First Canadian Grand Masters
Ultimate Championships A trip down memory lane
BY JOHN THORTON
“Note: While Ultimate Canada encourages the organization of tournaments at all-levels across the country, this tournament is not an Ultimate Canada recognized or sanctioned national championship.”
Everyone arrives at the First Canadian Grand Masters Championship
by boat. The lush, legendary field is on a nearly tropical island. Feels like going to Angkor Wat—almost. But it’s Lasqueti Island, one of BC’s famous Gulf islands. On Friday afternoon a who’s who of “experienced” western Canadian Ultimate talent meets on the wharf at French Creek for the 60 minute ferry over to Lasqueti. No cars. Only people and bicycles can be carried on the ferry. The players are conveniently traveling light because the friendly island natives are generously billeting everyone.
Friday night, after a round of 18, Phred
Wallace comes in 12 under to claim low score of the day, and pizza from the bakery, players meet at the pub beside the government wharf on Lasqueti,. It’s darts and draft while excellent island-grown talent rocks the house with acoustic guitar. The island vibe is thick in the air. Later, players disperse in pairs and small groups, walking along dirt roads, back to warm duvets, under a flawless, star-filled sky. There are no street lights or 60 cycle hum as the island is off grid. Saturday morning comes bright
and early. Tolling and Phred and the Esoteric gang are hosting the First Grand
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Masters Championship on the world’s first purpose-built Ultimate field. Teams congregate; their cleats wet with dew and try on their Tourney shirts from their player’s pack. There’s a ceremony of welcome and Chi Kung to warm up plus a little inspiration from a local herbal product. And the verdant field, built 14 years ago and so kindly and affectionately maintained by Tolling and the Esoterics, beckons, as players start warm up throws before game one. Of course the throwing is awesome,
and the cuts perfectly timed. What would you expect of players who’ve spent the last 20 or more years throwing Frisbees
and playing Ultimate? You know what? They get pretty damn good. And from the field while playing, or from the sidelines eating fresh island fruits, the pace, the quality of play—it’s good, it’s still really good. And then, well, grand masters throw some awful swill too! But mostly it’s good. It’s all good. Kaweski throws perfect long hucks while Limin…is laying out on O. Sensational Ultimate played under a clear blue sky. Everyone gets more and more pumped as the day goes on and the sun climbs high in the calm, cloudless sky. We all head across the road to a cafe featuring a lunch menu specially prepared for grandmasters, and included in our fee. Sure there’s field food too, but we’re alright with a sit-down option. Periodically someone says, “where’s ?? He’d a loved this.” And we all say, “yep,” baking in the sun on the café deck across the road from the field, and each saying to ourselves: “this is as good as it gets, no Ultimate tournament anywhere has come close.” After 3 games each of the teams retire
to oceanside hotubs and saunas for a little R n R as the round robin results are officially tallied by the tournament junta under the fig tree at Tolling’s house. All the players will be meeting later for the tournament dinner. It’s a few kilometers up-island to the community hall. Some Esoteric hosts
Ultimate Canada Magazine —
www.canadianultimate.com
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