Hrvatski ultimate

The hot summer evenings in Zagreb provide the perfect setting to reflect on the Ultimate frizbi events of the last year, and to look forward to new challenges and goals in the coming year.

When I was elected president, I had three goals for Ultimate in Zagreb and Croatia: a. host a tournament b. develop Ultimate to the level where pick up games would be organized "spontaneously" c. extend Ultimate beyond Zagreb and beyond Croatia, that is, to our neighbors to the south and east. In less than a year, we have accomplished two of those three goals.

First of all, Wild Wild West was a huge success, primarily because of the hard work of our club members. The organization was excellent, the media coverage put us on the Croatian scene, and it gave many players in Zagreb to experience the excitement of a tournament. I can't wait for WWW2, and judging from emails from other teams and discussions with our club members, there are a lot of others with similar feelings. And not only did we organize a tournament, a Zagreb team won it (the second tourney in a row, don't forget Koper), and our women's team took the gold medal at Balaton...you've come a long way, baby.

Secondly, Zloćko League has signified the next level of Ultimate in Croatia. Official trainings are important to build skills, learn teamwork, and train for competition, but a big part of Ultimate (especially West Coast) is fun, and I think these kind of "pick up games" (practice your pick up lines boys and girls, we are getting exposure at Jarun) embody this aspect of the sport. We are growing as a club, constantly bringing in new members who are attracted to Ultimate for various reasons, and it is great to be able to provide different levels of training in Zagreb.

Finally, I still hope to reach out to potential Ultimate players outside of Zagreb, and possibly in Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, etc. The flying disc golf club in Čakovec is a great start, but when they send their first Ultimate squad to Zagreb I will open a bottle of Cham...., naaah, a bottle of šljivovica.

Although many players are relaxing on the coast or working on fitness programs, I am sure Ultimate is not far from their minds, anticipating a Fall season full of training camps (Scoops Camp 3!!!) and tournaments (CDO, Kimle). We should also be looking forward to a new club meeting and new elections (tentatively scheduled for October), to move the club forward...so think about how each one of you can contribute to Ultimate in Croatia. The grizzled veterans know how much work has gone into the club so far, and the newbies can think about how they can become part of the Mali Dim - Čiks With Disks - FDK Zagreb - Zloćko legend.

Let the discs fly!!!!!

Vjeran

We heard about this cool sand tournament on lake Balaton and became very curious… Asking others all about it, we discovered that it would be we a great experience & heaps of fun! However, the odds of us going were not in our favor: I was flat broke and could not afford it, & Ozren thought he was going to Krk… So we’re at ‘Zloćko night league’ on Tuesday, right… we realized all the things we might be missing if we don’t go; playing frisbee on sand, swimming in a big-ass lake, chilling out watching others play, partying with crazy Slovenians & Hungarians & listening to that beautiful, fluent, poetic Hungarian language (‘Mars Attacks’-kve kve kve...). All our problems were resolved then & there: the team generously lent me the money and Ogi blew off Krk! So, we hopped on a train and arrived at Fonyód at 6:30 pm on Friday. When we crossed the border, we all of a sudden felt really hung(a)ry….get it? We had two teams playing at the tournament, both called 'Zagreb': 'Chicks with discs' in the women division & 'Mali Dim' (the boys!) in the Open.



Our first game was against Vertigo (SLO) at exactly 8:26am (this was the first time we heard the hillarious 'tajm iz rraning, tajm iz rraning...' form the organizer! It was an excellent start of the day in all aspects – getting into playing mode, getting used to sand and the smaller field, rotating all our players & achieving a convincing win!

At 10:10 our 'Chicks with discs' played against 'Ci Ci Catch'. Since the Zagreb girls were a few chicks short, a few hopped in to lend a hand.Of course, the boys were on the side line encouraging them and giving advice. This was obviously a great combination because the girls easily won their first game and became more confident about the next one!



