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RAISE YOUR GAME!

Launched in March 2004, this regular column promotes the sharing of good practice, spirited play, understanding of the rules, strategies, and other Ultimate-related knowledge to players at all levels -- but with particular focus on those who are newer to the sport.

Beach Ultimate Rocks!
And it's Even Better When You're Prepared
[2004, No. 1]

Beach Ultimate has exploded in recent years with dozens of annual tournaments now sprinkled around Mother Earth from Guarujá (Brazil) to Wildwood (New Jersey) to Poole (England) and Tahunanui Beach (New Zealand). And let's not forget the mecca of Beach Ultimate, Paganello, which will be held for the 14th time over Easter weekend at the Italian seaside resort of Rimini, and the inaugural World Championships of Beach Ultimate, to take place at Figueira de Foz in Portugal at the end of August. Before 2004 winds down, thousands of players will have descended upon welcoming sands to chase plastic by the waves.

Although played with the same disc, Ultimate on the beach is a different animal than the game played on grass.  If you haven't played the surf-side version of Ultimate, it's worth considering some of these differences before you head to a tournament on the sand.

One of the great things about disc on the beach is that you can travel with a lighter load - unless, of course, you insist on bringing the pail and shovel to build castles, an umbrella, director's chair, etc. You can leave the cleats in the closet and, depending on the tourney site and date, you can leave some of your attire behind as well. But don't forget to include in your backpack a few other things that many not be the norm for turf tourneys.

Since you will be hanging around the beach, don't forget your sunblock, shades, headgear, and other protective covering. A windbreaker or sweater may also be in order, especially as evening nears, the wind picks up, or the rain begins to fall. The fashion requirements for the tourney parties also have to be taken into account - shorts and a sand-caked, sweaty t-shirt may not suffice for the night's action.

Most players play barefoot, but some opt to wear socks, dive booties, or even shorts. With your legs soon turning to jelly, you may prefer to have less weight dragging you down. On the other hand, if you do leave your feet unprotected, keep in mind some risks. The sand can be uncomfortably hot, so hot in fact that at some tournaments water is sprinkled on the playing area before matches.

Another risk appears in the form of sharp objects buried in the sand. One of my few (touch wood) Ultimate injuries occurred on the sand at the Singapore Open 2001, which as a novelty featured one game on the beach of Sentosa Island. Playing for the pick-up squad "IHOP," I was in the midst of an endzone cut when I impaled the arch of my left foot on a hidden wooden skewer. Just a game and a half into the tournament and I was on my way to the emergency room…but at least I caught the pass for a score!

With this as a cautionary tale, I encourage members of both teams to get together to scour the sand for bottle caps, shells, rocks, glass, hard plastic…and skewers. Don't assume that the tournament organizers have found every possible danger to your body, especially on the second and any subsequent days of the tournament (who knows who dropped what on the sand overnight?).

When it comes to actually playing, the first thing you may notice is that it is much harder to get your footing and to run on sand. The playing area is much smaller and the number of people on each team fewer (typically 4 or 5). "Travel" calls become more dubious as - best efforts notwithstanding - the pivot foot slides into crevices. While rules differ from event to event, games are typically shorter and the stall count lower. If you are waiting for an "8" or  "9" before unloading the disc, you'll be bummed when you stall out at "6"! It's very difficult to cut in the sand. The flip side is that if you've burned your marker, it's tough for him or her to catch up. A meter lead on the sand is worth twice that on grass. You'll find that you gain more ground by running on tiptoe rather than flat-footed. It will seem weird at first, but after some practice you'll get the hang of it.

A frequent problem for Beach Ultimate novices is overthrowing. Handlers end up chucking it out of bounds on the circumscribed playing surface, and passes often sail beyond the reach of straining receivers, whose speed in sand has been overestimated by throwers. Wind also tends to be a bigger factor. Grass fields are often bordered by fences or viewer stands that limit the wind's impact. You are more exposed to the elements on the beach, and the winds whipping in from (or out to) the sea can present a challenge. Although it's always a good idea to arrive well before your game is scheduled to begin, these factors argue for an even earlier start to jogging and tossing to get used to the beach environment.

The difficulty of running in sand puts a premium on fitness. Your team may want to include proportionally more subs than usual, and less experienced players with good coordination and excellent conditioning make up a bit for what they lack in technique. (But there are limits to this - the great teams on turf do great on the beach as well).

Another joy of Beach Ultimate is that for those whose idea of "laying out" is kind of a trip or roll, here is the place where you can really "go HO" without fears of a cracked sternum or dislocated shoulder. True, a mouth full of sand is not very pleasant, but it sure is worth it when you can make spectacular looking catches with minimal risk to your body. Another exciting feature of the game is the 2-point play, where your team earns double the mileage if a score is made directly on a pass made from within your own endzone. Where this rule is in place, watch the hucksters go wild.

As you get into your games, don't forget that you are not only at an Ultimate tournament but that you are at the beach. The risk of dehydration is high under a blazing sun. Be sure to drink lots of water and consume those carbs. Avoid sun-related damage by keeping your layer of lotion touched up, your sensitive skin well-covered, and a cap on your head.  The sun's reflection off white sands at midday can be blinding, so don't forget your sports sunglasses. And hang out in the shade when you can so you don't get heat stroke.

(Addressing these issues reminds me of a scene at the inaugural hat tournament on Gran Canaria (2000) - a Barcelona-based player had to take a couple of days off from work that were not his to take, so he called in sick in order to travel to the island event. He spent three days at the beach looking like a client in a beauty salon in the midst of a facial - his face and arms were smothered with a thick layer of white sun block to avoid a tan that might reveal the true nature of his Ultimate addiction).

Keep in mind that proper preparation for Beach Ultimate involves more than following a checklist of items to bring, working out a bit more, and getting to the field early on game day. The main advice of Jason Lopez, one of the "mythical four" all-stars at the first Asian Beach Ultimate Tournament (Boracay), is to "condition your mind." As you are practicing on grass during the lead-up to a beach competition, imagine playing in reduced space, turning in the sand, throwing and catching in windy conditions, and contending with an unstable playing surface. Give your hucks more control, unload the disc quicker, and plan relevant beach strategies with your teammates. Doing so will help you make the most of the fun-filled weekend, one that you will likely remember for a very long time.

Raise Your Game is written by Bart W. Édes, who has played  competitive Ultimate since 1992 for clubs in Budapest, Paris, and Manila. To comment on the column above, or suggest a topic for a future article, write to raiseyourgame@mailasia.com. This column is sponsored by the Philippine Ultimate Association, one of the world’s fastest growing national bodies for disc sports, and organizer of Asia’s annual Beach Ultimate Championship.