I’ve read my fair share of Ultimate/Frisbee books and many are okay, but none of them made me laugh as much as Tony Leonardo’s “Ultimate – The Greatest Sport Ever Invented By Man”. He is so right on when it comes to the Ultimate scene/culture. He describes several Ultimate stereo types that are so true (I fit many of them :-). He describes our dress code and our desire to win the party. There is even a section about the Ultimate pickup scene and how lesbians and bisexuals can score. It is just funny.
My only critique is that the book is US biased. He doesn’t discuss the World Championships unless they were held in the US and according to him US teams are the best (ignoring Japans domination at the last World Championships).
Nevertheless, this book is a must-have for every player. Not only will you recognize yourself in this book, lend it to your friends that don’t play the sport and they will finally see you in your full glory… (although I am not sure if that is that a good thing… š
My favorite quote: “Being female and looking for action at an Ultimate tournament is like hunting deer in a disco. Even if the metaphor doesn’t make sense you can’t screw it up“.
Thanks Tony. You capture the weird world of Ultimate players well.
You can buy the book at: www.thegreatestsporteverinvented.com or in the Lookfly store. Alternatively, Tony is going to the Bangkok Hat Tournament, Boracay Open and Bali Nusantara Cup, and he will be bringing a few books with him. So if you are also attending, look for him.
Author: patrick
TV Coverage of the World Championships
A very good 10 minute report on the World Championships in Brazil. It was shown today (13 January) on TV Globo, Brazil’s largest TV station with millions and millions of viewers…
Boracay Beach Ultimate in the news
A Beach Ultimate trip of a life timeā¦
Every year BULA helps a local group of Beach Ultimate lovers promote a special Beach Ultimate event somewhere on the planet. The Beach Ultimate Traveling Tournament (BUTT) helped start the Mundialito in Brazil in 2002. The BUTT also assisted players in the Canary Islands to help start the now famous CFC tournament, and it has helped Israel setup a huge Beach Ultimate tournament (BULAFLOW) in 2005. This year it is helping to promote the Beach Ultimate trip of a life time in New Zealandā¦
Local players are organizing a 5-weeks-4-tournaments Beach Ultimate series that start in the centre of New Zealand; Wellington. On 3-4 February players and teams are welcome at the Wgtn Wild Wind tournament ; then the series moves, week at a time, north to beautiful Hawkes Bay for the Boutique Beach Tournament; then to the good weather north of Auckland and the Ocean Beach tournament in Whangarei ; ending up after a two week break for sightseeing travel, on South Islandās premiere beach area, Nelson, where you can play at the Flat Out on the Beach tournament.
I know it is short notice, but in case you have the travel bug, know someone who does, or you are in the areaā¦ check it out: www.beachultimate.org.nz. New Zealand has always been a great travel destination and now you can play some great Beach Ultimate too.
Andā¦ if you still have some time spare you should fly from the last tournament in Nelson straight to the Philippines and play at the amazing Boracay Beach Ultimate tournament 8-9 Marchā¦ talking about a dream tripā¦
Playing Naked Frisbee in New Guinea
āIt is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes.ā
— Thoreau, Walden 1854
What is it about modern culture that makes authorities feel the need to impose a foreign language, way of life and religion on a people that live in communion, unashamedly nude deep in an impenetrable forest? In a culture where no one bothers to keep track of their age, the well intended, but genocidal policies of outsiders have been ravaging western New Guineaās highland tribes, as they slowly succumb to alien modernization.
One force driving this aboriginal extermination is the frontiersman psychology. Sledding to the Poles, summiting Everest, rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, itās all been done. We live in an age when uncharted earthbound exploration is virtually at an end, yet I partook in a particularly unique adventure; I taught naked Frisbee to natives who still dwell in the Stone Age. Someone had to do it. (More…)
Mick “SeXXXy MVP” Mengucci on the WCBU
Mick (Michele) Mengucci is a player everyone should meet. As one of the top Ultimate players in Europe he moved from Italy to Portugal around 1996. There he helped start the current (Beach) Ultimate scene. He also is a talented musician with many songs inspired Beach Ultimate and is a regular player in Paganello (SeXXXpensive) where he also sings.
At the World Championships in Brazil Mick played at the openings party and got the crowd dancing to his mix of Latin, African, Italian, Portuguese, and Cuban infused music. He also played two songs with 7-year old Tomas V (yes, my son :-). He was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the Master division, and after the tournament was over he went to Recife, north of Maceio to teach a budding Beach Ultimate community the game and the spirit of Beach Ultimate.
Mick’s spirit, music and game play is inspiring. Here is a text he wrote when hanging out at Dunas de MarapĆ©, 60 km north of Maceio, 2 days after the tournament was over. Enjoy.
