One may spend years searching out that enigmatic sport that will take hold of your athletic proclivities. Thoroughly consumed with baseball, I would never have thought that hockey, at the ripe age of fourteen, would consume my entire athletic being. But it did – at least for a while. Unfortunately its grasp did weaken, and I, more taken with television and sleeping, fell out of the organized athletic world and into my bed.
That is, until today. I have now found the ultimate college sport.
In the midst of the “alternative” spring sporting events prevalent on campus – the leisurely game of catch, the pick-up soccer scrimmage, the hacking of the hacky sac – comes my decided favourite. The odd game of Frisbee. How odd indeed, but is it really that far fetched?
The predominance of a little- known game called “Ultimate” Frisbee seems to be the sport of choice this season in U.C.’s back campus. Any time the sun appears and the grass is dry, a plethora of Dave Matthews Band enthusiasts (the more “extreme” opting for Phish) swarm the field with an Esso Frisbee in one hand and a passion for both sport and laziness in the other.
Under the pretense of healthy competition, good sportsmanship and an inexplicable taste in clothing and music, two teams are devised, each with its own endzone. Players may not run with the Frisbee, but must remain in position while forwarding the “bee” to other players who will, ostensibly, make it to the opposition’s endzone before their marijuana addled lungs give way to a lack of oxygen.
Yes, I know – it sounds like fun. But does it merit a title that throws it into the ranks of K2 heli-skiing? “Ultimate” Frisbee is more like Penultimate Frisbee. Sure, it’s a step up from a game of fetch with Rover, but sweet mother of pearl, outside of a twisted ankle, what type of threat are we talking about here? You ripping your Pearl Jam ’92 Tour t-shirt? Throw some tigers in the game, set up some land mines – put those other ‘ultimate’ sports to shame!
It may appear that I’m opposed to Penultimate Frisbee; that is not the case. I rather enjoy the notion that I can participate in an extreme sport without jeopardizing my health or my safety. Further, the only piece of equipment I need can be acquisitioned in the Pizza Pizza “Fries-bee” combo for a mere $2.99; uniforms are optional; and, under the pretense that I am indeed improving my athletic capabilities, I’m more or less just running around throwing a six-ounce piece of plastic. Kudos, Penultimate Frisbee, Kudos.
For hundreds of arbitrary Penultimate rules check out: http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/ferguson/ultimate/ultimate-rules.html#About
