Paganello 2007: World Beach Ultimate Championships
Rimini, Italy
April 5- 10, 2007 If you know Whit and me, you know how much we love this tournament. Obviously, the ultimate itself is amazing - but there is a lot more going on at this tournament that just that. Paganello is exciting beyond description, once you get off the train in the small beach town of Rimini, you can just feel the energy of the tournament arriving with the 2,000 players traveling in to participate. We met about half our team in Bologna on Wednesday, which was really fun despite everyone’s jetl-lag. Our team is unique in that we play together 2-3 times a year, but really only see each other on those occasions. This year LMLP represented Texas, California, Colorado, New York, Maryland, North Carolina, and Denmark. Once we met up with Harper, Hartch, Whitey, Mark, Hartline, Beaker, and Cait at our hostel, we walked to Ristorante la Brace for dinner. Afterwards we walked over to the Clauricane - the largest Irish pub in Bologna and continued to catch up with each other.
It’s a four-day event with games starting on Friday, but Thursday is when most players arrive to check-in to their hotels and go to the Opening Ceremonies that night. So, the next day we all took the train to Rimini. On the train we ran into two other teammates, Whitney and Colin. Just as last year, we stayed at the Hotel Esedra, which is about a ten-minute walk to the beach. One of our teammates had a room with a huge balcony that the whole team could fit on. It’s not the most glamorous hotel, but it’s all about location - and they have a good breakfast. Woody and Deanna were at the hotel when we got there, so we threw down our bags and all went out for lunch. While filling up on piadina, another one of our teammates, Cathy, walked by and joined us. When we had most of the team there, we went to the beach for a short practice to loosen up.
That night we all went to the Opening Ceremonies, which were a ball. All the players gather at the fields on the beach and the tournament provides wine, pasta, bread, and fresh sardines. It’s fun to go and see players from other teams. There is also entertainment - this year it was stilt-walking, costumed people. Not really sure what they were supposed to be but they definitely added something to the whole scene. Eventually the big fireworks show started which is always fun to watch. One of the best things about the Opening Ceremonies is being with people who are there for the first time, such as our friend Drew and Whit’s sister Cait. It was a treat to have them there with us and see them enjoying the tournament.
On Friday the games began with basic pool play. LMLP was ranked 3rd going in to the tournament, so we were at the top of our pool. We played CoTequila (Italians), Yellow Fever (Czechs), and Captain Binge Drinking (Irish). We won all three games under the beautiful Italian spring sunshine - it was awesome! After one of the games, I had an authentic Italian espresso at a bar right on the beach with KP and Harper - you can’t be there and not partake. The day was finished off with an incredible Italian dinner. A few years ago, LMLP went to the same place with the Danish team and shared a pre-set, five course meal. There were thirty of us at the dinner, and the food just kept on coming as we sat and tried to eat. I barely made it back to the hotel before my food coma took me down. Needless to say, it was a great meal.
On Saturday the teams were re-arranged into power pools based on Friday’s results. It’s typical that top teams face off on Saturday, but still have the chance to advance. In our case, that face-off was against Huck Finn - a Bay-area team that we lost to in the semi-finals last year. The game started out very even, with points being traded until about 6-6, then our offense couldn’t convert, and Huck Finn took advantage of that. That day we also played Thrill Ride, from Germany. We’ve played them in years past, and it is always a battle. Fortunately, that one ended in our favor. Our last game and victory - that day was against Chili, Soy, MSG - team representing “Greater China Ultimate.” Back at our hotel, pizza was ordered from Mille Gusti, a pizzeria that we frequent every Paganello. The owners recognize us, and always throw in a free extra pizza and maybe a free hat.
That night was also the first theme party “Hollywood.” Our team spun the theme as Hollywood Pool Party, and there were a lot of other interpretations of the idea. The party itself was at the main tent at the beach; it was highly entertaining to see how other teams dressed up - there was a team of people wearing 3-D moving glasses, sitting in theatre seats eating popcorn. The folks on Huck Finn dressed up as pseudo-actors and gave out Oscars at the party. There were also movie/television crews; and teams dressed as certain movies, such as Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.
