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Getting Ready for the World Urban Games 2019 (Updated)

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In 2 days Lori and I will be getting on a plane and heading to Budapest, Hungary for the very first World Urban Games (WUG)! I figured I’d take a break from packing to share an update about this event. If you have not heard that Freestyle is at WUG, it’s a huge deal (!) and the first time that flying disc will be represented in a multi-sport event among other urban activities.  We wrote an early article about WUG when it was first announced, but be aware that the venue and dates have changed since it was written. Here’s the official WUG site.

First things first: the Olympic channel will officially be streaming WUG, including Freestyle Flying disc. It can be viewed here and here is the official announcement. I’m hoping I can get an embed code so it will also be viewable on FrisbeeGuru.com, but that is not certain yet.

The next obvious question, when is Freestyle happening? Here is the full schedule for Freestyle, which is sharing the same field-of-play with 3×3 basketball. The important times:

  • Prelims: 2019.09.13 @ 14:45 – 17:15 UTC +2
  • Semi-finals: 2019.09.14 @ 10:45 – 12:00 UTC +2
  • Finals: 2019.09.14 @ 16:00 – 16:45 UTC +2
  • Awards: 2019.09.14 @ 16:45 – 17:00 UTC +2

This means that semis and finals are on the same day. We’re not sure if the Olympic Channel will stream every round of Freestyle, but they will definitely be streaming the Finals. Also, this will not be “Frisbee time,” and everyone will be adhering to a tight broadcast schedule. Judges have less than 2 minutes to tally their scores and then the next team is up.

There will also be about 5 different Freestyle demos scheduled, one of which Lori and I will be doing for 5 minutes on Friday, 13 Sept. Other demos are being scheduled now.

Who are the international teams freestyling? In case you missed it from the FPA site, here’s the list of the 12 teams and the 9 countries being represented at the first WUG: (List Updated 9/9)

1. Juliana Korver/Ryan Young (USA)
2. Emma Kahle/Daniel O’Neill (USA)
3. Bianca Strunz/Fabian Dinklage (GER)
4. Ilka Simon/Waldemar Wagner (GER)
5. Maxine Mittempergher/Edo Turri (ITA)
6. Anna Bragagnolo/Andrea Rimatori (ITA)
7. Joakim Arveskar/Vendella Arveskar (SWE)
8. Bar Bendek/Yuval Reikoren (ISR)
9. Benedicte Audet/Brett Schramek (CAN)
10. Marysia Ryszarda Krajewska/Kuba Radwanska (POL)
11. Sophie Rickers/Gordon Brown (UK)
12. Paola Andrea Garcia Palaez/Pablo Azul (COL)

The last thing I will mention is a follow up to the discussion Randy and I had in this podcast episode where I mentioned that Bethany and I might be providing commentary for the stream. That is now confirmed, so when you tune in to the Olympic Channel, you will be hearing our voices. How cool is that?! Lori will be the on-site, field-of-play MC with a Hungarian Co-host. We hope to engage, educate, and entertain so audiences become more interested in Freestyle Disc.

What do you think about Freestyle Disc in the WUG? Do you have any predictions about who will win, who will podium, and why? Let me know in the comments, or send me an email.

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Episode 99: Daniel O’Neill Looks Beyond the Frisbee

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  • Daniel reflects on his first tournament in 2010 at Virginia States. He and James were newcomers and learned so much playing by playing coop with Zanardi – Emmanuele Faustini. It was also the first time Daniel had seen all of the Frisbee competitions coming together in one place.
  • Daniel shares his introduction to Paul Kenny, and what an influence and mentor he has been on both he and James. It was his tiny college dorm room that the three of them put together their first routine for the 2012 Worlds, sans frisbee.
  • One of Daniel’s fondest memories is winning in Riccione, despite challenging wind conditions.
  • Daniel explains his thought process when choreographing his routines, and how his partner and the music play into that.
  • He also talks about the skills he has carried over from performing professionally in Cirque de Soleil and Pilobolus.

