The sport of Ultimate is evolving right before our eyes. From humble beginnings in 1968 at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey, Ultimate has grown to almost five million players in the US alone. Today, more people play Ultimate than play lacrosse or rugby. It’s hard to find a college these days without an Ultimate team and the sport is rapidly moving into high schools, middle schools and even elementary schools. Some compare Ultimate’s growth in America to that of soccer, which is now more mainstream than Ghostbusters.
In elite level play, teams are getting more sophisticated in their strategies and workouts. Players are starting to look a lot bigger and stronger. The role of observers is gradually expanding. The apparel athletes are choosing to wear has sparked an industry of companies like Five Ultimate and VC Ultimate.
Even the way Ultimate is covered is starting to change as bloggers emerge from the woodwork. While mainstream outlets like ESPN occasionally cover a spectacular play, bloggers such as Match Diesel and Michael Aguilar have taken it upon themselves to communicate the sport to fans and players. Ultimate players are utilizing new resources like FFindr.com to locate tournaments and Leaguevine.com to see the latest scores. Ultimate – its players, its administrators, and its spectators – want the sport to grow and they are already taking that responsibility upon themselves. For years, the sport has been clamoring for something more and that something is now beginning to arrive.
I started playing Ultimate in 2004. Over the last six years, I’ve watched this awakening. From the World Games in Taiwan to humanitarian projects in the Middle East, Ultimate is beginning to enter the global consciousness. Yet despite the growing number of Ultimate players and fans, our sport still lacks a clear voice.
Skyd Magazine was created to solve that problem: to be a centralized resource for the latest in the sport and the culture. Our goal is to inform, inspire and continue to grow the sport of Ultimate through competent and reliable media coverage.
Right now, Skyd Magazine won’t be at every tournament, and that’s why we need your help. It’s going to take a group effort for Ultimate to grow, which is why we want to empower you to continue to blog and tweet. Help us fill in the void of media by contributing to that growing consciousness. If you like what we’re doing, let us know. Submit a story, comment on articles, tweet, like, and share.
The coming months will prove to be an exciting time both for Skyd Magazine and for Ultimate. We’re excited to share the projects we’ve been working on and to see what role Skyd Magazine will play in the continued growth of our sport.
Sincerely,
Elliot Trotter
Editor in Chief
The term “Pull” was coined by inventor Joel Silver after watching the James Bond film Thunderball in which Bond was shooting skeet and shouting “pull!”
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