Posted March 28, 2012 at 6:00 am by Skyd Magazine | Comments (10)
Edge down, baby. Skyd is proud to present our first Signature Series item with Spikezilla himself, Dylan Freechild.
Since bursting onto the college scene with Oregon Ego in 2010, Freechild impressed fans with his energetic cuts, booming hucks and, of course, his multitude of creative and defiant spikes. In 2011, Freechild joined the NexGen Tour and Club Team Portland Rhino continuing to showcase and hone his talents. Now a sophomore with Ego, Spikezilla looks to lead Oregon to College Championships gold this May in Boulder.
Skyd is pleased to partner with Dylan in offering our Spikezilla jersey from Five Ultimate. This jersey is perfect for those who love to spike, or just love those who do.
Pre-order mockup.
Note: This is a pre-order that ends April 20th. Jerseys will be shipped by April 25th, 2012. The images included are mockups of the final product.
More about Dylan
Dylan started playing Ultimate in 8th grade at Roosevelt Middle School with Aaron Honn where he was coached by Luke Johnson and some of the then South Eugene team which included Jacob Janin and Johnny Bloch. Dylan went to Churchill High School his Freshman year where he played with Ian Campbell, Trevor Smith, and Collin Smith. Dylan then transferred back to the south Eugene area and attended South Eugene High School for his last three years. Sophomore year Dylan played mixed ycc and finished 1st. Junior and Senior year Dylan captained with Honn for two years and earned a second place finish at westerns in 09 and a first place finish in 2010. Summer of 2010 He went to Heilbronn, Germany with the juniors team where they took gold. 2010-2011 was Dylan’s first year on ego. They finished tied for 5th and while Dylan was voted to the NW all-region team and first team freshman of the year. In the Summer of 2011 Dylan toured around with the Nexgen crew. Now in his sophomore year, Ego has three tournament wins and are hungry for more.
Featuring photos by Kyle McBard
Posted February 2, 2012 at 7:00 am by Liam Rosen | Comments (6)
Those who have been following our product reviews will no doubt be familiar with Aero Ultimate, the company that produces the SkyLight vertical jump training tool we previewed back in August of last year. Aero Ultimate is back with a new product that explores the mental side of the sport: The Ultimate State of Mind. With a major release, Version 1.1, debuting just days ago, we caught up with designer Ken Kaminski to get his view on how this product can improve any Ultimate player’s mental game.
Liam Rosen: First of all, for those that aren’t familiar with yourself and Aero Ultimate, can you give us a rundown of your background in Ultimate and your history with Aero?
In it's current version, USM is a Powerpoint file with information accessible through a series of menus.
Ken Kaminski: My name is Ken Kaminski and I’ve been playing Ultimate for about 4-5 years now. In 2008, I was the president of my high school Ultimate club in my senior year. In 2009, when I started college at Kettering University, I founded our team, the Kettnetic Thunder, which achieved “varsity” status in less than 2 years. I coordinate and direct ThunderStorm (College tournament) at Kettering every year in the Fall. I’m also a Level 1 USAU certified coach, was selected to be the USAU GL Regional Director for this 2012 season, and was recently hired in to be on the coaching staff of the Detroit Mechanix, helping out in many other business aspects as well. Coach, captain, player, tournament director, manager, webmaster, innovator, everything else, I like to do it all!
In Fall 2010, I invented the SkyLight prototype, and I started Aero Ultimate in May 2011 based on the concept of innovation products for the sport. Mark Worsfold got in touch when he found out and we’ve been working together since.
In a nutshell, what is the Ultimate State of Mind and how did you come up with the idea?
Ken: The Ultimate State of Mind is a modern educational system for the sport of Ultimate with emphasis on the use of the mind for skill development, maximum performance, and many other unique abilities.
I originally came up with idea when I saw how often I was thinking about Ultimate on a regular basis while being busy in the business/management aspects of my college team. Practice time for me was very minimal while teaching others but I still saw myself keeping my skills fine-tuned. I would often practice throws or drills in my head throughout the day. I know it sounds very strange, but after doing a lot of research and deep thought, there are a few tricks I discovered with using the mind for Ultimate!
In 2010 I started to put together my findings in a PowerPoint format to help teach my teammates the visualization and mental skills, but I just kept going with it. The ‘V0.5 prototype’ PowerPoint reached over 211 slides with information on many other skills like the forehand throw or cutting. It just got to be a bit too much though and there was still so much about Ultimate to put into it. I abandoned the project but still used my developed mental techniques to keep my skills sharp.
