Ultimate Canada
Encyclopedia
Ultimate Canada is a not-for-profit organization
that serves as the governing body of the sport of Ultimate
(also known as "Ultimate Frisbee") in Canada
. It runs the Canadian Ultimate Championship
(CUC) and Canadian University Ultimate Championship (CUUC) series.
History of Toronto Ultimate
The Toronto Ultimate Clubis one of the largest Ultimate
clubs in the world, with thousands of players and hundreds of teams participating every season and on most days of the week, on various fields (indoor and outdoor) throughout the year. It is a not-for-profit organization that was incorporated in 1995. The club consists of three full time managers, a strong board of directors which represent the membership, and over 100 volunteers.
Below is a brief history of the club and the major milestones in its evolution.
In 2010, its 30th anniversary, the club released the documentary film, which traces its history.
Not far removed from the invention of the game in the late 1960's, several Americans came to Toronto in the early 1970's and began introducing disc sports to Torontonians. Ken Westerfield
and his friend Jim Kenner (the founder of Discraft
) ran the Canadian Frisbee Championships (GUTS, Distance) in the early 70's at the CNE and then later on Toronto Island. From these championships and the presence of their professional frisbee players (Ken, Jim, and Bob Blakely of Irwin Toy) Toronto
became the hub of frisbee
activity in Canada. But it was not until the late 1970's that Ken discovered Ultimate
specifically and introduced it north of the 49th parellel. Until then, people played all types of frisbee sports including disc golf
, freestyle
, guts, double disc court, maximum time aloft, and others. Ultimate
was originally just one option out of many and no more important than any other.
As Ken Westerfield
lived in the Beaches in south east Toronto, this is where he would set up shop, taking his frisbees down to the beach and playing with whomever wanted to join him. Four of the original Utimate players, Ken, Jim Lim, Stuart Godfrey, and Patrick Chartrand, tried playing a 2-on-2 game of Ultimate frisbee one afternoon with Ken outlining the rules. For this group it became a regular thing and the group began to grow.
Christopher Lowcock, introduced to disc sports by his brother Les, became part of this group that would play a pickup game at Kew Beach every Wednesday evening in the summer time. Chris, Ken and the others would recruit more people as they passed by along the boardwalk, and the original 2-on-2 would evolve into 2 full teams. These were the very first Utimate Frisbee games in the city of Toronto and the beginnings of the Toronto Ultimate League (Club).
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that serves as the governing body of the sport of Ultimate
Ultimate (sport)
Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...
(also known as "Ultimate Frisbee") in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It runs the Canadian Ultimate Championship
Canadian Ultimate Championships
Canadian Ultimate Championships also known as CUC is an annual Ultimate Frisbee tournament organised by Ultimate Canada and the player association of the city where the championships are held.-Current Championships:...
(CUC) and Canadian University Ultimate Championship (CUUC) series.
History of Toronto Ultimate
The Toronto Ultimate Clubis one of the largest Ultimate
Ultimate
Ultimate, penultimate or antepenultimate may refer to:*Ultimate , a team disc sport*Ultimate , at Lightwater Valley amusement park near Ripon, North Yorkshire, England...
clubs in the world, with thousands of players and hundreds of teams participating every season and on most days of the week, on various fields (indoor and outdoor) throughout the year. It is a not-for-profit organization that was incorporated in 1995. The club consists of three full time managers, a strong board of directors which represent the membership, and over 100 volunteers.
Below is a brief history of the club and the major milestones in its evolution.
In 2010, its 30th anniversary, the club released the documentary film, which traces its history.
Not far removed from the invention of the game in the late 1960's, several Americans came to Toronto in the early 1970's and began introducing disc sports to Torontonians. Ken Westerfield
Ken Westerfield
Ken Westerfield is a pioneering Frisbee player.Westerfield and Childhood friend started playing Frisbee in High School, impressing the other students with a variety of controlled throws and trick catches...
and his friend Jim Kenner (the founder of Discraft
Discraft
Discraft is a company founded by Jim Kenner and located in Wixom, Michigan. They are a manufacturer of flying discs for the sports of Ultimate, Disc Golf and Freestyle frisbee...
) ran the Canadian Frisbee Championships (GUTS, Distance) in the early 70's at the CNE and then later on Toronto Island. From these championships and the presence of their professional frisbee players (Ken, Jim, and Bob Blakely of Irwin Toy) Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
became the hub of frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
activity in Canada. But it was not until the late 1970's that Ken discovered Ultimate
Ultimate
Ultimate, penultimate or antepenultimate may refer to:*Ultimate , a team disc sport*Ultimate , at Lightwater Valley amusement park near Ripon, North Yorkshire, England...
specifically and introduced it north of the 49th parellel. Until then, people played all types of frisbee sports including disc golf
Disc golf
Disc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...
, freestyle
Freestyle
Freestyle or Freestyler may refer to:* Coca-Cola Freestyle, The Coca-Cola Company's vending machine* FreeStyle, a television show on HGTV* Free Style , a 2009 American film...
, guts, double disc court, maximum time aloft, and others. Ultimate
Ultimate
Ultimate, penultimate or antepenultimate may refer to:*Ultimate , a team disc sport*Ultimate , at Lightwater Valley amusement park near Ripon, North Yorkshire, England...
was originally just one option out of many and no more important than any other.
As Ken Westerfield
Ken Westerfield
Ken Westerfield is a pioneering Frisbee player.Westerfield and Childhood friend started playing Frisbee in High School, impressing the other students with a variety of controlled throws and trick catches...
lived in the Beaches in south east Toronto, this is where he would set up shop, taking his frisbees down to the beach and playing with whomever wanted to join him. Four of the original Utimate players, Ken, Jim Lim, Stuart Godfrey, and Patrick Chartrand, tried playing a 2-on-2 game of Ultimate frisbee one afternoon with Ken outlining the rules. For this group it became a regular thing and the group began to grow.
Christopher Lowcock, introduced to disc sports by his brother Les, became part of this group that would play a pickup game at Kew Beach every Wednesday evening in the summer time. Chris, Ken and the others would recruit more people as they passed by along the boardwalk, and the original 2-on-2 would evolve into 2 full teams. These were the very first Utimate Frisbee games in the city of Toronto and the beginnings of the Toronto Ultimate League (Club).