Salt Lake Lions
by Anders Kierulf
2014-03-20
Most of my tweets are about the game of Go. But you’ve probably noticed some about Ultimate Frisbee, as that’s my main way of getting exercise and staying healthy as I work on SmartGo. Fair warning: There will be more – the Lions are coming to town.
What is Ultimate? A non-contact team sport, played with two teams of seven on a football-size field. Ultimate is a fast-moving and fast-growing sport, fun to play, and exciting to watch.
Like in Go, competition in Ultimate is fierce but friendly, and there’s a terrific community of players. The spirit of the game is deeply ingrained in the culture of Ultimate.
Both Go and Ultimate recently started going pro in the US. The AUDL started two years ago, and this year it’s expanding to the West Coast: Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose, and most importantly: Salt Lake City.
This is tremendously exciting, especially as I know many of the people involved in starting this franchise. I’ve played with them in pickup games and leagues, and they’re great athletes on and off the field. They run circles around me, but then, I’m twice their age. I’m confident they’ll match up well against the other teams.
Having a semi-professional Ultimate team in your home town enriches the community. But these teams need our support to get them off the ground. I’ve decided that Smart Go will do some advertising with the Salt Lake Lions, helping Ultimate and promoting Go at the same time.
The games start Saturday April 12. Tell your friends. Bring the family. Be there.