Euro 6 - Rimini On the Scene

Quick refresher: Becca and I left Atlanta on a Sunday. We'd had the time of our lives in Rome for three days and made do on the beach outside La Spezia (Cinque Terra). Now its time for the original attraction to hoof it all the way to Italy - Paganello. First off, here's a map of the flip we did from one Italian coast to the next. Rome is at the southern end of the map.

Paganello, the beach tournament is famous (lives in infamy) in the ultimate community as a must-do before retiring from the sport. The tournament is frisbee-based but party-focused. Here's an image from inside the tourney tent, with the Paganello logo projected onto the ceiling:

Though I had run into the same Notre Dame/midwestern ultimate players from Rome on the Bologna train platform headed to Paga, I didn't get the feeling arriving in Rimini that frisbee had taken over the resort town. But before I got to my hotel, I found Fred, Atlanta resident and friend I'd tried to meet up with a couple days earlier in Rome. Becca, meanwhile, headed to Florence to see some of the Uffizi and other epic artwork/history/tourism there.

Fred and I drop off our bags and (after flirting with a couple Canadian womens players) head to the first night of tournament partying. The organizers start the weekend with complimentary pasta, wine, and fireworks. Here's a pic of the beach sky during the fireworks and a blur of the crowd mingling under the stars:

Some frisbee is played, some resting at the beach (between games) is done, and temporary tattoos are applied. Here's a small group of us chilling.

Then the parties ensue. We went big at the parties every night - starting dance parties and sometimes finishing them. At one of the Rimini clubs, there's a pretty helpful Alcohol-Tester. Ididn't bother using it cause we were walking everywhere, but glad to know its there.

Again, temporary tattoos are applied. To friends and strangers alike, at the beach, the hotel, and the bar(ge). We host an impromptu dance party in a city park, play more frisbee, have team dinners at restaurants and hotel terraces. And apply more DTB tattoos.

Friends are made, frisbee is played/watched, and eventually we're saying goodbye. Here's me, Becca, Terri, Max, and Tom at the grandstand area (we played one round there and watched some of the semis and finals, too) the last day.

We leave more tired than I can ever remember being. And though it may appear to be a seat, this is actually Becca resting on her suitcase in the train's aisle:

Phew.

For Writing's Sake

The world celebrated Dr Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday (most people had to cause the government told them to). The Wednesday before this past was his real birthday. But you wouldn't know that from reading this blog; so I'm as guilty as anyone of letting the day go by without the pomp and rapture that should accompany the memorialization of such a great dude.

What I did do this past weekend was play in a beach ultimate frisbee tournament. Lei-Out is a top 5 beach tournament in the world these days, with hundreds of players, three days of games, and gorgeous weather for a winter event.

Quick Nuts 08 =====>>>>>

Two Hippos (Matt and Adam) and a Hellion came to town (read: the hood) Friday night and we carpooled to Santa Monica Saturday morning. Got a hotel room for Saturday and Sunday nights... right near da beeeach.

Quick Nuts did pretty well, overachieving the first day and underachieving the next two but having fun the whole time. The party was rocking. Saw some old friends from Long Beach, Swat, NorCal, and more.

Wish I could have been a part of the Gdub Ultimate Alumni Weekend back east; but traversing the continent wasn't in the cards for every west-coaster. So the group of us (plus Mickey, holla!) did some partyin' in our new home state.

To add a meaningful note, and close out this post, I'll just say that I appreciated Downtown Brown's DJ at the fields, especially on Sunday. We heard Malcolm X and Dr King speaking - including the full 'I Have a Dream' speech. That's one of the first times I can remember ultimate players including in their time together (their tournament time, no less) something to do with social justice and the race/class problem we have in America.

(I was trying to use irony there in the 'pomp' part of my 'memorialize Dr King' statement 1st paragraph)

Emotional Hangover

(this picture's from 2005 Regionals in Princeton; among many intense weekends, this one was especially so; from left to right: Ben, Linc, Tim, Josh, me, Jack, House, chicken-dancer)

Talking with a friend the other day about how he felt following a wedding/visit with an old girlfriend/generally spirited weekend, I realized that emotional ups and downs loom pretty big in everyone's lives.