Sunday morning brought one more power-pool game, and we played a French team and won, which advanced us to quarter-finals. The game against the French was really fun, and well-spirited. It’s that much more fun (whether you win or lose the game itself) to end the experience laughing with your opponents. It was the same way in our quarter final game against the Dutch team, Mouthful of Sand. LMLP was really focused and played a solid game against them, it was a fun win. However, it was this win that put us up against the defending champions. The Horned Melons, from Philadelphia, have won the tournament multiple times - yet our team never got the chance to meet them in pool play or the championships in the past. So, we were ready for them. The game was played in the arena, which has huge bleachers and an announcer. It didn’t take much to get everyone amped for the game, and we really brought it out for the win. It was an extremely even, hard-fought game - every point and turnover was pivotal. It came down to the wire at the end, 10-10 (game to 11). We received the disc and brought in the winning point without turning it over and having to win possession back - winning the game 11-10. Too bad that wasn’t the final!
That night was the second of the two theme parties, this time it was the “Roaring Twenties.” Our team got done up as newsies, flappers, and gangsters and went out for a celebratory dinner. In order to be rested and ready for the finals the next day, most of us made it an early night.
Finals: Monday, noon, in the arena, 1,500+ spectators. Our opponents - Huck Finn. The match was pretty much a repeat of Saturday. It was still fun to play against our friends on Huck Finn, and it was a well-spirited match. LMLP was disappointed about the loss, but the experience of playing in the arena with all the people watching in the sun in Italy made that easy to get over. The spirit circle after the match was great, since many of the players on our team and theirs know each other. We all sat together and watched the men’s final game, eating pizza, drinking beer, and being merry. The tournament has a closing ceremonies in the tent were the final standing are announced, player gifts are given out (espresso percolators and ground Italian espresso), and the trophies are rewarded. Another great aspect of Paganello is that it isn’t the trophies that are coveted to represent your team’s victory. Rather, it’s the bright yellow, Paganello beach umbrella that is given to the first place team in each division. By Monday night we were all pretty exhausted. We made it out for a final team dinner, and there was one more party out at the Rimini pier. Cait and I were both coming down with colds by this point, and turned in early.
And, just like that - Paga is over. Four days has never gone by faster. On Tuesday bags were packed, train tickets purchased, and ultimate players dispersed. Whit and I went back to Bologna with Cait, Mark, Hartline, Cathy, Cooper, and Amy. Before our train to Rome we had an early dinner with those folks and eventually parted ways. We’re already counting the days (and dollars) until next year!!
Danish Women’s National Team Training Weekend
Odense, Denmark
March 24-25, 2007 Before arriving in Copenhagen, our host Kate invited me to a two-day training session for the Danish Women’s National team that she’s playing on. Since I haven’t played much since the last tournament, I agreed. The team is preparing to play in European Ultimate Championship in August in the UK. Whit and I arrived on Thursday afternoon, and hung out with our hosts that night. On Friday we went to an indoor ultimate practice, which neither of us had done before. Instead of 7 vs. 7, it’s five a side, and the game is alot different. Regardless, we were happy for the exercise. The next morning Kate and I got up before six to catch our trains out to Odense, an hour and a half away. The most exciting thing about it is its the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. We got to the training fields around 9:30, and started practice at 10. The team is still in it’s early stages, so there was a lot of talk regarding tactics. There were 17 women there on Saturday, and we played two hours in the morning before a lunch break, and then played two more hours in the afternoon. On Saturday night most of the team went to the house of a local player’s parents. The house was incredible - a true Danish country house large enough so that the 15 of us staying there had a mattress or a couch to sleep on. The dining room table, which seats twenty, easily fit all of us for a great dinner of homemade Danish pancakes (which are basically crepes used as tortillas), filled with veggies and meat. The traditional Danish dessert of Ablekage (Apple Cake) was served, which was delicious. It’s made of stewed apples, which are layered into a dish with creme fraiche and topped with rasp (fried breadcrumbs). Before dinner I had been taught the rules of handball, a very popular sport in Denmark. So, after our stomachs were full we watched a women’s game on TV. I have never seen a more physical women’s sport before, on TV nonetheless. It’s pretty much full-contact, and the players definitely take advantage of that. It started to get late and we were all tired from running around all day, so it was time for sleep! The sun was out again for the second day of training. Instead of working on offensive tactics, defense was discussed and practiced. We spent the last hour or so scrimmaging before cooling down and stretching. Just like that, we had played ultimate for eight hours and it was time to go home. Kate and I got dropped off at the Odense train station and were back at her and Jonas’ place by 6:30. Today I can barely walk - my whole body hurts. But, it was good for me to get out and play again, since Paganello is just around the corner…
Ocean Beach Ultimate Tournament
Whangarei Heads, New Zealand
February 17-18, 2007 After meeting up with Mike and Cara in Auckland and picking up their friend Ashley from Whangarei, we all headed out to Ocean Beach. The drive to the beach was beautiful, and we were all excited to go play some ultimate. When we arrived at Ocean Beach, we walked around the area. There was a huge sand hill on the northern end of the beach that we climbed up to see the view. It was pretty amazing. Then we all ran down it which was fun because of how steep it was.
