have vehicles they brought over ages ago on barges. Players pile into the backs of a few pick-ups, feet dangling over the tailgate and arrive at the hall like a scene from the Waltons. Inside, fresh chowder and bread, greens from island gardens, local wine too. This is the “Community Grub and Groove.” An event held four times per year. The hall is jammed, the Ultimate players are warmly welcomed, the meal is excellent with food, a drink, a desert, and entertainment included in the player fee. Then the talent show begins. Fourteen local musicians have written their names on the chalk playbill. The talent captivates the full house. From sweet sibling harmonies, to original pieces on handcrafted driftwood drums the tunes complement the warm community atmosphere. Then a fifteenth name goes up on the playbill. Grant Lowndes, a grandmaster Ultimate player from Alberta takes the stage with his guitar. He is the closing act. Slightly intoxicated Ultimate players
burp and nod at the tables. The entire audience is feeling the old maxim that “all talent shows are long.” Grant plays “I’m So Tired” by the Beatles, and the audience cracks up. It is the perfect note on which to wrap up the event. There’s a huge round of applause. The crowd disperses into the amazing brightness of the full moon. Ultimate players regroup spontaneously
over the next hour at the sacred field—the very first one built just for Ultimate in the world. Being there is like a Pilgrimage for some of the older players romanticizing about the good old days of ‘sprit.’ The wet grass shimmers in the moonlight. No one wants to go to bed. There’s an LED lit Frisbee, and suddenly: it’s game on! at midnight under a blazing full moon. Seven a side chasing a flashing red disc, with plenty of subs. An hour of hard Ultimate later, the game is decided on a long huck-- at 1:10 am. 15-13 Players disperse, back to seaside hotubs and bonfires, to duvets, and to a small rave out on the point where the last of the complimentary keg is consumed. All under the great white glowing lunar orb.
“Sun’s up, looks great…” Sunday
morning pushes the moon over. Calgary and Vancouver emerge from the semi finals which start out slow but get intense. Between the semis and the finals a disc from Maplewood High School celebrating the 40 anniversary of the first Ultimate game ever played is presented to the player that has been playing for the most years. The disc goes to Phred Wallace who started playing in 1971, 38 years before. The sidelines are full for the final as many island residents are keenly interested retired ulti players, others have nothing else to do. Tied at 12, Calgary wins it at 15- 13. Then the reality of the ferry schedule forces itself into the picture. When you arrive by boat you have to depart by… But there’s time for awards and medals. And what medals they are! Produced
at the Lasqueti Mint by Tolling, there are handcrafted solid silver medals for each player in the player’s pack commemorating the first ever Grand Master’s Championships as well as Silver medals in bezels for each member of the winning team, awarded at the closing ceremony. There is a silver medal awarded by a vote of the players to Jon Thornton as the MVP and a solid gold medal awarded to Tolling as the Grand Master with the most “Spirit of the Game”. The exceptional engraving by the Lasqueti Mint is admired internationally, and by Canada’s own national Mint. Every player also gets a disc. But not a tournament disc. Instead each grandmaster player got to choose a single disc from Tolling’s treasured archive of discs collected from around the world. There was a player’s pack with a silver medal, a tourney shirt, a classic disc, $5 in local currency, and a certificate that supplies food, drink, a bed and entertainment for the weekend as well as companionship with the most spirited players in Ulti on the first field built for the play of the game under blue skys. Now what was it that was missing?? Oh?? Was that you?
Who will meet at this year’s Canadian Grand Masters Ultimate Championship?
Ultimate Canada Magazine —
www.canadianultimate.com
2010 GRAND MASTERS 6th CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP BY MIKE LEE What a great tournament! We had
players from right across Canada and the US. The food was fantastic. The weather despite a little rain at the start of the second day to soften up the fields, worked out very well.
THE FINAL STANDINGS WERE:
1. Get off my lawn – Ottawa – Cup Champions
2. Opposable Thumbs – Vermont 3. Vieux Montreal – Montreal 4. Old Glory – Philly 5. Thirst N Howl – California 6. Mass Hysteria – Western Mass 7. That 70’s Show – Ontario
The amazing thing was that on the first day there were games decided by one or two points between the first two teams and the last two teams. Thanks to all for participating. On behalf of the Ottawa team, an amount will be donated to a charity of their choice – let me know which one guys. Ottawa also send me your names as you would like them to appear on the Cup. The series is now tied 3-3 between the US and Canada, but Canada has been on a bit of a roll the last two years. Looking forward to seeing you next
year at about the same time for the tourney. Keep those legs moving and discs
flying! 17
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