Ottawa's Ultimate Characters

"The qualities of a great man are vision, integrity, courage, understanding, the power of articulation, and profundity of character."
- Dwight Eisenhower

One of the things I enjoy most about playing ultimate is the characters I meet. There are OCUA members whose personalities make a lasting impression on you (for better or worse). Since I'm currently waiting for indoor to start up, or for someone to foul RPAlex or forum frequenter Steve in an imaginative and controversial way, I thought I'd map some of the local characters that I've come across in Ottawa's ultimate community to the 8 character types in my favorite ulty book Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented by Man.

Engineer
There's quite a number of possibilities here, but an obvious example of the engineer character in Ottawa is Ahmad. His job title scares me, his education impresses me, and the way he explained flicking into a head wind to me wreaked of nerdiness ;-) I get the feeling he's one of those guys who could break down the mechanics of his (beautiful) throws to a level that would impress any PhD.

Athlete
Again, there's a multitude of individuals who one could imagine playing any other sport they chose. Instead of picking an obvious male (TK, Geofford, anyone on Phoenix), I'll select Paula of Stella fame. With her build, it's natural to picture her dribbling a basketball, chasing a soccer ball, or spiking a volleyball.

Permanent Grad Student
I can think of five examples of this player type coming from a Monday night rec league team I used to play on. It's almost too easy, as people who are reluctant to enter the "real world", are apt to fit in the "surreal world" of ultimate. I'll just put down the first name that popped into my head when I read about this category: Christine. Which will only mean something to two or possibly three of my faithful readers.

Rec Leaguer
When I think of the typical rec leaguer, I think of someone who almost has competitive skills, but is content slugging (or is it "slagging"?) away in league play three or four nights a week instead. Also important in this category, is that the person has to sincerely care about league play. For this reason, I'm going with my favorite OCUA forum poster, and dedicated volunteer – DMO.

Oddball
It's important to note that the description of this player is quite positive. Yes, they're quirky, but they tend to kick ass everytime they step on the field. Their ability to pick up with high-level teams is also paramount. Even though he bares a striking resemblance to the "Local Oldster" picture in the book, out of respect, I'm giving this title to Mr. Webb.

Local Oldster
MHJ. If anyone needs an explanation, just read the OCUA forums or talk to the man, the myth, and the legend for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

Greenie
And the OCUA player most likely to be living "off-the-grid" is: Craig. Having had the pleasure to play with and be tutored by the Greenie, I can assure you that he was my runner-up pick as the "Oddball" as well. One of the few pleas I'll ever make in this blog: buy a few discs from this guy. If I see him waving at me one more time when I pull into UPI, I just might lose it.

Partner
Someone who is dragged to the ultimate field by their significant other, but secretly enjoys the sport. The idiot from my Wednesday fall team jumps to mind, but instead of giving him the positive publicity (?!?!), I'll go with Darcy from my Monday team who accompanies her husband Chris to the field, but can always hold her own. The fact she's a former comp player is evidence that their two kids are bound to be ulty superstars!

If you agree, disagree, or are baffled by any of my picks, feel free to direct your complaints to your local Member of Parliament. I guarantee they're as likely to care about your opinion as I am ;-) Furthermore, I beg you, if you happen to bump into RPAlex or forum frequenter Steve, make sure to give them some far fetched scenario that will trigger an imminent post in the rules forum. It'll give me material for my next entry. Until next time, happy hucking!