CEUUC 2010

Kingston, Queen’s, well done sirs and madams. We who are sore salute you. A tournament with good fields is infinitely more enjoyable than one with dirt patches and potholes, so thank you from all of us who laid out, slid and didn’t snap our ankles on your fields.

Congrats to everyone who played this weekend at the Canadian Eastern University Ultimate Championships, a good showing by all. It was great to see A and B teams coming to CEUUC, I love that there are enough people to support 2 teams at so many universities and at such a high level. Mad props to McGill and Carleton for a great men’s final and to uOttawa and TULA for an equally exciting women’s. Ottawa did end up splitting the hardware, uOttawa taking the women’s and Carleton in the men’s, so congratulations to both squads. :)

I played with Carleton this weekend and we pulled a couple games out with some real grit on defence, particularly the Guelph and McGill (final) games, so phenomenal job Ravens. Old Milwaukee never tasted so adequate than out of a trophy after a hard-fought game. Winning that final was so gratifying, which is the mark left by playing such a worthy opponent. To Guelph, I don’t know if there’s something in the water  in Guelph but wow are you ever an annoyingly solid team. That was easily one of the more intense games I’ve played in in a while. If these are the calibre of teams we’ll see at CUUC, that’ll be one tournament that you’ll feel on Monday……a week after it’s over.

Some notes on the tournament then. Observers were used sparingly, in some round robin games and both finals. I haven’t decided if I’m for or against observers yet but I know that I’m definitely for having no observers all tournament or observers throughout. All you can really ask for with observers is consistency in their calls, so all I’d ask is consistency in whether they’re there. Yes, I realize that there aren’t enough to go around but one can always wish.

Wind played a surprisingly large part of this tournament, for us at least, we pulled out the zone a lot this weekend in the blustery conditions. I really didn’t expect to see so much of it in men’s, nor did I expect to loathe handlers who could throw a good hammer as much as I did. But we shut down offences with it for the most part. A good rabbit/chase/etc is invaluable in the wind, so all the respect in the world goes to all you who huff and puff and go out and do it again next shift. It was interesting to see how much we had to adjust our game in the finals after playing with a crosswind to a head/tailwind. I think Ultimate Frisbee is the only sport where something so unpredictable can predict so much about how the game is going to go.

I’d like to know if it’s just a given that bagels, nutella, peanut butter, bananas, apples and oranges will be a mainstay at every tournament ever, and how that came to be if it so happens that they are. I loves me some nutella on a raisin bagel with half an orange, but I don’t know of any other sport that has so unanimously decided on a set of tournament foods.

Special shoutouts to Gloryhole and/or Orbital Bone, if you’re reading this. Way to take it like a champ.

Here’s looking forward to CUUC,

-JJ