Random Picture - True # 2

Announcement - EUCF 2012 In Frankfurt

Here's a message from the European Ultimate Federation announcing the EUCF (European Ultimate Championship Finals) to be held in Frankfurt,Germany on 28-30/09/2012 :

"Dear European Ultimate Community,

The EUF Central Series Committee is proud to annouce that the EUCF 2012 in the division Open (24 teams) and Women (10 teams) will take place from Sept. 28th to 30th 2012 in Frankfurt (Germany). This bid had been declared as best among five very interesting ones.


The tournament will be in the same location of the Open+Women German Championship 2011. The venue offers 8 high quality fields all at one site and the possibility to camp or sleep in a gym directly at the fields. Various accommodations from low-costs up to luxury are in the surroundings. The Frankfurt Internation Airport is just 15mins away.


The team fee has been set at 470 € which will be due latest 10 days after the Regional Tournament (EUCR) or not later than Sept. 10th. Further infomation will be provided in 2012.


The regional Committees are also already working of the definition of the EUCRs, which will be annouced hopefully in short.
get ready for an other intensive EUCS season!


for the CSC
Oddi - EUF Chairperson - "

More info can be found at http://ffindr.com/en/event/eucf-2012

Random Video - Speed Boat Catch !

Check out Brodie Smith's speed boat catch over at Everything Ultimate.
Pretty nice !

Ultimate Rob - Why Do You Play Ultimate ?

Check out this little piece on why to keep playing Ultimate, as written by Ultimate Rob :

http://www.ultimaterob.com/2011/11/28/why-do-you-play-ultimate
Here's a little quote to get you to click the link above :


"Whatever the reason, we all love this game. Those of us who play it, get it. Those who don’t, make fun of us, wonder what ultimate is all about but they’ll never truly understand our passion for the game until they’ve driven 18 hours only to play 3 games, lose 2 of them, and get knocked out of the tournament"

If you've never heard of ULTIMATE ROB before, you should check out his amazing website which is filled with interesting articles on how to improve your ultimate performance.

Keep on reading !

Random Video - Seattle Friz Including Me Getting Burned

Check out this nice video of a young and very talented team Fryz from Seattle USA, including me getting burned (4:00') while trying to grab a disc at Worlds 2010 in Prague.

News - FREEZZZBEEZZZ 25 Years Old Today !

As the flyer above shows you, today 29/11/2011 Freezzzbeezzz has existed for exactly 25 years.

A day to celebrate, since this Bruges team was one of the first in Belgium (more on that during winter) and they have always lead the way in many aspects in Belgium.

Rocking the indoor fields for many years with fantastic names such as Freezzzbeezzz,Wannabeezzz,Babeezzz,Cannabeezzz,African Killer Beezzz,Hazzzbeezzz and many more they have also shown us how to organise one of the best tournaments in Europe with the more than famous Tom's Tourney.

Next to that they have always been playing a big role in Belgian Ultimate and the least we can do is honour them by paying tribute to this joyful day.

I started my career by playing with the Freezzzbeezzz in my hometown Bruges before moving to Ghent and learned about all there is to learn about the basics from these guys.

Big up to Guido De Meulenaere and Jan Loontiens for founding the team, Glenn Nolf for leading the troops and Seppen for only being 14 years old when joining.

Aah, sweet memories.

Belgian Indoor - BUIC Update Division 1

So the Belgian Indoor season started yesterday and division 1 already showed quite a few upsets !
DIABOLIC HEAVEN started the day by beating one of the known top-teams Mooncatchers by 7-6.
The Diabolics didn't show any mercy all day long, and proved to be a team that's working hard and making a lot of progress by beating every other team in division 1.
A good mix in young guns and more experienced players took DH to a dreamstart of the season.
Freezzzbeezzz, who also proved to be a strong contender this year, took home a big victory over Slijpschijven (last year's indoor champs) with 10-4, and another one over Mooncatchers with 13-5.
Gentle, just like Moon and Slijpschijven missing some key players, fought well but had to crack in the end and go down to 2nd division (for only the 2nd time in 5 years!) as do Slijpschijven.

