4-on-4 Beach Ultimate sometimes seems like an illegitimate child. It was started by Tim Finan in Florida with the hope that it would get mainstream TV interested. Shorter fields, a 6-second stall count, and a two-point score when the disc is thrown from endzone-to-endzone were to make this sport more spectacular. Jose Cuervo (a tequila brand) put some money into it, but it never took off.
It is still played in the US, mainly at one of the largest Beach Ultimate tournament in the world: WildWood. However it never really took off anywhere else. Traditional grass Ultimate players preferred larger fields, ‘normal’ stall-counts, and more a strategic game.
However, slowly but surely 4-on-4 Beach Ultimate it is taking root. There is now a 4-on-4 Beach Ultimate league (LBU44) in France. 11 teams played in this winter’s phase with 3/4 of French Mediterranean players participating. LBU44 isn’t only French: this summer two Spanish teams will participate too.
LBU44 in France became an association in April and they have been trying to get more cities to help and to get sponsoring and an assurance. They have contacted Beach Soccer and Beach Volley in France in the hope to do demonstrations during their competitions this summer in Marseille. Lastly on 4-5 July, they are organizing the 1st French Cup of Beach Ultimate 4-4 in Valence… So they are not sitting still 🙂
Will 4-on-4 Beach Ultimate ever be a TV favorite? I don’t know. I think it doesn’t matter what format we play this game in, TV only sells to the masses and the masses we are not. We don’t have referees and that is something that many people don’t understand. Too bad, but that is reality. In the meantime, we just smile and think that people are missing out on something amazing that can be played by everyone: Beach Ultimate
