Ultimate Bangkok Style

Hey Folks,

I've been in Bangkok for the last little while, and this Sunday I had the opportunity to play some ultimate with the locals. The Soidawgz run pickup a few times a week, and I thought I would join them. Not expecting any high quality ultimate I searched for the fields and, finally, found where they hold pickup. It's actually in the army base on a soccer field. People were throwing discs which suggested I was in the right spot.

Pictured Above: A blurry version of one of two pickup games in Bangkok. Great people and ultimate.

Any time you travel the world I suggest checking if there is some pickup ultimate in the area. Send a quick e-mail to the contacts, and when you find the field just introduce yourself and start playing. It is amazing how cool ultimate players are throughout the world.

The Soidawgz are no exception. I met a few people and after cleating up I was on the field throwing around. After an insufficient warm-up, the darks and lights separated into seven and a game began.

With my experience in Toronto pickup and other pickup games in Europe. I was quite pleased with the level of ultimate. The majority of people had a backhand and flick, and they were looking for dumps at high stalls. This quality was probably the case since this pickup was for a club team that goes to tournaments instead of general pickup like many other places I've been.

Some of the stronger players were quite good. I had the fortune of being covered by a 6'6"" giant called Dan (could have been taller) who I found out later played with Ring of Fire in Raleigh, NC. There were some strong players from Seattle and San Francisco, and there was also some visiting players from Washington. That along with some strong throwing, fast locals made for two competitive games.

I held my own other than a disastrous drop off the pull, but I blame the heat and my concern for the sideline. Overall, it was a great experience, and if you're ever in Bangkok, I suggest you come out and play.

The most interesting part of the experience was stopping play to stand for the King's anthem. Even the little kids playing soccer on a nearby field stood to attention.

PJ