World Urban Games is coming September 14th – It will be streamed on the “Olympic Channel” so please watch for more details and a list of all the players!  Go Freestylers!  

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Episode 98: Dr. Kate Dow Dreams of Frisbee

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  • In 1986 Kate graduated, left Santa Barbara for San Diego and was pleasantly surprised by the new group of people that created an impressive Freestyle scene.
  • Kate talks about the relationships between players of the other disc sports and why she thinks there were certain connotations they had of Freestylers.
  • Randy asks Kate about her process when creating a routine.
  • A move to Reno for a job and finishing her dissertation required her to put Freestyle on hold for a while.
  • Then other life happened and took her in a different direction.
  • Her desire is there, but her body parts don’t always cooperate.
  • Kate shares some of her favorite Frisbee experiences, tricks, and kitchen utensils.
  • She also has some valuable advice for new players.

Kate’s professional life has really taken off and she recently published a book called Fear-Less: The Art of Using Anxiety to Your Advantage. Learn more about the exciting work she is doing at KateDow.com

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Episode 97: Konn Kummings and the Origin of “Spaunch”

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Photo by Maren Tyler

  • In 1989, WFDF was held in England, and Konn shares his experience playing with Adrian Wainright.
  • Although they did not have the most ideal practice circumstances, they focused on difficulty vs presentation, and they ended up winning. 
  • Konn, Jake, & Randy discuss the variables that drive performance & how judging impacts the game. 
  • Konn has some interesting thoughts on how he views difficulty and the correlation to the amount of time it takes to master certain moves. 
  • Konn shares his impressions of meeting Donny Rhoades for the first time. 
  • Congrats to Jake & Ryan on their recent WFDF win! 
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Episode 96: Patrick Chartrand – 3 time Canadian Freestyle Champ

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  • Toronto Raptors win!!
  • Charles Tips book was his go to guide and find out who the HOF “guy” was who changed his life forever.
  • Toronto has a “beach” scene with a sweet wind?
  • Ken Westerfield – mentor and showman took Patrick and others under his wing and showed them the demo ropes.
  • Kosmic Katastrophe – what the heck is it and why is it a Canadian thing.
  • The Death Disc & Buzz Bee – just what you think they might be:)

WFDF – World Overall Championship – Freestyle will be live streamed July 12 & 13 and don’t miss the new integration with the judging system. You will be able to see the players names and how they scored live, plus much more!

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WOC 2019 Will Be Live Streamed

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The WFDF World Overall Championships – Freestyle Competition will be Live Streamed. The event takes place July 12th & 13th in Richmond, Va, USA. Lori and I will be there with the cameras and computer, ready to stream and jam!

Also helping with the stream will be Ryan Young. He is running the current FPA judging system for this event. Last weekend we integrated an overlay from that system into the live stream. If all goes well, player’s names and scores will be visible in the stream.

To learn more about this event, listen to our interview with the tournament directory, Jack Cooksey and checkout the event web site which includes a list of all registered players, the schedule, and more.

To watch, click here.

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Episode 95: Daniel O’Neill, A Creative Wizard

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  • Daniel shares how he was introduced to Freestyle by a fellow student named James on his first day as a freshman in college.
  • He practiced in his dorm room and learned to delay almost immediately.
  • Although it took a while, both Daniel & James earned the acceptance and the mentorship of the NY crew, who encouraged them to focus on the basics.
  • Daniel talks about specific players that have been most influential to his game.
  • Find out how Emma Kahle worked her way into the Columbia Campus threesome and what they named themselves.
  • Randy asks Daniel how he has dealt with comparisons between him and James.
  • Jake provides some of his own insight as he played so often with his brother, Matt.
  • Can you believe it? Shootin’ the Frizbreeze has had nearly 20,000 downloads to date & we are approaching 100 episodes!
  • Thanks to all our patrons and donors who help make this possible!! Consider becoming becoming a part of this project today!