Here's a little overview of the scores.

More info to come !
See you on the 18th of december for day 2 of the Belgian Ultimate Indoor Championship 2011-2012 !

Random Picture - FAB, Best Team In Europe

Check out a picture of Flying Angels Bern, right after winning their 2nd consecutive EUCF in Bruges, as found on their brand new facebook page.

We might all learn a lot from these guys.

Props to the 13time Swiss champions for making the level in European Ultimate rise.

Keep on reading !

Video 1&2 - Discolorful November Open Final

Check out these clips as made of the open final of the Discolorful November tourney in Tongeren,Belgium the past weekend.
The biggest indoor tourney in Belgium was won by StealB'East, a team consisting of mostly french players and a few Mooncatchers from Brussels (15-11 against Sun, also from France).

Random Video - Trick Shots in Australia

Check out these trick shots by Brodie at Everything Ultimate.
They just keep on being amazing !

Tourney Report by NFB - Discolorful November in Tongeren

Here's the link to a nice report (IN DUTCH) on Discolorful November, Diabolic Heaven's nice indoor tourney the past weekend in Tongeren,Belgium, as written by the Nederlandse Frisbee Bond :

http://www.frisbeesport.nl/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=874%3Adiscolorful-november-weer-zeer-geslaagd&catid=72%3Aultimate-nieuws&Itemid=326

Random Video - Mooncatchers vs Russia @ Windmill 2011

Got 45min to spare ? Here's some footage of the Belgian 2011 champions Mooncatchers playing against the Russian National Team at Windmill Windup 2011 in Amsterdam.

Keep on reading !
More to come on Discolourful November,the Belgian Open Team, Gentle at EUCF, the Gentle Ladies as Belgian champs, and much much more !

Skyd Mag - REVOLVER, The Best Team In The World

Here are two articles as featured on Skyd Magazine on how REVOLVER is the best team in the world.
Winning the 2010 World Ultimate Club Championships, as well as the 2010&2011 USA Nationals, it's fair to say these guys are more than just great.
What makes them so great is described below.
And yes, at any level you are playing, I believe it's worth reading things like this, because it can only help you evolve as a team player or coach.
And one more quote to trigger you (pun intended) :

"Revolver has figured out something that no Open team has figured out for over a decade."

Read the piece on Revolver right here : http://skydmagazine.com/2011/11/club-champs-11-rapid-reactions/
Scroll down till you see 'Revolver' in the headline.

Another little piece was written by Bryan Jones over at Skyd Mag , and here's what he had to say about Revolver :
"Revolver played their best ultimate all season. They did it by getting maximum performance of all their role players.

Think about this, with everyone loving the play-making ability of Beau Kittredge, he was not hit deep once in the final. Instead we saw a young Cassidy Rasmussen stretch the field deep, Jonathan Levy lay out to block Rebholtz early on, and Sherwood get the best of his defensive match ups. Russell Wynne wasn’t involved in too many big plays, but made a difference all season on the defensive line. There are so many names to point to, that it has to be a tribute to how good the leadership is on Revolver. Getting all of these studs to play like a cohesive unit is no small feat. Now the only question is if we have a dynasty on our hands."

Random Picture - Ultimate Tattoo

This picture was uploaded on Get Horizontal's facebook page by Rembrand ( a Freezzzbeezzz,Brugge player)

Don't quite know if it's his or a real tattoo, or his picture but it is quite cool !

(Note : It appears to be a real tattoo on Rembrand, oh yeah !)

Logo as made by Banksy (UK street artist), remixed by Lookfly (UK Ultimate artists)

Mini Report - Friendly Game Moon vs Jetset

Last night the 2011 Belgian champions Mooncatchers and the Belgian vice champions Jetset had a friendly game on a cold winter field in Uccle,Brussels.

