Thousands of frisbee athletes hit Edmonton for Canadian Ultimate Championships

More than 1,500 athletes will compete in the Frisbee National Championships in south Edmonton this week. CTV News Edmonton's Sasha Pietramala has the latest.

Thousands of athletes are descending on Edmonton, hoping to fling their way to victory in the Canadian Ultimate Championships.

Ultimate, also known as ultimate frisbee, is a non-contact sport where players fling a flying disc to teammates to get the disc into the opponent’s end zone. It’s described as a combination of soccer, basketball and football.

“It can be very, very competitive,” said Marissa Gutsch, with the Canadian Ultimate Championships organizing committee.

“There is no ref, it is a self-officiated sport. Players are expected to know the rules, make the calls and work it out on the field with themselves.”

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The sport isn’t one of the most well-known, but it is growing in popularity, according to Gutsch. Edmonton has its own club, the Edmonton Ultimate Players Association, with adult and youth teams.

“We’ve seen our numbers just from Edmonton grow substantially since COVID-19 because we have more youth being interested in sports that are non-traditional and offer more of a sportsmanship focus,” she added.

Players are enjoying the growing pool of competitors, especially in the junior ranks.

“We’ve only been playing for five years in our club – our club didn’t exist before then – so it’s a very good experience for all of the new kids to get to experience a high-level tournament and see what it’s like to play ultimate,” said Andrew Phillips, a member of the Alberta Cannons team.

In addition to sportsmanship, the cost of the sport is also appealing to families.

Sean Phillips, an administrator with the Cannons, says between equipment and travel at higher levels, it won’t be cheap, but it will be less expensive than other sports like football and hockey.

Gutsch hopes the large number of people coming for the competition will be inspired to pick up a disc and try the sport for themselves.

Monday to Wednesday is the junior competition with 1,200 athletes competing at Ivor Dent Sports Park. Wednesday through Sunday will see another 1,200 athletes competing in the senior competition.

The event is a qualifier for the sport’s World Cup in Ireland at the University of Limerick in 2026.

With files from Sasha Pietramala