WCBU 2007 News

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 Marapé, 60 km north of Maceio, 2 days after the tournament was over. Enjoy.

Mick Mengucci
“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. Don´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 let´s stay strong and unite, let´s keep this beautiful communication alive, based on spirit, together.
I thank God and all the saints and princesses that were at Maceió 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.

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:
Master´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
Women´s division:
For 4th position: BR-Ci: 2-8
For place in finals: US-AU: 10-5

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!

Pfffeww…

Both readers of this blog might have be wondering why it has been so quiet lately… I feel bad and will try to improve, but the main reason for my silence was the preparation for the World Championships.
frantic.gifGetting teams to respond and commit has been a challenge. Since I started playing (20+ years ago!) I always heard and found that Ultimate players are great, but there are a lot of unreliable people. At least relatively to other friends and or co-workers. They mean well, but committing to something is tough. Organizing the World Championships has been no different.
However, after a very intense 2 months with lots of emails, phone calls, etc.. we now have 27 teams confirmed. We have rosters, payment, flight info etc… we have WCBU lift off!!!
The turnout could have been better, but flying to Brazil is not cheap and that is always a problem. I believe that the World Championships (grass) Ultimate in Perth had a bit of the same problem. Beach Ultimate is even more handicapped because not that many players are playing it yet.
Nevertheless Maceio will be the biggest South American disc event EVER, and with 300+ players, 15 countries, beach, disc, parties, etc… it will be an event to remember! I am really looking forward to it and I know many other players are. Now we are going to work on scheduling and other details and we will get you all the info as soon as possible.
Until then, keep ’em flying and here are the divisions:
Flow
Mixed: Austria, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, the Peace Team, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, and the US
Masters: Portugal, Brazil, GB, Canada, US
Open: Philippines, Australia, Brazil, US, GB, Currier Island
Women: Currier Island, Australia, US, GB, Brazil

Vaccinations and Visa’s for WCBU?

The Scottish team found that vaccinations for Yellow Fever and Polio are recommended when traveling to Brazil, however they are not required. Vaccination is country specific. Players might want to ask the Brazilian consulate about this. When you contact the consulate, also check if you need any visa to go to Brazil.