The friendly game turned out to be a really nice one between two teams who are known to be worthy opponents.

Mooncatchers, who at first didn't really believe they had a good chance of winning as they were missing two key players, got off to a quick 3-0 lead.

This gave the Brussels boys confidence throughout the game although Jetset put a big fight as they are known for. A callahan by Wakke from Jetset had the +-15 person crowd cheering and almost got the love team from Leuven a massive comeback.

Despite this comeback, Moon had several strikes of luck in the endzone, scoring some lucky points after wobbly D's and took the victory. NOTE : There seems to be some doubt about the final score, some saying 11-8 , some saying 13-8, so I will just post both as I'm not sure about the real result.

Both teams are already looking forward to the rematch, next time on Leuven territory.

Let this be a sign, that after 'Herfst League' in Aalter (with Slijpschijven,Gentle 1&2, Freezzzbeezzz) and now this game, that there is a hell of a lot of motivation in Belgium to step up to the next level.

I've said it before and I'll say it again :

Let's go Belgium !
Keep on reading !

Random Picture - Beach Ultimate in Spain

Early morning stretch session before playing Beach Ultimate in Spain.
Not just another day at the office if you ask me !
Picture by Alex Busquets Sola.

Random Picture - How To Fly !

Peter Dempsey from Chain Lightning going for the sky at USAU Nationals just a couple of weeks ago.

Picture as found on EVERYTHING ULTIMATE, a.k.a. Brodie Smith.

Wow !

EDIT : Yves showed me the video of this D.
FOUL OR NO FOUL ? Give me your opinion !

Random Picture - Jetset Leuven !

Take a look at this awesome picture by Jetset Ultimate Team Leuven, Belgium's 2011 vice-champions.

Vet !

Picture by Thijs Kestens ?

Random Video - Frisbee In Advertisement

Or how frisbee infiltrates mainstream advertisements !

Random Ultimate Thoughts - Work Harder

So, we've had a Herfst League on sunday.
Not your big time championship but an important test for the team in the beginning (or the end if you will) of a season and this is me getting skyd.

Yes, I was trying to score (me in green) and I got D'd by Robin from Slijpschijven and I didn't like it.

He jumped higher and took a better position, and that's what got me thinking that I wanna be on top of my game. All I can do is practice hard, or harder, and not let sky's like these happen again.

Props to Robin for a real nice D, but I will gladly make it a challenge for upcoming Belgian championships in march and april.

Here's an article a from Skyd Magazine about Ultimate players and their healthy or unhealthy obsession for training and playing : http://skydmagazine.com/2011/08/train-animal/

Do check it out, it's worth it.

Here's a little quote from the text :

"I want to encourage you to let yourself be a little obsessed. Train like an animal – because you are one. Your body is meant to move- a lot. Don’t let “normal” tell you otherwise."

Windmill Windup - Announcing 2012 Date

Here's a message by the Windmill Windup crew, Europe's biggest grass tournament, announcing the 2012 edition of their lovely tourney :

"New Date:


The date for the 8th edition of the Windmill Windup in Amsterdam is set. From June 15 to 17, 2012 the elephant will rise again for 3 days full of high-level ultimate and serious fun. Registration will open on January 9th, but mark your calendar as the 2012 season is just around the corner.


A short recap of the 2011 edition:
Results:
•Winner of the women’s division was the Great Britain National team who beat the Italian National team in an epic final that lasted almost 2 hours.


•In the mixed final yet again a battle between two national teams :Germany vs. France. The Germans proving the stronger side. (Video available)


•The open final was the second in a row for the current European champions, the Flying Angels from Bern. The surprising Sieben Schwaben from Germany pushed the Swiss to play their best game in a windy final. (Video available)


Video:
4 new videos from the 2011 Windmill are now available on our Video page including the open final and mixed finals and the pull and accuracy competitions!