The game with Mekkora (H) showed us that Josh's new, experimental 'get to the back, cut to the cone' tactics actually do work... who would have thought, ha? We went in strong we all did our part! I had a great assist to Ogi during a fast break and was real glad he had scored as well! My second goal (for the lead) was a hall of fame shot (if anybody took it...)! Again, those crazy tactics.... this time the disc was a bit too fast, so seeing no other solution, I layed out with every stretching muscle and gloriously caught it! The crowd went wild....& I calmly said: 'autographs later.' Another amazing thing was Josh's massive, flying, laying out block and diving face-in into the sand! Believe it or not, the crowd actually went even wilder than for my goal... of course they did - he's the Champ!





'Chicks with discs' played against 'Hot pants united' (A) at 13:26 and again proved thier domination on the sand! Not being distracted by these hot pantsed girls, the boys faithfully and loudly cheered the Chicks on & gave them tips from the sideline watching them victoriously end the match!

Right after their game, we were playing 'Frizmi' (SLO). They started off hard and explosive (just what we said we'd do...). We were caught off guard by their sudden lead of 2-3:0 and had to start recovering! A lot of turnovers by our team gave them the opportunity to take an even bigger lead & punish our mistakes... It finished a very disappointing 10:3 and it was time to reflect about how this happened, and what we did wrong both individually, and as a team.

Our girls were playing against the 'Frizmi' girls for a chance at the finals , and had an even bigger incentive to win, and settles the scores after our terrible loss. It was said quite basically: 'they might beat you 9/10 times....but you're only playing once today. Why not make this the time you take over.' This is exactly what they did! The Chicks were amazing and placed themselves into the finals! Go ladies, massive respect and thank you for raising the 'Zagreb' team name up from the dust!



The next Mali dim game was against 'Discy business 2' (UK), a team no-one knew anything about, except that a few of them were real fast... We got our stories straight, found what was lacking in the previous game, and went 'balls in' as one would say...

Party time! A huge tent was set up and the stage was ready for the funniest karakoe most of us have ever seen! Hungarians dont have any shame, they bravely sang song after song (obviously all Hungarian pop hits) with everyone there knowing word for word... A few beers & FSC meetings later, everyone was screaming out these ridiculous lyrics with wierd letters and dancing to the hip-shaking pop beats! It was great; by the end we all had perfect Hungarian pronounciation, even the Fonyód dialect too! Can't wait till next time!



We caught 4-5 hours of zzz's and were ready for the morning game at 9:44 (so we thought...). The 'Freebees' are such a well trained team, and they all seem to know thier stuff! It was close all up to the end, we tried all we could, but they had us beat... We were left with one more hope – 3rd place!

Instead of the usual preparing for the 15:00 game against Hallod' (H), we went to swim and throw the disc in the brownish water of Balaton. It was fun - too fun, because we stayed in there for 2-2.5 hours and got all wrinkly (mmm...sexy!). We started off great, I scored the first point again, and was ready for more! We had a solid lead of 6:4 with 6 minutes to go, and I must have jinxed it when I said 'we've got them now....'. They came back to 6:6 due to our simple errors and fatigue. At 'last point' we fumbled away the discs and tuned it over twice after not realizing a 100% chance of scoring, and they did their well trained routine and scored for 7:6. I couldn't believe it, non of us could... After we got some air from being totally exhausted, we realized that we ALL played an excellent game, and were, despite the loss feeling proud and able to say that we can play with and keep up with the big boys! Knowing that its up to us how good we want to be, I am sure we will all try harder and reach that level of confidence and stamina that will next time not only get us playing for 3rd, but for even top positions! I know I'll do my best, because losing sucks big time, and being ready in all aspects is just as important as winning!





