a 4-point margin of victory.

Congratulations! Thanks for playing.

Saturday, February 01, 2014