In ultimate, the silly but fun sport that I play, the ups and downs are sweeping. But I don't mean ups and downs like wins and losses. I generally mean the 'high' during a tournament and the 'low' following a tournament.

AJ Tiarsmith, stellar player, coach, and thinker about ultimate, had the motivation to post on his ultfris blog about post-tournament depression following tournaments. So it has to be a big deal.

What he noted was that ultimate players, and most people, are engaged in lots of highly- concentrated social (and usually physical) environments for a few days at a time. Immediately afterwards, people tend to show these signs (and I quote):

• lack of energy
• sad or withdrawn
• irritable
  
• difficulty completing simple tasks
• difficulty focusing

Homeboy of mine who just said a quick hello and goodbye to his ex-girlfriend was in complete agreement that he was going through this kind of phase: an emotional hangover. I'm thinking of an emotional hangover as a time of intense emotion, thoughtfulness, and the need to be sharing himself with friends.

Why is it that we have to experience all these symptoms in order to reacclimate to our daily lives after tournaments and other good times? Is it because our daily lives are so lonely, having us 'lead lives of quiet desparation?' Or do we experience this stuff because of the rush that comes from being around people with whom we party, play, and love? This post shows some of the rush that comes over a tournament weekend.

Please share your story about emotional lows following some crazy active and wild time...

I have a dream

Me and Kyle at Elisha's Halloween Party

I have a dream... that one day, I'm a look deep within myself.
-from Common's 'Dream' off the Freedom Writer Soundtrack



My time since the ultimate season has been going pretty well. I prolly said this last time I posted, but its worth repeating that I felt a little sadness, and yes a little jealousy, about the Sarasota weekend. There's a little recognition of those emotions that I need to do so I can really understand where ultimate fits in my life. But I'm enjoying the free time.

I flew last Thursday to Atlanta for a few days. After some time for parents and a little Candler Park chillin, Kyle and I got around Kennesaw a little bit and then partied like rock-stars (more like pimp and Soulja Boy) at a Halloween get-together. I flew back here Sunday after no sleep Saturday night.

Halloween day came and went without much doing except binging on cheap chocolate bars. Tonight I'm coaching the Ghettobirds while Talib Kweli visits campus pre-USC Homecoming.

And back to ultimate (and the confusion/fatigue issue): where am I going to be a year from now? Maybe I'd move for an ultimate team... back to the A and tryout for Chain again (that would be my third time at tryouts for them)... up the coast to some Bay Area or far Northwest team... but, seriously, do I want to play ultimate again? The job I have obviously has some impact on that and I'm not necessarily tied to L.A.

I've been working to get back to my enthusiasm about the game. Its funny that I was okay to jump into coaching in early October right after the club series ended. But now that we're a month into the post-season, I'm feeling burned out, confused, not really ready to love the game the way I know I can.

[Wreckbook type stuff, you know.]

So how am I going to work with all this energy I've got but can't channel right yet? I'm running the track tonight before practice (actually leaving in a few minutes to get there, jog, and then eat dinner at home before practice). I'm going to enjoy Sunday beach leagues and travel for work and pleasure.

Next trips for me are:
Little Rock, Arkansas
San Francisco, California
New Orleans, Louisiana
Chicago, Illinois (maybe)
Atlanta, Georgia

all between now and Christmas

My Weekend

I spent my weekend playing ultimate on sand. I smiled the whole time because:

A. my friends flew and drove from all over to play - from Boston, San Fran, and more
B. beach ultimate is fun - laying out on the shells and sand is fun
C. the party was awesome - despite the tequilla thievery of the VFW management
D. ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny was a great team - even though the tie break ruling (out of saturday's pool) sucked

check out the logo. whoo!