Having to settle with 4th place, we found (realistic) hope in our Chicks! They played right after us, with the sand still covered in our sweat, blood, tears and 'dees nuts' of a glorious game! It was again 'Ci Ci Catch' vs. 'Chicks with discs', only this time for much higher stakes! The girls took an early 2 point lead and held it for a while! We saw some great blocks and defense by Mama, an acrobatic lay out & a lot of running by Iva, Aswee's wonderful passes & cuts, Sticky living up to her name by catching the uncatchable, Martina's textbook handling and great plays from the other girls too! At 'last point' they were up by 2 again, and victory was at hand! 'Ci Ci Catch' scored only to soften the blow of the loss, but showed good spirit nonetheless! We stormed the field to congratulate the girls feeling so proud! Once again, I'll say it – thats real ultimate!!!

We got our 4th place and felt disappointed yet proud... Frizmi took 1st place in the Open division, and we clapped mumbling 'see ya soon!', thinking about revenge. The women division was last (even better – sugar for the end!), and we couldn't wait to scream our lungs out for our fabulous Chicks! -We love you and feel very proud to be in the same team with all of you!-



Then my favorit part came: the award for 'Best Spirit' went to 'Zagreb'!!! That's the highlight of my day, because we really showed spirit out there, with every point, every win and loss, in every game, as a team, as friends! We got spirit oozing out of every pore! I'm going to set a goal to try and get 'Best Spirit' every tournament, no matter what place we come! For me, that's more rewarding than 3rd place would have been! I am especially proud of this and of us! We each learned something about themselves, and about each other and our dynamics together. Where we go from here is up to us, and I know we will raise to the challenge to do better!



So, taking home 4th, 1st and 'Best Spirit' awards is more than I expected from our newly formed and inexperienced, but spirited team. An amazing success by all – we should be proud that we all gave our all! I'm certain this new combination of rookies & experienced players is yet to blossom, and will soon show up to the potential we are already showing! Can't wait for the next tournament, where hopefully we'll have all our players, and come out readier than ever, wanting payback...

Till nex time...may the frisbee spirit be with you!

Jan Kotevski

It had been a hot day. Some brave Indians and Cowboys had sought shade under an inflatable cactus, while the Sheriffs, flush with victory, rounded up as many banditos as possible. It was Day One of the Wild Wild West tournament in Sveta Nedjelja, and nearly one hundred sweaty, tired, and totally excited ultimate Frisbee players were putting on their costumes for what was going to be a party for the history books. Yes, the tournament organizers had put a lot of time and effort into making sure the fields were organized, there was plenty of water, and that the sleeping arrangements were secure. But what really mattered, what was really going to put Flying Disc Klub Zagreb on the map was a legendary party, and this is exactly what happened.



The horde of ultimate players, covered in feathers, leather, cowboy hats, badges, and stylish sunglasses, left the fields as the sun was slowly setting and made the long walk to the Fort Apache Steakhouse, hungry and ready for anything. The locals must have thought this colorful mob had strayed from the Zagreb Pride parade, but no, this mob had only one purpose besides ravishing the meat-filled buffet table, and that was: TO RIDE THE BULL. This mechanical beast, with humped back, red eyes, and foam horns, gyrated spastically, surrounded by inflatable, scarlet cushions. A few brave souls dared to ride the bull as the last rays of the sun lit up the wooden steakhouse, while others stood in line for the bar staff to pour their free beers. Each person who got on the bull was quickly surprised at how difficult it was to maintain their balance on that infernal machine, regardless of whether one’s technique was to grip tightly with the thighs or to hold on the bull’s behind with the other hand. Eventually, everyone ended up on their backs, laughing, while the bull impatiently turned and waited for the next rider.



In the midst of the bull riding was the all you can eat steakhouse meal…it was perhaps one of the meatiest tournament meals I have ever had the pleasure of masticating. Čemp threatened to slap anyone ordering the vegetarian meal with his steak, but luckily all the teams that played against the Sheriffs emphasized that they were eating meat. And boy, did we eat meat.



