SASKATOON – Tossing the frisbee around has traditionally been known to go hand-in-hand with a sunny, relaxing afternoon. But many ultimate frisbee athletes in Saskatoon over the weekend were in favour of one big adrenaline rush.
The sport is garnering plenty of attention across North America, with two upstart professional leagues drawing fans willing to pay for the experience.
Arthur Cradock with the Saskatoon Ultimate Disc Sports Society said top teams take the sport very seriously.
“They’re very competitive and they have a very rigorous training regimen,” said Cradock.
“Quite often there’s a coach that will be running it as well and a manager on the team.”
The sport has also officially been recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
“It’s hit the mainstream now, some of the plays at the really high, competitive levels are actually starting to get top ten, sports news, that kind of thing,” said Cradock.
This August long weekend, top talent is being showcased at the “Disc Odyssey” co-ed ultimate frisbee tournament, attracting 22 teams from across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba.
“It’s grown so much in the past decade. The big push is in the United States, they have a college circuit,” said Brett Campbell, Bunny Thugs team captain.
The tournament is an opportunity for competitors to tune up ahead of the Canadian Ultimate Championships, set to get underway in Vancouver in mid-August.
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