In this episode I talk to my pick for the 2009 Men’s Division Callahan award, Will Neff. We talk about how Will got started in the world of Ultimate, his favorite Ultimate moments, and his thoughts on the future of the sport. To read more about Will head on over to his Magnum Ultimate page.
In this episode I talk to Matt Tsang, Gwen Ambler, and Alex Snyder, the coach and two captains of Fury. We talk about the history of the team, how they manage to be so successful, and their thoughts on the future.
In this episode I talk to Brian Calle, Jumpi, and Mike Adlis, the tournament directors for Lei Out, Paganello, and Wildwood. We talk about what it’s like to run three of the largest beach Ultimate tournaments in the world, who they are, the history of their events, and the future of their tournaments.
In this episode I talk to Andrew Shen in Beijing, Zahlen Titcomb in Seattle, and Edward Wang in Tian Jin about the Chinese Ultimate community. We talk about the history of the sport in China, why it’s gaining popularity, the Chinese style of play, and their thoughts on the future of the sport.
A short note about two upcoming elections:
If you’re an American citizen aged 18 or over, make sure you get out and vote in the presidential election. In most states you can vote right now. The polls close on Tuesday night, November 4th. Don’t miss your chance. Vote now.
If you’re a UPA member or any age or nationality, make sure you vote in the Board of Directors elections. You can vote right now by logging into your upa.org account. The UPA polls close at 3pm US mountain time on Monday, November 3. Again, don’t miss your chance. Go vote now.
Of all the people running for the UPA Board, two candidates stand out for me: Henry Thorne and Catherine Greenwald. Both candidates have a brilliant track record inside the world of Ultimate and they know how to get things done. They are fantastic leaders and like everyone else running for the board, are passionate about the sport. What sets them apart for me is their deep connection to youth Ultimate. They both have children who play the sport and they have proven time and again their commitment to the advancement of youth Ultimate. In my time working with Henry on the Board, and with Catherine inside the Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance, I have come to respect them as two of the most professional Ultimate leaders I have ever met. They are the kind of people you want representing you on the UPA’s Board of Directors.
Upcoming Interview: Ultimate in Tibet
While tracking down people to talk to about Ultimate in China, I connected with someone who is working with Ultimate teams inside Tibet. I wasn’t able to patch him into this most recent interview, but hope to be able to catch up with him soon. In the mean time, if you’re interested in sponsoring an Ultimate team in Tibet, contact Happyrat at fly335cm at hotmail dot com.
In this episode I talk to Leila Tunnel, Amber Sinicrope, and Shannon O’Malley. We talk about what it’s like to play on a high level HS Ultimate team, their opinions on what makes a team successful, their favorite Ultimate moments, and tough marks.
In this episode I talk to 4 members of the South African Ultimate community. We talk about the status of Ultimate in their country, their work to promote healthy lifestyles, and their vision for the future of the sport on the African continent.
In this episode I talk to Michael Baccarini and Tiina Booth about their just published book Essential Ultimate. We talk about how they first met, the genesis of their book, and how Ultimate has changed over the years.
If you’d like to pick up your own copy of the book, email either Michael (baccarini dot michael at paideiaschool dot org) or Tiina (tiinabooth at hotmail dot com)
In this episode I talk to George Stubbs, Casey Ikeda, and Darden Pitts. We talk about topics such as what it’s like to play on high level high school Ultimate teams, their opinions on what makes a team successful, and their most intense games.
In this episode I talk to Joe Bisignano and Jim Pistrang about what it’s like to run large Middle School Ultimate programs. We talk about their history with the sport, what they’ve done to build their programs, and what kinds of obstacles they’ve overcome.
In this episode I talk to the five that make up Five Ultimate. We talk about how they got started, where they’re headed, and what it’s like living life as a Titcomb.
Five siblings: we are Zahlen, Xtehn, Vehro, Rohre, and Qxhna. Though originally from Seattle, we’ve recently also been based in Chicago, Beijing, and New England. We’ve played Ultimate for over 35 years combined, and with ages of 25, 24, 22, 20, and 14, we’re not stopping anytime soon. —Look for us on and off the field at tournaments around the world… who knows where we’ll next pop up!
Zahlen, age 25, is the head of production and R&D at Five Ultimate. He graduated from University of Chicago in International Studies, Economics, and Italian Literature. Before Five Ultimate, he worked in finance and healthcare consulting in Beijing. On the field, he plays mixed in Seattle, and captains the Beijing ultimate team, where he has been instrumental in growing ultimate as a common sport in China.
Xtehn, 24, is in charge of marketing and accounting for Five. He worked for the Italian Trade Commission in Chicago before starting Five Ultimate. Though he’s on the road travelling to ten tournaments around the country this winter, his base is in Seattle where he co-captained the Seattle #2 club team, Voodoo, and coaches the Roosevelt High School Ultimate team.
Vehro, 22, is in charge of sales and customer service for Five. He interned at the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network while attending the University of Chicago, but jumped head first into the company after moving to Seattle in April 2007. On the field, he was a co-captain of Seattle Voodoo in 2007.
Rohre, 20, is a junior at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, where she’s majoring in Chinese and Arabic, minoring in environmental studies, and is finally playing Ultimate again after years healing and rebuilding an injured right shoulder. Though currently away from Dartmouth researching the environmental sustainability of bamboo textile manufacturing, Rohre is continuing to be an on-call consultant for Five and is integrally involved with many of Five’s projects.
Qxhna, 14, is a freshman at The Hotchkiss School, where Z, X, V, and R also went to high school. Following up on her 8 years of schooling in French, Italian, and Chinese public schools, she’s concentrating in language studies and is the clear master of languages amongst the five kids. Because of the less developed youth Ultimate scenes outside of the US, she’s played almost exclusively at the club level in Asia, Europe, and the US. Before attending Hotchkiss, she trained as an acrobatic freestyle skier and was the French national champion in 2007 in the under-15 girls division.
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