The ultimate game

• How the game is played (graphic)

Advertiser Staff

It can't match the recent youth soccer nationals as far as magnitude, but to the world's best flying disc players, this is, well, the ultimate.

The biennial World Ultimate Club Championships 2002, featuring more than 2,300 players and 120 teams from 24 countries, will be held at Waipi'o Soccer Complex in Waipahu Aug. 4-10.

"This is the largest ultimate tournament that has ever happened. It's the most teams and the most players," said Raymond Chun, 45, who is captain of the Hana Hou team that will compete in the Mixed Division.

Chun, a Maryknoll graduate and an ultimate player for 26 years, said he is "excited about the competition; the opportunity to play against players we don't see."

The invitation-only event will feature world titles in four divisions: Open (any combination of men or women), Women's, Mixed (4/3 male-female or female-male combination) and Masters (any combination 30 years or older).

The tournament includes teams from Canada, Germany, Finland, China, Russia and Japan.

"We built the field and they came," said Grant Wise, tournament director who was a member of the 1993 team that took second in the Masters in the World Championships.

"Thanks for the department of Economic Development for making the fields available, particularly (city Economic Development Director) Manny Menendez."

"Talk about frisbee, you talk about playing on the beach, tossing it with your dog," Chun said. "When you see the game played at its highest level, it's pretty amazing to see."

Schedule

• Aug. 4-9 (5 rounds a day) — Games at 8:45 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 4:45 p.m.
• Aug. 9 — Masters final, 4:45 p.m.
• Aug. 10 — Co-ed final 10 a.m.; women's final, 12:30 p.m.; open final, 3 p.m.

Information/results: www.hui2002.org