Photos:
Photos from the tournament can be found here

New Contest -- Where has your gear been?:


During the past few years Windmill gear and discs have been spotted all around the world. You can find a small selection of some interesting pictures here . NOW, you can get involved and win a sweet prize! Send us your pictures of you and WW gear (disc, hat, hoody, wristband, bag, trophy, whatever!) in a cool, unique, exotic, or creative setting, and if our judges vote for your picture as their favorite, you will win an exclusive merchandise package worth 150 Euros! The top entries will be included in the large format poster in the windmill tent and other prizes will be awarded as well! So bring your windmill gear with you when you pack your bags, and we look forward to sharing your adventures! Click here for more info on the contest.

Lost and found :
In case your gear got lost you can take a look into our updated Lost & Find photo collection. In case you see something that is yours get in touch with Bicycle Mark at: bicyclemark@gmail.com


Donations :
The Windmill Windup is committed to two organizations working with underprivileged youth around the world. Everyone attending the Windmill is automatically a part of this as we reserve a small part of the players fee, and more is donated in the form of cash awards for our Pull Competition. This year their contribution added E 2700 to the total amount of E 4000, which was recently donated to Room to Read. You can read more about the Windmill & Charity here

Follow us :
Twitter : @windmillwindup
Facebook : Windmill 2012 Event

See you in 2012!
http://windmillwindup.com  "

5 Tips On Being A Better Teammate - Ultimate Rob

First of all, if you've never heard of Ultimate Rob, do check out his website at http://www.ultimaterob.com/
He gives insights and tutorials on all things Ultimate from how to throw a backhand to being a better teammate.
Here's an article that just featured on Skyd Magazine (another one of those fantastic frisbee sites to follow) with 5 essential tips on improving your team skills :

http://skydmagazine.com/2011/11/5-tips-teammate/

Read it and act like it.
I know I'm gonna.

Random Video - Mixed Final at Windmill Windup 2011

Check out the final of the Mixed division at Windmill Windup 2011 between France and Germany, two teams who were in full preparation of the EUC in Slovenia.

Random Video - Pull Competition @ Windmill Windup 2011

Check out how Franzi and Luca destroy the competition in the pull-contest at Windmill Windup 2011.
Luca (youngest player aboard the Freespeed team from Basel,Switzerland) prolonged his own title after his epic pull in 2010 which crossed the field completely and ended somewhere in the bushes.

Random Video - Windmill Windup FINALS

Got 50 minutes to spare ?
Check out this amazing video of Europe's biggest grass tournament Windmill Windup's open final of Flying Angels Bern (European champions of 2010&2011) against Sieben Schwaben from Germany.
Lots of wind and lots of action.

Big up to the Windmill crew who are already preparing a bigger and even better Windup 2012 !!
Can't wait !

Random Picture - True Quote

Herfst League & The Importance of Practice Games.

So, yesterday 4 belgian teams had a nice day of Ultimate in Aalter, called the 'Herfst League'.
Translation of 'herfst' is autumn, and that is exactly what it was : a little chilly and a little windy but next to that perfect conditions for some friendly games.
SLIJPSCHIJVEN,FREEZZZBEEZZZ,GENTLE Open and GENTLE Petards all went out with the ambition of having some good games, without necessarily feeling the need of pushing the limit and above all cost having to win the game.
Off course, you might say, every game is played to win, but in circumstances like these there's a little different approach.
None of the teams mentioned above were in full force, missing a lot of key players, but this only lead to teams being able to try some other things.
And this is where the importance of practice games comes in.
These are the games where less experienced players 'get educated'.
Each and every one of us, no matter how experienced you are, once had to get his/her shot to play with the big boys/girls. And that is exactly what happened yesterday.
All teams had some new or younger players on the roster and they all proved more than worthy to become part of these teams.
Next to the addition of younger players on the roster, practice games also mean you can practice some plays or set-ups.
Playing a practice game is just another big opportunity for a team to find it's chemistry.
You might try a different style of playing than if you would have been playing the final of a championship.
As important as this is, it is often overlooked in Belgium and beyond. I can imagine a lot of other European teams who would benefit enormously from playing less-pressured games all season long.
It's nice to play for the marbles, because that's when the heat is on.
But every once in a while you need to blow off some steam.
Be it after a long season for a team like Gentle (11th place at EUCF,anyone ? more on that later this week by the way!) or after a summer break for other teams, the well-known proverb says it all :