The tournament was really well run, which made the whole weekend really enjoyable. The registration fee included five meals, the tournament itself, camping, etc. The camping was right over the hill from the beach, where the 60 players registered stayed for the weekend. Before we went to bed that night we got out our sleeping bags and lay down to watch the stars.
It was hat-format, meaning we all signed up individually and then teams are picked by the tournament director. There were six teams total, with about nine people on each one. Mike and I were on the same team, as were Whit and Ashley. The tournament had an impressive amount of international representation - there were players from France, Switzerland, England, Jamaica, Canada, and the U.S. There was only one field, so two teams played per round. The rounds were thirty minutes long and if your team wasn’t playing you could wait under the shade tent or go for a swim. On Saturday there were at least ten rounds. The team that Mike and I were on only lost one game on Saturday, putting us in good position to play in the finals on Sunday. On Saturday night there was a big barbeque. At Ocean Beach there is a Surf Life Saving Club, meaning there was a club-house which they let us use for the weekend. Since there was a kitchen, toilets, a shower, and some bunks in it - this was a definite score. The barbeque was really good - there were even homemade vegetarian burgers! When it got dark the tournament director set off a few fireworks before starting a bonfire on the beach. Throughout the night players were supposed to be wearing funny hats (since it was a hat tournament).
On Sunday there were four games. During the first game a pod of dolphins swam by the beach, showing off with lots of big jumps out of the water - it was pretty cool. Mike and I made it to the finals, meaning we got to burn our feet on the sand for an extra thirty minutes (it was really hot out). Fortunately, it was worth it, because even after getting behind in the beginning, we had an eight point run to win the game! And what did we get? Cooler bags! That will be fun to carry around for the next two months! Overall it was an incredibly fun weekend. It was great to be hanging out with Cara and Mike again, and got us excited to play more beach ultimate in Italy over Easter!
-Claire
DisKapital: Canberra Hat Tournament
Canberra, ACT, Australia
January 6-7, 2007: Did you know that Sydney is not the capital of Australia? Nope, it’s Canberra, which is about half-way between Sydney and Melbourne. The city was designed to be the capital in the 1940s when the Aussie government couldn’t decide between the two largest cities and comprised by putting it in the middle. Anyways, Whit, Cara, and I signed up to play in a hat tournament. We had help from the folks at the Wedge arranging rides for the 3 hour trip. Whit and I left on Friday afternoon with Ju and Ellie, two juniors women’s players from Sydney. It took a long time to get there, but we were glad to see one more new place before leaving. On the way we passed Lake George, which isn’t much of a lake at all anymore and makes a strong point about the draught in Australia. When we got to Canberra, we were dropped off at the house of a player who we met in Sydney, Max. He wasn’t there, but had let his roommate Ian know we would be showing up. That night we went out to dinner with Ian in the Dickson area of Canberra, at a place called Zefferelli’s and had a yummy roasted pumpkin, feta, and cashew pizza. Then it was on to the bar O’Neill’s, where folks from the tournament were meeting up to pay player’s fees.