After the massive caloric intake to recharge after a long day of ultimate, the partying continued at full speed. Cowboys and Indians shared war stories at the bar, sitting in seats resembling saddles. The Fire Safety Committee held regular meetings outside to make sure everyone was properly trained in flame usage. Most people gathered around the bull to watch the two-person bull riding competition, which was won by Doormouse and his gal Cadence. The bull riding antics of our two favorite Czech girls, Veu and Aswee, perhaps drew the most attention, and video footage of some of the steamiest moments has even made it on YouTube. Even a journalist from Vjesnik was spotted riding the bull at one point with a lucky lady from FDK Zagreb.





After the mechanical bull ran out of steam, frizbi players took over the inside of Fort Apache and showed off their dance moves. The DJ played some great hits from the Eighties and Nineties, and even some golden oldies. Certain team members were spotted consuming vast quantities of vodka-Redbulls, while others distributed the official Wild Wild West drink (shot of whiskey with lemon juice). In the end, there was plenty of sweating and booty shaking regardless of what fuel was consumed. By the time people made the long, drunken walk back to the fields, it was almost time for the next day of ultimate under the Zagreb sun.

President Dr. Inferno, PhDeez

In the last few months we got some new, competitive, cool members. In this post you can read what they have written about each other. As soon as our website is fixed, I will move them to the members section of www.frizbi.hr. Temporary, here they are:

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DUJE PRKUT
Nadimak: Bomba
Broj na dresu:
Godište: 1983.
Igra ultimate od: 2008.



Bomba (the bomb), Chainsaw, the dalmatian sensation, rectors dearest, the hit from Split,. This guy is the first member of Mali Dim to win the rectors reward and we never asked how, why, because of his excellence on and off the field. When the bomb explodes on the field you know that all hope is lost for the oponent, and thats a huge problem if you are that opponent. Off the field, while being an upstanding member of society, he could be best described with an old Zagreb word «švaler» (there is no known translation, for non croatian speakers, for this word and what it stands for, but you can pretty much help yourself with the word dandy), a word that he totally embodies. (Vid)

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IVAN POPEK
Nadimak: Johnny
Broj na dresu:
Godište:
Igra ultimate od: 2008.



When he came on barbecue in May he didn't even think that his life will soon turn upside-down. He spotted flying frisbee and that was enough to start exploring everything about ultimate frisbee. Soon he appears on the practice, learning forehands, backhands and hammers and progress is here! He already tempted on tournement, where he approved as a guy who knows how to be on the right place on the right time, on the field and off the field (he is one of the rare cowboy who stayed and endured on party till the end). All I can add is: 'Go Johhny Go!!!' (Marta)

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LINDA UGRIN
Nadimak:
Broj na dresu:
Godište: 1979.
Igra ultimate od: 2008.



Legend has it that Linda spotted ultimate frizbi players in the park one day in 2007, offered them some watermelon, and was immediately recruited. Although her initial attendance over the winter was spotty (some kind of excuses about med school), she has been seen regularly throwing discs since the spring. Linda comes from the "play only if you are good" school of thought, which resulted in some early frustration (no one said throwing hammers was easy) but also meant that she was determined to improve her game as soon as possible. Therefore it was not surprising to see her playing like a pro at her tournament debut at Wild Wild West. In addition to her ferocity on the field, Linda's muffin making skills, first aid know-how, and dance floor moves have made her a welcome acquisition for Zagreb's ultimate frizbi community. (Vjeran)

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VID VRČEK
Nadimak:
Broj na dresu:
Godište: 1984.
Igra ultimate od: 2008.



Vid... the frizbi titan... a half-good among meer mortals. Even though a frizbi begginer, his god-like high jumps, divine sense of game on the field and immaculate passes made him a part of the Zagreb frizbi elite. Elegant like a nuance, undefetable like Bandic in Zagreb, quick on the field as Duje is quick in bed, energetic as a tasmanian devil on ecstasy, insurmountable as racial prejudice in the States... on the frizbi field he is deus ex machina... an oponnent not to be taken lightly... a force to be reckoned with. (Duje)