Tag Archives: Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimately, 50 Years

2018 marks the 60th anniversary of some legendary Westport institutions:

Mitchells. Earthplace. Staples Orphenians. And the Staples High School boys soccer program (click here for details on this Saturday’s Wreckers event!).

Checking in at a mere 50 years old is Ultimate Frisbee. But — like those other local icons — it too has a special Westport connection.

Ultimate began in 1968 at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. A 1960 alum was teaching math at Staples. When Al Jolley heard of the game — non-contact, free-flowing, like a traditional “goal” sport but with a unique culture — he vowed to bring it to Westport.

The group played on an unkempt field behind the old 9 Building, at the east end of Staples. (Field hockey players chased them away, with sticks.) With no other teams in the area, they scrimmaged themselves.

An early Ultimate team. Alan Jolley is at far left.

They encouraged Weston High to form a team, and played them on April 5, 1973. Staples won 24-9, in the 1st interscholastic Frisbee game in Connecticut. It was also the 1st known coed interscholastic sports event. 

On April 14, Staples hosted Columbia High, in the 1st known interstate coed match. Staples beat the sport’s inventors, 18-8. (To be fair, the guests were missing several players.)

But Staples — in fun — declared themselves “National Champions.” The  National Observer sent a reporter from Washington to write about the team.

The Ultimate Frisbee Hall of Fame has honored 29″Johnny Appleseeds” of the sport. Four — Jolley and 1974 graduates Ed Davis, Ron Kaufman and Dan Buckley — are among them.

Dan Buckley, Alan Jolley and Ed Davis, at a Staples Ultimate Frisbee reunion several years ago.

From October 18-21, a grand celebration of Ultimate will be held in San Diego. Kaufman will fly in from Singapore.

The following month, Columbia High honors Jolley as a “Hometown Ultimate Hero.” For the 49th year in a row, the school will play a Thanksgiving reunion game, at the site of that very first one.

Unfortunately, they can’t get revenge for that loss to Staples, all those years ago. Jolley disbanded his team in the late 1970s, after issues with school administrators over things like insurance.

What an untimely, Ultimate end.

Kurt Gibson’s Amazing Race

The Amazing Race is a familiar TV show.

But although one of this year’s contestants is from Westport, Kurt Gibson’s name may not be familiar.

He grew up here — and his mother taught Spanish at Bedford Middle School. But Gibson moved to Florida for high school.

Still, he claims Westport as his hometown — it says so, right there on his official CBS bio — so let’s give him a shout-out.

He definitely deserves it.

Kurt Gibson

After leading the University of Florida to an Ultimate Frisbee national championship in 2006 — 2 years after being named ACC Freshman of the Year — and twice finishing in the top 3 voting for college MVP, Gibson was on top of the world.

Suddenly, in August 2008 — at the age of 22 — he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.

Nearly his entire colon was removed. After recovering at his aunt’s house in Westport, Gibson returned to Dallas — where he worked for IBM — for intense chemo.

Kurt Gibson, after signing with the San Jose Spiders of the AUDL.

Kurt Gibson, after signing with the San Jose Spiders of the AUDL.

He lost 25 pounds, and much of his strength. But he fought his way back to health.

In 2009 he joined the Austin Doublewide team in the American Ultimate Disc League. In 2012 they won the club national title — and he was MVP.

Gibson now plays with the San Jose Spiders.

So we’ve got a hometown player to cheer for in the AUDL.

And now one in the Amazing Race too.

(Fun fact: Gibson is not the 1st Westporter to appear on the CBS Show. Derek and Drew Riker did so in Season 3. Hat tips: Joe Xiang and Charlie Stoebe.) 

Alan Jolley’s Ultimate Adventure

In his 49 years as a Staples math teacher, Alan Jolley has earned tremendous respect and admiration. Future engineers and mathphobes alike look forward to his “Jolley calls” — phone messages to parents saying their kids have done well.

At last, he’s been inducted into a Hall of Fame.

For Frisbee.

Ultimate Frisbee is Jolley’s 2nd love. He founded Staples’ team — the 2nd in the nation — and coached it to national renown. Now he, and 1974 graduates Ed Davis, Ron Kaufman and Dan Buckley, have been recognized for their contributions, as members of the Ultimate Frisbee Hall of Fame. They’re honored as “Johnny Appleseeds,” for helping grow the sport following its founding at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Dan Buckley, Alan Jolley and Ed Davis, at a Staples Ultimate Frisbee reunion several years ago.

Dan Buckley, Alan Jolley and Ed Davis, at a Staples Ultimate Frisbee reunion in 2009.