Or here's how the Livestrong foundation likes to explain it : 

"In team sports, practice is crucial for players trying to develop cohesion and familiarity with one another. Practice allows players to become familiar with how teammates operate, making it easier to anticipate actions on the playing field. Team practices also help establish relationships between players, which can improve team morale and encourage the desire to play for one another."

Read more at http://www.livestrong.com/article/481134-the-importance-of-practicing-for-athletes/#ixzz1d0pPNgYx

As far as results go SLIJPSCHIJVEN are the HERFST CHAMPS !! :

Anyhow, we all had a fun day yesterday and we all thought we had to do this more often, so let's hope it works out.
If anybody is interested in seeing another good friendly game, here's your chance :
Mooncatchers (belgian champions 2011) are playing against JetSet (belgian vice-champion 2011) on the 16th of november in Uccle.
More info at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=214014455336043

Keep on reading !
PS Voor de Nederlandstaligen onder ons : hier nog een verslagje van Robin (Slijpschijven,organisator HerfstLeague) http://www.slijpschijven.be/?p=236

Random Picture - Summer's Gone

Summer's gone and King Winter is starting to show some of it's powers.

But we all have great memories of another year filled with magical summer times at the best tourneys around.
There aren't much things like running around on the beach playing your favourite game with your friends, the sun setting into the ocean, a cold beer awaiting your exhausted body after a hard day's playing...
Check out this picture made by Sigi (Diabolic Heaven) of Joren S. (Diabolic Heaven) and somebody else (feel free to inform me) getting up at the 2011 edition of the Burla Beach Cup in Viareggio,Italy.

Keep on reading, loads more to come.

Random Video - Ultivillage Presents Sockeye vs. Furious

So, you wanna watch some high level Ultimate in high quality footage ?
Here's your chance :
http://www.ultivillage.com/index.php/Clip-of-the-Day/Sockeye-vs-Fuious-2011-NWR
It features over 30 minutes of two of the best teams at the USA Ultimate Northwest Regionals about a month ago.
This was the qualifying tournament where Sockeye closely didn't get one of the two highly-desired spots for the National championships.
Support ULTIVILLAGE and get your (cheap) subscription now to watch tons of games and clips online.

Sure beats the hell out off watching stupid soapseries on TV when you just got back from practice....

Random Video - UKU Nationals DVD by PushPass

Wanna see how CLAPHAM ULTIMATE took their 11th national title ?

Support PUSH PASS PRODUCTIONS and order your very own DVD filled with top level UK Ultimate !

Get Horizontal - Back in Bizniz.

Okay, so my holidays are over and time to get back to the real world.

It's been a great time in Bali but as I've been told there have been great times all over : FAB winning their 2nd-in-a-row European title at the EUCF, Revolver winning their 2nd-in-a-row title at USAU Nationals, the Belgian open team having their 1st new practice, the Porron Open bringing loads of happy people together...

I tried to find myself a pick-up practice in Bali, but no results...(though I did find something online by the Indonesian Disc Association but they didn't respond to my emails unfortunately..)

Tons of videos,reports and much more coming up in the next few weeks (still have some stuff from WCBU and more)

Keep checking http://www.gethorizontal.be/ for updates or simply follow us on facebook.

Keep on reading !