Paganello could be called the Mekka of Ultimate Frisbee.
With over 1500 players it's one of the world's greatest frisbee tournaments and actually it's so much more than that.
It's a place where dreams come true.
When you arrive at the Italian beach on thursday night and you see the big crowd only consisting of ultimate players enjoying the red wine and the free pasta you know it's gonna be one of those unforgettable weekends.
Paga is a place where people meet. It's about more than just sports, it's a place where ultimate frisbee comes to life. You meet new people in an atmosphere that's uncomparable to the everyday world. It's like a different life, but then only for 5 days. 5 days of complete insanity & beach madness with the heavy games, interesting people, non-stop parties and afterparties and the Italian weather on top of it. This year we've had all extremes, from sunny beach weather without a gust of wind, to a cold,wet and extremely windy monday morning in which some games had to be cancelled or replaced by playing rock/paper/scissors in the big tent...
I've even learned more about myself this weekend, mostly concerning ultimate. We played top 16 in the open division (Afrodiziak that is, some Friselis players from France with a whole bunch of picked-up friends) and ended in the 14th position. I must say that is has been a pleasure playing with all these guys and all I can advise you is to also play with another team every once in a while. This weekend made me realise that there's a long way to go. We may be able to keep up with the best players in Belgium, when you cross the borders there's a whole different world out there. Especially in really windy conditions it's kind of hard to find your confidence if you're not the most amazing thrower. I know I can throw discs around, but when the times has come, sometimes you need to be humble and accept the fact that I won't make the difference in a game. Then it's up to yourself to accept this and find your role in a strange team. I tried really hard and had to step up my game to keep up with the others and that's where learning comes in.
If you do the same thing over and over again in your own home team and you're satisfied with the level you are getting, your learning curve just about stops. It's called the power of change. You don't know what you've got until it's gone. This can be considered a bad thing but might as well be a good thing. When you're put to the test in a team that may have a higher level than the one you are used to, that's where dedication comes in (addition: Is Afrodiziak stronger than my home team Gentle ? Well after considering I guess not; but some teams we played against may have been of a higher level, UTI for example). Do I want this? Do I wanna be a better player or don't I need challenges? Well I do.
And that's one of the reasons why I liked Paga so much this year. In a certain way it opened my eyes and I have definitely learned a lot.
And Paganello is not only about games, it's almost about a lifestyle... Frisbee players tend to be really openminded, spirited and friendly people and this is one of the things that make this tournament so special.
Having a party on a boat, drinking cocktails till the early morning, having a nice Italian dinner with your friends or people you just met, walking around Rimini at night, dancing like you're the king of the world, enjoying life to the fullest.
Isn't that what ultimate tourney's like these are all about.
You could have played a football match and shouted something about your opponent's mother but no, you chose to be part of the magic that is called Paganello.
Remember why.
The tourney also showed us some big ass games with a final that was quite amazing between UTI (Under The Influence, English "pick-up"team, mostly Clapham players) and the eventual winners Los Tigers (American superstar team).
They gave eachother quite a fight but in the end the Americans proved a bit too strong for the British lads who won last year's edition.
Check out this picture of two truly amazing players going at it full force (Justin in blue, Beau "Did I just jump over that guy" Kittredge in orange)
Of course I can't end this report without talking about the belgian teams !
So here's what I have to say :
A big congratulations to Bollywood Swing Kings for their victory in junior division (keep up the good work, boys !!), also to Jetset for getting 6th place (out of 28) in mixed division (amazing playing and partying Leuven !), also to Morning Glory who ended in 8th place in mixed division (a medal next year ? chapeau !) and Willy & De Schellekes (ending 30th out of 40) in the open division (you showed strength and maturity ;) !! )...
I'll be adding some more pictures and stories about Paga in the next few weeks. If you have any interesting pics or anecdotes, feel free to send me a mail or just talk to me at BUOC or Tom's Tourney.
Till the next time around !
ps: pictures in this post are from all around, I'll try to add credits later (right now I don't remember which picture is by who..)
ps2: Belgian Ultimate Outdoor Championships in 1,5days !! Yeehaa !