The next morning it was hot by 9am. We went to the fields where they announced the teams (at a hat tournament you register as a single player with a defined skill level, and then teams are picked, with even skill level on each team). The teams were picked by astrological sign. I was on the Libra team “Balanced for Your Pleasure,” Whit was on the Capricorn team “What’s a Sea Goat?”, and Cara was on a mixed team called “The All-Stars.” It was a fun first day, especially after some clouds rolled in and relieved us from the hot sun. All of our teams went 3-1 for the day. The tournament had arranged for all the players to be admitted into the community pool after the games were over. We headed over there and cooled off, then showered and went to pick up take-out for dinner, and then it was back to Ian’s place with Cara. That night there was a party at Kremlin’s, a bar in Canberra.
On Sunday Whit and I played each other in our first and third games. The third game was the semi-final, which my team won. My team played in the finals, but lost by one point. There was a BBQ during the finals, and before driving back to Sydney some delicious tofu steaks and couscous were enjoyed. Whit and I rode with Cara, Rhys, and Phil, and made it back to the Wedge by about 10pm. Mike had stayed there so he could do the Coastal Track in Royal National Park south of the city. It was a fun weekend - we saw a few folks we had met at World’s, got to play some ultimate, and see a new place in Australia.
-Claire
World Ultimate Club Championships
Perth, Australia
Opening Day
Yesterday afternoon was opening ceremonies for worlds. The president of the WFDF gave some opening statements and introduced a few other people. An interesting fact I learned about the tournament is that it is the first worlds to be played in the Southern Hemisphere. Who the president of WFDF is, or what the WFDF is, I don’t really know. In the ultimate world though, it seems to be important. Maybe that is something I will research and try to get back to you all on; all I know is I didn’t vote for the president, but he seems cooler than ours back in the states. After the introduction were some aboriginal tribal dances, 3 guys dancing in loin cloths, and an older guy playing on his didgeridoo (On 2 didgeridoo, 1, 2, didgeridoo doo…. waaaaaahhh waaa). He was fantastic, compleatly unreal; I never heard anything like it. This guy could go on, making the most amazing sounds, quite impressive. After they were done came the Vegemite dancers. This I cannot explain, I will just have to show once I can get that video going. Lastly was an exhibition game between Team Fisher Price and Sublime. The game was alright, it seemed that every time I tried to record some of it someone would turf the disc or someone else would drop it. My tape should make for some pretty horrible highlights of that game. All in all opening cerimonies were fun, relaxed and slightly drizzly. The thing that has been great is that a local bar, that a ton of people seem to attend here is called “The Brass Monkey” (our team name). It sounds like we’re trying to rent out a big section of it to throw our own little tournament party. Definitely looking forward to that if it happens.
DAY 1 Today was relatively uneventful. After waking up to clear sunny skies, the team got together in the lobby of our hotel and went over some plays. A bit later we walked to a local school, worked on our dump sets and ran through the plays we had just learned. We then caught the shuttle (which is the local bus system but running specific routes for ultimate players) to the fields to grab a quick lunch before our first game. Our first game was against Ltd. Release (the 3rd ranked UK team - 23rd over all - we are ranked 7 - the number 4 US team). The game was a lot of fun but definitely had some slow, long points. The final score was 17 - 3, Brass Monkey. My relatives came to watch, loved the sport, bought a disc and tossed for 45 minutes afterwards. Great fun!
DAY 2 We matched up bright and early at 8:30 against the Woodies, very talented team from Germany. There was a strong wind, making it a close game for most of the first half, but Brass Monkey got fired up and won the match 17-1. Our afternoon game was against Eureka Goldigaz, from Australia. This was another young team. They seemed to think that they didn’t have much of a chance against us, so they ran several trick plays including Stop Drop and Roll, Cup-o-Saurus, and cross-gender match-ups. Although the game was fun and full of good spirit, it was challenging for our team to continue playing at our level and get some practice in. We battled through the wind and won, 17-4. This was the last game in our pool, meaning we would be re-seeded and put into a power pool with 1st and 2nd place teams from other pools. The competition would be more fierce, and we were looking forward to it!
