Frisbees fly in first-time tournament

Porangahau Hat tournament organiser Gordy Chaff and nephew Riley, 10, at the idyllic venue for the Ultimate Frisbee tournament this weekend. Photo / Clinton Llewellyn

The 2017 Porangahau Hat Ultimate Frisbee tournament this weekend is shaping up as not just a sports tournament, but something of a party that will introduce CHB to a host of international visitors.

The inaugural beach frisbee tournament two years ago featured only seven teams and slightly more than 80 players.

But tournament director and organiser Gordy Chaff said this year's sold-out tournament had expanded to 12 teams and more than 150 players, including 20 international visitors from countries including Australia, Germany and France.

"This tournament is one that the players have been looking forward to for a long time - we only do it every two years and this is the second one. The first one got a really good reputation so this tournament's filled up really fast. Quite a few high level players have signed up for it, so it should be a good show."

Chaff said the tournament would feature well-known New Zealand player Aaron Neal, who has competed in the United States, which boats five million registered ultimate players and are world champions in all three divisions of the sport.

Many Europeans had tied in a trip to New Zealand to coincide with the Porangahau event and other ultimate tournaments being held in the country over summer, Chaff said.

"That's what most ultimate players do. I did the same when I was playing and travelling around Europe. It's going to be funny to hear how they pronounce the names of some of our places," said Chaff, 36, who has played ultimate for seven years but is sitting out of his own tournament.

He described ultimate Frisbee as "high-paced" and a mix of netball and American NFL (grid iron).

"It's like netball in that you can't run with the frisbee and we score in 'end-zones'. It can be high-paced, especially at the elite level. "

He explained that the 'hat' in the tournament name referred to how the make-up of teams was decided. Players entered as individuals and nominated their skill level, ranging from level one for beginners to level five for the elite players.

"We put all the fives into a hat and we make the teams from there. Teams might have a couple of fives in there, and a whole lot of beginners," he said.

Games of Ultimate Frisbee are refereed by the players themselves, and played with music in the background on the beach or on grass.

Chaff has spent the last year designing brightly coloured playing kits for each of the 12 teams and created a business, Phat Swag, to make them.

"Normally you just have one shirt design for a tournament, but in different colours. But for past year I've been working with artists all over the world. So there's 12 completely different looks for each team."

Along with the bright playing kits and music blaring on the beach, the tournament has a very serious social side to it.

Players are due to start arriving in the district tomorrow, where they will be camping on a farm 20 minutes away from the beach, with welcome drinks othat night and a party on Saturday night all part of the official programme.

"It is a bit like a party," said Chaff.

"The players will come and stay at the farm for the weekend and every day we'll head down to the beach but if the winds are up, we'll play on the rugby field," said Chaff, referring to the grounds at the Porangahau Country Club.

Spectators are welcome. Games will be played from 9am to 5.30pm on Saturday, with a 'show game' between two teams of elite players starting at 4.30pm.

Games on Sunday begin at 10.30am, with the final at 3.30pm.