Frisbee Throwing Reaches an Ultimate Level

“A Frisbee disc is catchable until it touches the ground.” 

Frisbees designed for the game of Ultimate, sold at The Warehouse. Source: Olivia Welsh. 

In Aotearoa, sport is an ever-expansive, expressive form of recreational fun. Kids don their team colours for Saturday tournaments; a game of social basketball gets underway in the UC gym. However, some sports are highlighted more than others in terms of their accessibility and overall appeal. 

For example, iconic teams such as the All Blacks and Silver Ferns keep rugby and netball relevant in NZ. Golf is the pinnacle for balance and focus, and tennis for agility and speed. 

But what about the sports that are more obscure? Say, a sport that is cardio-heavy, and involves disc-throwing – and dodging an unintentional elbow to the face? 

Ultimate, originally known as Ultimate Frisbee, is a non-contact sport with no referee, and great encouragement for players to understand and follow regulations. This is known as Spirit of the Game (SOTG), a concept that, through natural evolution, became a basis for how to play Ultimate; know and follow the rules, and have mutual respect for those involved. 

Each game ends with the points scored – and a spirit rating from the other team – out of a possible 20, covering five elements. Between zero and four points can be awarded in each of the following categories: “Rules, Knowledge and Use”, “Fouls and Body Contact”, “Fair-Mindedness”, “Attitude and Self-Control”, and “Communication”. 

Like with all sports, Ultimate has its challenges. The lack of someone in charge means that communication strategies have to be at the forefront, and with its popularity, the demographic has come with privilege and a lack of diversity. Ultimate also requires a significant amount of trust, as when injustice is detected, all the players must stop and talk it out. 

This means that the players must keep in tune with their actions and the actions of others, whilst making fair decisions and holding accountability. With schools starting to incorporate this kind of recreational activity, it’s exciting to see a newfound focus on civility and teamwork, as it’s just another way people of all ages can get out there and be involved in the community. 

As mentioned by an experienced source, if you ask others why they play, the majority will answer with “the people”. Above all else, Ultimate is about unity, honesty, and having a blast with your friends outdoors. 

Apart from the ‘party’ and ‘hat’ tournaments that encourage creative and silly aspects of the game, there are also opportunities for professional careers outside of Aotearoa. You can be a paid athlete, coach, or manager in the United States, and play or coach in Australia. 

Emma Holdaway, an Ultimate enthusiast, has played for the last 12 years and has won NZ Nationals once in the Opens division. She’s also been involved in an array of less official international tournaments. 

Holdaway credits Ultimate with helping her to develop useful social qualities, despite it still being underrated in a multitude of ways. “I think the simplicity of the sport allows us to escape the sometimes-systemic… unpredictability of the real world,” said Holdaway. 

“It's about celebrating the greatness of achievement in the sport regardless of who performed it, because it is evidence and inspiration that it is possible.” 

Ultimate strives to capture the attention of a certain type of person, particularly athletes who are over the intense competitiveness of prior sports they have been involved in – but who still like a good challenge. 

There are main hubs for Ultimate in Aotearoa, including Pōneke Wellington and Kirikiriroa Hamilton, but there are active communities all throughout the country. 

A goal is scored during New Zealand Youth Ultimate Frisbee championship in 2019. Source: Glenn Jeffrey / Fairfax NZ. 

Here in Ōtautahi Christchurch, we are no stranger to the game. University of Canterbury Ultimate Club (UCUC) is for fun-loving frisbee fanatics in the area. Its Facebook page welcomes everyone, and has over 1.4k members. UCUC is the first point of contact for those wanting to get involved at the University, and is merely one of more than a hundred student-run clubs and organisations showing wicked initiative. 

For enthusiasts out there looking for key events, the WFDF 2024 World Ultimate Championships (WUC) will be held this year on the Gold Coast, Australia from the 31st of August through to the 7th of September. 

WUC takes place every four years in a different nation with up to 2000 athletes competing in an array of divisions. That certainly sounds like a blast for those who enjoy throwing the disc, or watching it being thrown.