DAY 3 Another 8:30 start - this time against Bootius Maximus, the top team from Australia. They had great athletes all around, and some excellent throwers as well, making it a tough defensive game for our side. Fortunately, when we got the D’s we were able to convert and got up early with a 4-0 lead. Without this, it would have been a really rough game. Even though they closed the gap to 2 points at times, we held the lead and won 17-13. In between games we grabbed lunch early to digest before the next round. We watched some of Cara’s game with friends from Texas - Alfie, Don Tom, Mike, and Skiz-ip. Our afternoon match was against Blokes and Sheilas, representing the UK. Still fired up from our morning victory, we came out strong, but struggled a bit against the wind and a few too many turnovers before pulling out the win at 16-10. Then, we ate an early dinner in order to get back and shower so we could go to a party at the Brass Monkey bar. A few of our teammates got connected with one of the managers, who was very excited to hear how excited we were that this bar existed. So, after putting an announcement in the daily newsletter, we had a great showing of players to the bar. It was great fun, lots of sun-burned players enjoying a cold beer and getting to know each other. Despite the good times, we headed out “early” to catch some sleep before another 8:30 start.
DAY 4 By now, getting up for 8:30 games was easy - even after going out the night before. This game was by far the roughest - against Team Fisher Price from Canada. They were stacked with great players and really gave us a fun, competitive match. We had the lead at the beginning, but they slowly creeped up and got ahead, right when the cap was going to come on and time was running out. A few points later, the game was over, 13-15. It was a very disappointing loss, especially since we had the lead at the beginning. We just weren’t fired up as we needed to be get that win. Hopefully we’ll see them in the finals! We ate a quick lunch and got recharged for our second game - the last of our power pool games. We played LeedsLeedsLeeds, a team from Leeds, UK (big surprise, right?). They had some excellent throwers and receivers, and were taking advantage of some of our mistakes. Even though we took half, we stepped it up another notch to win confidently take the second and win the match at 15-10. Since we finished a little earlier than usual, a few of us decided to catch the shuttle from the fields to the beach (FYI - the tournament also has a special bus system running for the 2,000+ players here to/from the different hotels and the fields, as well as the beaches). It was really hot out, even with the sun coming in and out of the fields. So, when we got the beach, the water felt incredible. We went back to the fields to eat dinner, and hung out for awhile. The tournament had organized a “Trade Night” for players to be able to mingle and exchange gear with each other. There was also a Brazilian band and capoeira dancers. Then it was on to the shuttle and back to the hotel.
DAY 5 Since we finished 2nd in our power pool, we advanced into a traditional 16-team, single-elimination tournament bracket for the championship. Our first game was a rematch - versus the Woodies. Our team was feeling very confident - having been able to sleep in for once, but knew that we had to take the win from the first point. And we did, the final score: 16-6. Meanwhile, there were three other games going on to determine who would advance to the quarter-finals in the afternoon. On the field next to us, Mischief - another Bay Area tea - was playing the Canadian squad Bombing Madd Fatties, and we would be playing the winner. The match seemed to be close the entire time, and made it to double-game point - and the Madd Fatties came out on top with a huge upset. Mischief was ranked 1st coming in, while their opponents were 16th. Our team headed to get food and recharge for a late afternoon game against the Madd Fatties. It was held in the arena, with a commentator, spectators, bleachers and the whole bit - very exciting. It also rained a little bit, but no one seemed to mind. In fact, it was nice relief from the otherwise very hot conditions to be outside running around in all day for four days in a row (if you ask me, that is…). During the break and warm-ups Brass Monkey had great energy and focus, really vying for the win. We came out strong, got the first point, and then took half at 9-3 (I think…). The Bombing Madd Fatties had some great throwers and receivers, but couldn’t turn it up enough to close the gap. Again, Brass Monkey was victorious, 17-8, with an advancement into the semi-finals. Bam! Bam! Bam! Monkey! Monkey! Monkey! Other quarter-final victories were Team Fisher Price (CAN) over Whorshack (Portland), Slow White (Boston) over Redlights (NED), and Red Fish Blue Fish (Bay Area) over Bad Larry (Colorado).
