How did Ultimate develop?

[turbosteve]

After hearing discussions about changing the PDGA and people complain about "bagging" at AM Worlds I would like to know how Ultimate developed and what the difference was from Disc Golf.

 

[thrembo]

I would have to consult "the Frisbee book" to be sure, but in the 1970's there was a big push to turn every sport into a Frisbee (disc) sport. I believe Ultimate is what became of Frisbee Football, much like Disc Golf evolved from Frisbee Golf. Freesyle was the big disc sport back then. Disc golf and Ultimate became the most popular of these disc sports eventualy though. Ultimate is a team sport that caught fire with colleges and to my recolection is not played recreationaly as disc golf is.

 

[Mr. America]

It was developed by people too sissy for football or too white for basketball.

 

[wake_rider]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=who+invented+ultimate+frisbee

 

[Basshunter]

It was developed by people too sissy for football or too white for basketball.

Agree with thrembo on basic origins. I started playing Ultimate in the early '80s, and it was fairly entrenched as "Ultimate" by then. Of course, I also lived a town over from the college that gave Johnny Dwork a legit degree of "Professional Flying Disc Entertainment and Education" studies.

That said, Ultimate is definitely played recreationally in pick up leagues here in the northeast.

 

[coupe]

Ultimate is a team sport that caught fire with colleges and to my recolection is not played recreationaly as disc golf is.

Depends on the area.

Lots of pick-up Ultimate on weekends in the Durham/Chapel Hill area, even when UNC and Duke aren't in session. At Forest Hills (city park) during the summer there can be 5-6 games going on simultaneously, and players standing around waiting to rotate in. And, let me tell you, some of those 50-60 year old geezers know every trick and can make every shot and catch in the book--with either hand.

 

[turbosteve]

Im specifically asking how did the competitive side of the sport develop and why has it been successful in bringing in women and youth into the sport.

 

[ZAMson]

Joel Silver, no joke

 

[mashnut]

Im specifically asking how did the competitive side of the sport develop and why has it been successful in bringing in women and youth into the sport.

I don't know the demographics on that, do women make up a significantly bigger percentage of competitive ultimate than competitive disc golf?

 

[New013]

Some people who weren't high or completely faded on whatever drug the hippies were on picked up a frisbee and said "Hey I'll throw it and one of you run and try to catch it while the other tries to stop him." Then they did that for a little bit and another guy came up and said "Hey are you playing football with a frisbee?"

Thus Ultimate was born...

 

[Mr. America]

Ultimate seems more like Rugby to me. Rugby with frisbees would be pretty awesome.

 

[Three Putt]

Joel Silver, no joke

QFT :|

 

[Three Putt]

Ultimate and disc golf are polar opposites. Ultimate uses "the Spirit of the Game" as an honor code to enforce fair play. Disc golf just ignores fair play and lets anything go. :|

 

[sidewinder22]

I don't know the demographics on that, do women make up a significantly bigger percentage of competitive ultimate than competitive disc golf?

I'd venture a guess of hell yes. Ultimate is a team/social sport where communication is part of the game and people are always around. Most women prefer this type of environment compared to a more loner sport like disc golf where you get chastised for talking too much and go out into the woods with strange men. :\

 

[zenbot]

Ultimate seems more like Rugby to me. Rugby with frisbees would be pretty awesome.

How about Aussie Rules Football with Frisbees?


That's the chit. Makes rugby look like curling.

 

[DavidSauls]

Ultimate seems more like Rugby to me. Rugby with frisbees would be pretty awesome.

Or soccer.

In the 1980s we "invented" Ultimate independently. Just as people threw Frisbees at trees, we started to play Frisbee Football and were quickly bored, and the Ultimate concept is very simple. We played a lot of it, sometimes 2-on-2 or 3-on-3, which involves a LOT of running. For reasons forgotten, it struck us as being like rugby, and we called it "frugby".

Which might sound really stupid, or even frolfy, but if we'd realized it was more like soccer we'd have been calling it "froccer" or "sugby", words that should be pronounced carefully in polite society.

*

I don't know if Ultimate has greater female participation in competitive play or not. But as a team sport, it has the opportunity to require co-ed teams, which would affect the balance.

 

[notapro]

Two of my coworkers at my old job were as big into ultimate as I am into disc golf. They would travel cross country for team tournaments; a lot of their teammates went to a tournament in Italy. People take it very, very seriously.

I also know they played in a mixed league - lots and lots of female players. Lots.

http://ultimatechicago.org/play/club_teams

 

[turbosteve]

Does Ultimate have payouts in merch like Disc Golf?

 

[bnbanbury]

Here's the only page i could find on demographics: http://ultimaterob.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/UltimateFrisbee-Demographics.pdf. This would show men and women split almost 50/50. I don't know that its as high as that, but its much higher than disc golf.

 

[Lewis]

Does Ultimate have payouts in merch like Disc Golf?

Ultimate probably only "pays out" the teams who win. :|