Redmond, Washington

The first view of Potlatch underway is truly amazing. Over 70 team all in a big block of about 30 fields, continuous ultimate stretching far into the distance. And the stories from Potlatch are nearly infinite as well. The tourney is massive, costumes and themes are encouraged, and the competition is top notch. Once again this year, Ryan and crew did a brilliant job with the organizing.

Potlatch is a Native American term for gift giving or something similar; gifts for your opponents are required. Every team comes with a theme; some elaborate, some ludicrously elaborate, and there's no way to cover them all. There was a team of cows, and of whales; someone giving away porn and shots; a whole bunch of mullets and other trailer park trash on Milf; an accordion player serenading; one gallon jugs of gin and tonic; and so much more. The party at the Red Hook Brewery was great, with dancing and merriment inside and a BBQ with something like 1000 pounds of salmon outside. A little after party at the fields included some very sketchy horizontal fireworks. And the crowd for the final, lounging in the warm sunshine, was itself entertaining to watch.

The tourney this year had a special draw, as the Canadian and US World Games squads were entered as a warm up to Akita. All 78 teams in about 12 pools start with a chance to play in the A final Sunday, so if you don't win all your games by a bunch on Saturday you may not even make the top bracket on Sunday. As expected, both Team Canada Toque and Team USA Bullseye made it through to the final. Toque knocked off Trigger Hippy from Montana and then Blackfoot from Washington/Oregon in the playoffs; Bullseye knocked off Bandwagon from Seattle, etc. and then Mac'n'Cheese from Portland/Cali. Bullseye triumphed definitively over Toque 15-9 in the big match.

A solo camper sleeping in the early morning mist.
(1)

Team USA Bullseye with a power paraglider randomly buzzing the fields.
(2)

The Return of Milf with a d.
(3)

Iocane from Australia.
(4)

A girl with a nice grab.
(5)

Steve Dugan with a pull for Bullseye.
(6)

On the
field
with
Toque.
(8)

Guy Series

Trigger Hippy and Lawn Party laying out for an invisible disc.
(10)

The trials of a photog: the shot block.
(11)

Mixed Plate, late with the d and then going up in the endzone.
(12)

Pink Daddy's Revenge on the pull.
(13)

Daisy (Stacy) of
Bandwagon
(ICHIRO!).
(14)

A devil imbibing.
(15)

A girl throwing.
(16)

A team.
(17)

A pretty decent d-block.
(18)

Nice endzone grab.
(19)

Trigger Hippy -
Lawn Party ups.
(20)

Mauro of Toque with the grab as Fortunat Mueller of Bullseye bids.
(21)

A Capri Juice pack chugging contest, instigated by the young lass who doesn't drink yet.
(22)

Fortunat going for the disc as Al Nichols catches up.
(23)

Leslie and Su Ning
of Toque.
(24)

Kirk Savage of Toque throwing as Steve looks on.
(25)

Frankus wrestling a borrowed Team Canada chair.
(27)

Johanna Neuman with a point as Bullseye walked away with the game.
(28)