DAY 6 For our semi-final game we matched up against Red Fish Blue Fish, another team from the Bay Area. Our game was in the middle of the day, so we got to take our time getting up, eating, and arriving at the fields. The team energy was high, and we were all gunning for the win before the game even started. The opposing squad had lower numbers than we did (I believe they only had 15 people, whereas ours had 21), and we planned to use that to our advantage. We went up early in the first half, and maintained that lead throughout the game until we won, 14-8. After the game, we met with Red Fish Blue Fish for the customary Spirit Circle (for those of you unfamiliar with ultimate, teams get together after playing each other and talk about the game - i.e. what went well, recognizing key players, as well as exemplary sportsmanship). In a Spirit Circle, teams often exchange gifts and sometimes play games - all in an effort to make sure the players leave in the best of spirits. The circle with Red Fish Blue Fish was cool because we knew so many players on their team. Also, it was funny when they gave their gifts - key chains from their home town of San Francisco. Our team watched them as they played for third place against Slow White from Boston. Once the team finished dinner, we dispersed for evening activities. The tournament had organized a party that night, since most teams were done playing. There was a DJ, a live band (the lead singer of the band wore a Brass Monkey jersey for a few numbers), fire dancers, and stilt people. We hung around for the beginning, but left before it was in full swing. After all, we had the Finals the next day!
DAY 7 Exciting! Finals! In front of a large crowd on one of the hottest and most humid days we saw, Brass Monkey rematched against Team Fisher Price. They had been our only loss in the tournament, and it was a close game - so we were ready to get revenge. It was a tough game not only because the opposition was talented, but also because of all the other elements for distraction such as the commentators, weather, and crowd. Also, this was day 6 of playing ultimate, so everyone was a little tired. Team Fisher Price scored the first point, and from there - despite being the crowd favorite - Brass Monkey couldn’t steal the lead. There were a few bad calls made by TFP, which was really disappointing. Since there are no officials in Ultimate, the game requires a lot of its players to make honest calls and play fair. That’s why in Spirit Circles, players and teams who do so are recognized. When there are alot of bad calls, it can be frustrating because the players aren’t demonstrating good spirit, and it cuts into playing time. Unfortunately, this is what happened during our game and before we knew it, the time cap went on with Brass Monkey down by five. The game ended at 13-8. If I may be frank - losing sucks, especially when you know you could have won. This was the team sentiment immediately after our loss. There were a few tears and other expressions of disappointment, however, the mood changed quite quickly when a woman on our team (Amy) spoke up. She hadn’t played alot throughout the week, and apologized to the team for being a bit out of shape. She also said how much fun she had, and that she was happy to tell us that she is four months pregnant! That’s when the waterworks came on and emotions were high - people were laughing and crying at the same time. Sure, we lost, but we still got 2nd place at World’s!! After the medal ceremony, we relaxed a little while relishing in the moment. Josh Greenough’s parents had come to watch starting on Day 5, and brought us goodies (and we’re talking the good stuff here: Oreos and peanut butter, avocados and cheese and crackers). We also had a special fan there, Chris from the Brass Monkey bar. He called in a reservation to the Brass Monkey Grill for that night. We gave him a Brass Monkey jersey, which he then had us sign in hopes that he could get it framed and displayed in their sports bar. Mike and Cara came to congratulate us, as did Lisa, Georgina, Elizabeth, and Charlotte. Then we migrated to the beer tent - finally! We watched the Men’s Final and mingled with a few other folks while enjoying a cold one. Whit and I both traded jerseys with players from other teams. He got a Woodies jersey, as well as a Double Wide one. I traded with a woman from the London team, Iceni (say it: I - C- Knee). The Japanese team, Buzz Bullets, beat the Aussie team Thong for the Men’s final. Just like that, World’s was over. We headed back to the hotel to prepare for dinner. There was just enough time to jump in the “pool” at the hotel - I’ve seen hot tubs that are bigger. Regardless, it was very refreshing.
Time for dinner. The Brass Grill was hopping that night, and the addition of our large, loud group only made it more so. The food was delicious. I had been told it was a steak house, which was of concern considering I don’t eat meat. I happily ordered a quesadilla and salad to share with Whit, but it wasn’t until the food started coming out that I realized the steaks weren’t limited to cow. Yep, they had Kangaroo! While everyone ate, the team exchanged words about the experience throughout the week - the games, jokes, friendships, laughs, etc. It was a really nice ending to what will be an experience that we’ll never forget.
Cheers, Brass Monkey!
