Interesting Coincidence?

Ultimate season has kicked off in North America with tryouts and as our top teams form up my thoughts turn (once again) to WUCC 2010 in Prague.  While announced years ago the preparations and team lists for Prague are far from complete.  Teams across the divisions continue to drop out (Ultimate players are notoriously flaky…ask any Tournament Director) while dedicated teams fill the spots freed up.  Last week Doublewide locked in their spot and a team that hasn’t been seen internationally all that much should stun many teams this July.

Of course it’s tough to tell who will play for whom just yet (the deadline for player rosters is still one month away: May 31st) and a few teams have just completed tryouts.  For example, Fury (San Francisco) just completed their tryouts and drew players from as far away as Italy for a shot to play with them.  Likewise Sockeye, Seattle, announced their roster for 2010 and there’s a few International players on their roster (not to mention Adam Holt!).  Players from GOAT are heading to Sweden and club teams from around the world are working within the roster rules set out by WFDF and their NSO’s to beef up as much as possible.

Of course, it would be nice to get a preview of top teams.  Between now and WUCC there are few major tournaments that would give us a good look at the top teams; if only there was something to quench our thirst for some Ultimate.  Fortunately a little bit of luck is on our side.

On May 8th and 9th the annual Toronto Ultimate Festival (organized by Toronto Sport and Social Club) will feature the top teams from Southern Ontario and Quebec.  While the Mixed division won’t have any teams that are heading to Prague (at this time) we will get our first look at an Ontario without Liquid.  Since the top team in Ontario split up the usual suspects: Tundra, BFC, MONSTER, and Mayhem; new blood: MuD; and old fogeys: Big Hammers; all seem intent on making the Ontario tournament season the tightest in recent memory.

The firepower of Liquid has split in equal parts to Open and Women’s.  Maverick (formerly Medicare) has attracted the top male talent in KW while well established PPF has absorbed the best of the ladies.  It’ll be interesting to see how Maverick will fare against the tryout teams of GOAT, Mephisto, and Phoenix which have seen each other before but never faced Maverick this early in the season.  There’s the  distinct possibility that Maverick will click early in the season and make the finals.

Does that quench your thirst?  No?  That’s good because TSSC and IAmUltimate will be working to record many of the highlight games at TUF and then making them available both on here and the TSSC site.  I have an inkling as to the schedule but Chris Loat (of TSSC) will draw it up next week to give us an idea of how much excitement you can expect.  Also, weather permitting we’ll bring some of those games live.

Will we see a Mephisto vs Phoenix rematch?  Schedules and updates as we think this thing through :)