Columbia High was Jolley’s alma mater, in 1960. Six years later, he arrived at Staples. In 1970 his sister sent him rules for a new sport being played at Columbia.

Some of Jolley’s students — and other teenagers he knew from his work with Boy Scouts and a church youth group — loved tossing Frisbees. He told them about this new “Ultimate Frisbee.”

The group played on an unkempt field behind the old 9 Building, at the east end of Staples. (Field hockey players chased them away, with sticks.) With no other teams in the area, they scrimmaged themselves.

Back then, he was Jon Steinberg. Today this same guy is State Representative Jonathan Steinberg.

Back then, he was Jon Steinberg. Today this same guy is State Representative Jonathan Steinberg.

They created a “uniform” of blue jeans and a light blue turtleneck, with a Staples monogram on the front and “FriSbee” on the back (get it?). Many guys — and girls — wore red bandannas.

They encouraged Weston High to form a team, and played them on April 5, 1973. Staples won 24-9, in the 1st interscholastic Frisbee game in Connecticut. It was also the 1st known coed interscholastic sports event.

On April 14, Staples hosted Columbia High, in the 1st known interstate coed match. Staples beat the sport’s inventors, 18-8. (To be fair, the guests were missing several players.)

But Staples — in fun — declared themselves “National Champions.” The National Observer sent a reporter from Washington to write about the team. His article appeared on May 12, 1973.

Ron Kaufman today.

Ron Kaufman today.

After graduation, the 3 players inducted recently with Jolley continued to evangelize for the sport.

Kaufman has been particularly active. He founded the Ultimate team at Brown University, then sold “flying disc” equipment by mail, through a California store and online.

Kaufman organized a national series of Frisbee festivals (with Wham-O sponsorship), and created World Peace Tours to China and the Soviet Union featuring Frisbee demonstrations, festivals and tournaments.

He asked, “How can you drop a bomb on somebody you’ve played Frisbee with in Red Square?”

By that time, though, Staples’ Ultimate Frisbee team was just a memory. Jolley disbanded it in the late 1970s, after issues with school administrators over issues like insurance.

What a buzzkill.

1973 frisbee team

Staples’ 1973 Ultimate Frisbee team. Alan Jolley is at far left.

 

The Ultimate Event

Westport’s artists’ colony roots are renowned.  We’re well known too for our boldface residents in culture, business and home decorating mavenhood.

But we’re also an important part of Ultimate Frisbee history.

In the early 1970s, Staples fielded one of the 1st high school teams in the country.  The Class of 1974 was filled with some of Ultimate’s movers and shakers.  Ron Kaufman, for instance, spent 2 decades traveling the world, promoting the game, and building a company dedicated to all things disc.

Others, Johnny Frisbeeseed-like, nurtured the sport on college campuses and in communities across America.

Staples' 1974 Ultimate Frisbee team

Staples' 1974 Ultimate Frisbee team

This Saturday, during the Class of ’74’s reunion weekend, they’ll sponsor a special game at Staples.  More than 20 former players will face off at noon against current students and teachers.  Kaufman is flying in from Singapore; former teammates will join him from California, Texas, Minnesota and Ohio.

Al Jolley will be there too.  Ultimate Frisbee was born at his alma mater — New Jersey’s Columbia High School.  As a young math teacher he brought the sport here.

His squad was innovative.  The earliest teams were coed.  Staples players also revised the rules to promote “honorable” play (and reduce the alarming number of injuries resulting from overzealous defense).

By late 1972 Staples’ Ultimate team scrimmaged 3 times a week (they had no opponents).  Jolley created the team uniform:  jeans and light blue turtlenecks.

The 1st interscholastic match in Connecticut was played in April 1973.  Staples whipped Weston, 24-9.  That may have been the 1st coed interscholastic sports match of any sport in the state.

A few days later Staples hosted Columbia High in the 1st interstate school match.  The Wreckers beat the game’s inventors 18-8.  (Okay, Columbia was missing several key players.  A few weeks later, the New Jerseyans thumped Staples in a rematch.)

Kaufman and Dan Buckley formed a townwide Ultimate team in 1976.  they also organized a summer tournament with teams from Brown and UConn.

Today, more than 3 decades later, Westporters play Ultimate Frisbee every Sunday at Wakeman.  At least 1 of the regulars is a former Staples player.

If you have too much time on your hands, check out Staples’ role in the game at www.ultimatehistory.com.

Organizers invite all Westporters to Saturday’s reunion game at Staples.  They promise plenty of surprises.

Ultimately, of course, it promises to be plenty of fun.