If you had known me around six years ago I was a fanatic. To be more precise, an Ultimate Frisbee fanatic. I basically made sure that my life revolved around the discian calendar. It was a fun though physically demanding life: practice twice a week, weekend long tournaments, travel, and money spent on travel. Even though never a great player, I loved it to the core.
For various reasons that stretched from health, to school, lack of funds, to research, I stopped. And entirely stopped and cold turkey. Ultimate Frisbee in my mind and heart became a relic of my past, something like a beloved lover who had passed away suddenly. I held great fondness for it, but it was just a thing of the past and I picked up other sports and pass times.
But while here in PR I met some ultimate players at the beach and found out that there is a biweekly game, which of course piqued my interest, in a serious way. There was something just enticing and alluring about the thought of playing my beloved sport once again and no less somewhere that I had never played.
But honestly I knew that any return right now to a sport that is extremely demanding of your cardiovascular system would be nothing short of PAINFUL. To say that I am “out of shape” is to acknowledge that there is some physical shape, when in fact, finishing my dissertation and winter in Chicago before that, pretty much nullified any sort of “decent shape.” One of the first things I started to do when I got back here was walk/run but I was doing more of the walking and less of the running. So the prospect of showing face and body at an ultimate game when I could barely run, was a little intimidating.
After running into two of the players on separate occasions yesterday, I thought “what the heck?!” the Ultimate Frisbee Gods were, for sure, giving me a sign. They were saying “Go, even if running will feel like Chinese torture.” I went tonight and sure enough Chinese torture it was but nonetheless it was a blast. A torturous blast. My heart felt like imploding and exploding yet it was ok. The players here are very fun and quite good. They don’t like to play with the most common offensive position the stack, which makes for a slightly more clogged field, but the athleticism of the players makes up for it. And they are a fun bunch too which is always an extra ++.
So if you come to Puerto Rico and play ultimate do play, the game is great! They play Mon and Wed from 7:30/8:00 at Parque Central. They allow cleats so bring them and bring LOTS of H20. It is HOT.
I need someone to teach me how to throw a forehand. I’ve played ultimate before, and really liked it, but without a forehand I was basically worthless unless I was running into the endzone. Maybe we’ll catch up in NJ for a crash course. Before I die, I’d like to be one of those people you sometimes see in parks…those resplendent people who toss the frisbee in unerringly, surreally straight lines, straight into one another’s hands every time, forehands and backhands and other-worldly-hands, short tosses and long. They make me lusty, those people.
Comment by Kris Cohen — July 5, 2005 @ 1:47 am
Hi Kris. Oh for sure I can teach you the enigmatic forehand. It took me four months of hard dedicated work to get it down and then I lost my backhand! I actually find the forehand easier to control although distance wise the backhand goes further. But on the whole my throwing arm is a little weak. But I would love to teach you and since I struggled so much with it, I can give good tips. There are some good leagues and games in Chi-town too if you are interested when you move back.
biella
Comment by biella — July 5, 2005 @ 5:48 am
Kris, you should take her up on it because she is an AWESOME TEACHER OF THE FOREHAND. She taught it to me in about ten minutes once.
Kate
Comment by Kate — July 5, 2005 @ 12:46 pm
Oh yea, I am so good teaching others the forehand, that my regular teaching package comes with a dollar back guarantee…
biella
Comment by biella — July 5, 2005 @ 7:10 pm
Hey everybody,
I am German I have started playing Ultimate 3 month ago and went to a tournament last week. Now I will start an internship in San Juan next month and would like to continue playing Ultimate. Are there teams in San Juan? When and where do they play?
Thanks a lot,
Timo
tberger2000@yahoo.de
Comment by Timo — August 24, 2005 @ 2:15 am
Hey, by the wonders of Google I found this page. I am traveling to PR next month for a week, and I would love to pick up an Ultimate Frisbee game while I am there. Do you still live on the island, and do you still play? If so, could you let me know when/where games are played?
Comment by rICHARD — April 17, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
Richard,
I am far away in Canada so not even remotely close but if I remember correctly the play Monday and Wed nights at parque central starting at 7:30-8:00. If they are not there, I would try Tues or Thursday.
If you find them, do leave a note here with the correct time and days. Have fun!
Biella
Comment by Biella — April 17, 2007 @ 7:06 pm
Anyone know of current ultimate in San Juan…. please let me know when/where…
Comment by Colin Gowland — January 22, 2008 @ 11:03 am
Hi. So it’s been awhile since 2005…can anyone give an update on current ultimate happenings? Is there anyone who drives to the San Juan games from near Humacao? I am in Puerto Rico for the summer and miss the disc badly. And by ‘miss’, I mean “long for,” not “drop.”
I’m also up for just throwing.
-Grace
Comment by Grace — May 17, 2008 @ 10:53 am
you play ultimate in Puerto Rico ?, I need a contact.
Comment by carlos — May 9, 2009 @ 3:33 pm
I don’t play anymore! Nor do I know any folks there. Your tournament looks stellar!
Biella
Comment by Biella — May 10, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
Does this still go on at Parque Central? If not can you post the most recent place they play Ultimate in Puerto Rico in the San Juan area?
Comment by Gabo — August 11, 2009 @ 8:23 pm
Do you know if they keep playing in Parque Central? If not can you tell me any places near the San Juan area that they play Ultimate?
Comment by Gabriel — August 11, 2009 @ 9:34 pm
Um i live in Puerto Rico and i wanted to get into ultimate frisbee i wuuld likke to join
Comment by Fernando — July 6, 2011 @ 1:16 pm