“When I tell somebody that at last world club championship of disc on sand a player could sleep in a hammock by two palm trees with the sea on one side on the fields on the other, people find this is just a crazy funny strange weak game especially because the most valuable player in the master category is also the music entertainer at the opening ceremony.
But when they see the intensity of beach ultimate and the fascinating world that surrounds it they realize that the ultimate community is a transversal international movement in the social texture of the planet. Still pushed and guided by the simple and not easy idea that players should play keeping attention to each other faults and deal with the responsibility of calling the fouls.
They need to discuss about it, to communicate about it. This show that through communication human beings can achieve peace. This is an enormous message to all other sports and finally to the rest of humanity. DonĀ“t you think so?
You have to be stronger to accept that you fouled than to block the best player. People realize we are stronger when we come back to our normal life after some days of disc on the beach.
So letĀ“s stay strong and unite, letĀ“s keep this beautiful communication alive, based on spirit, together.
I thank God and all the saints and princesses that were at MaceiĆ³ for one more another most incredible Frisbee tournament in my life.”
Mick Mengucci
Mistura Pura
myspace.com/misturapura
(I supported Mick and bought his album online
(only $8!))
Thanks Mick!
P.S. If anyone has footage of his concert at the opening party please contact Mick via his site.
Lei-Out: the US equivalent to Paganello?
What better way to start off the new year than to come out to Southern California and play a weekend full of 5 v 5 beach fun? Lei-out grows every year and this year they have expanded it from 2 days to 3 days (Jan 19-21).
Here are some of the key details:
- Three day tourney right at the Santa Monica pier. Enjoy the sun and the ocean while you play.
- Raging Tournament Party
- Hotel discounts and local restaurant discounts for you and your team
- No roster cap for your team so you and all your buddies can come and play for only $30 per person.
- No UPA fees
Of course there will be the normal Frisbee morning cuisine of bagels, fruit, an initial supply of water and some other yummies.
World Championships scores and standings
Update: Pictures and guestbook at www.wcbu2007.org
Finals Sunday:
Open: Australia – Philippines 14-12 (Australia World Champions!)
Women: Great Britain – US 11-8 (Great Britain World Champions!)
Mixed: US – Germany 11-9 (US World Champions!)
Master: US – Great Britain 11-9 (US World Champions!)
Spirit of the Game winners:
MasterĀ“s: Brazil
Mixed: Switzerland
Women: Australia
Open: Philippines
Individual awards winners:
Masters Division
Best Defender: Rich Pancost (Great Britain)
Most Assists: Marco Aurelio (Brasil)
Top Scorer: Matt Luck (USA)
MVP: Mick Mengucci (Portugal)
Women division
Best Defender: Becca Tucker (USA)
Most Assists: Becca Tucker (USA)
Top Scorer: Becca Tucker (USA)
MVP: Becca Tucker (USA)
Mixed Division
Best Defender: Raoni (Brasil) & Katja “Resi” Hattermann (Germany)
Most Assists: Javi Perez Carames (Spain) & Catrin Schreiber (Germany)
Top Scorer: Justin Palmer (Spain) & Daniela Sprunk (Germany)
MVP: Raoni (Brasil) & Daniela Sprunk (Germany)
Open Division
Best Defender: Panoy Delos Santos (Philippines)
Most Assists: Kristian Guerero (Philippines)
Top Scorer: Buboy Famorcan (Philippines)
MVP: Kristian Guerero (Philippines)
Results Saturday afternoon:
Mixed division:
For 10th position: BR-CA: 6-11
For 8th position: CH-Sc: 7-6
For 6th position: GB-Pc: 4-7
For 4th position: ES-IE: 11-5
For place in finals: DE-AT: 16-4
Open division:
For 5th position: BR-Ci: 14-9
Semi final 1: AU-GB: 13-5
Semi final 2: PH-US: 9-7
For 3rd position: GB-US: 5-9
Master division:
For 4th position: BR-PT:8-12
For place in finals: GB-CA: 7-2
WomenĀ“s division:
For 4th position: BR-Ci: 2-8
For place in finals: US-AU: 10-5
Latest WCBU information
The latest information about the World Championships was just emailed to all the captains with the request to pass it on to the players. It has information about registration, parties, BULA congress, rules, etc… In case you didn’t get it yet: download the file here.
Bad Spirit can cost a team the finals
BULA and the local Brazilian organizing committee have decided that bad spirit during the World Championships can lead to exclusion from the finals.
Using the objective BULA SOTG scoring system, all teams will judged similarly by the teams they play against. Teams that have negative spirit ratings will be talked to at the end of each day by the Tournament Rules Group (TRG). Consistent bad spirit ratings throughout the championships can lead to disqualification to play in the finals.
BULA will continue to hold the Spirit of the Game as the most important part of Beach Ultimate. Play hard, be respectful and have fun!