Later after I started Aero Ultimate with the SkyLight, I thought back to the Ultimate State of Mind project. What if I could package it in a way to not only cover the fundamentals and mental skills, but also re-invent the way Ultimate is taught off the field? I came up with some new features: Simulations and Sequences, in addition to the Skills and Science of the original. You can learn about these different features on the USM product webpage.
Each feature is broken down into a set of skills, with simulations to enhance learning and sequences for later mental use
But my biggest motivation for making USM an actual product came from when I thought about how difficult it was for me to do my research coming into the sport. I had read the articles, bought the books, but probably spent way too much time filtering through all the different ways to learn skills. Not only that, I didn’t like reading very much. So sometimes I wish I could get straight to the point. With today’s generation, technology is an important part in the learning process as well. Bringing all those concepts together, I knew studying Ultimate needed to be done in a new and more dynamic way.
So for the past few months my vision of the final USM product has been evolving to something that could change the learning process of Ultimate forever. There are some details I haven’t even released yet, even the ‘final’ version 2.0 is just the start. It really is exciting with the way the sport is growing today too. I know there are plenty of new players out there just getting into the sport and doing all their research online like I did. But overall, concepts like digital interfaces, multiple features, a mix of detailed and summarized information, and the unexplored use of the mind Ultimate should make studying Ultimate easier and more enjoyable for everyone. My goal with Aero Ultimate in general is to give players new tools to help them play the way they want to play.
What sort of player is the Ultimate State of Mind suited for?
Ken: I am developing the Ultimate State of Mind to have something for everyone. The visual learners, the heavy readers, the new, the experienced, the everyday awesome Ultimate player! There are a few additional steps I will have to take with the content delivery, but by V2.0 there will be something any Ultimate player can benefit from.
How will the beta process work?
Ken: During the Beta phase (v1.0-v1.9) a discounted 1-time subscription is available for $5 and includes:
- All future updates, even after v2.0
- Free access to web-based version (v1.4)
- Free mobile version download (v1.5)
After version 2.0 is released by the end of 2012, the price will go up to $10 as it will be a fully functional and highly developed Ultimate educational product.
Subscribers can also help develop the USM by giving feedback on the content, delivery, or anything else by emailing usm@aeroultimate.com. I will also be looking for assistant developers and could be releasing job applications by this summer.
A mobile app is planned. Which mobile platforms will this support?
Ken: The market statistics show that Android is on the rise and the best option, so we will most likely start there, but we will of course develop an iOS version too. Expect the early application version by the end of summer.
Your website hints towards both engineering and innovation products in development. Can you give any hints as to what these are?
Ken: I can’t give too much away right now, but there are BIG plans in progress. Mark and I have mapped our entire 2012 project timeline and even a rough brainstorm of 2013. You can definitely look forward to future developments!
To find out more about Aero Ultimate, check out their Facebook page, Twitter, website and YouTube. The Ultimate State of Mind is available here for $5 for a limited period of time.
In conjunction with the release of Version 1.1, Aero Ultimate is running a Facebook contest called the “Ultimate Egg Hunt”, which allows users to hunt through the application for Easter eggs, with a chance to win Five Ultimate gear. Those wishing to participate in the contest can join via the Facebook event, which begins on February 6.
Posted December 28, 2011 at 6:00 am by Mike Malloy | Comments (5)
At Georgetown this year, we have really stepped up our commitment to increasing our strength and conditioning at the gym and on the track, especially during the winter months. Our coach, Ryan Thompson, introduced Catholic Justice to workoutlogthing.com as a way to keep each other accountable and monitor the team’s progress. Workoutlogthing.com is a great website that was designed by Louis Eisenberg at Standford back in 2004. He created the very simple website in the middle of Bloodthirsty’s season because they wanted a way to keep everyone on the team accountable. Since its inception, workoutlogthing.com has been used by dozens of other college and club teams including Superfly, Kaos, Revolver, Mischief, Zeitgeist, Voodoo, and Boost.
(Click to embiggen)
Workoutlogthing.com has a relatively simple premise. Everyone on your team signs up and gets a row for each week with seven boxes. Each day, you and your teammates post a description of the workout you did that day which can be as brief or detailed as you want (e.g., shoulder PT, Zen throwing on the front lawn, 3 mile fartlek run, X sets of Y reps of activity Z, etc). On days when you can’t find time for a workout, then you just post a comment about what activities you did that prevented you from working out (e.g., rest day, Ravens game, family Christmas party, etc). This is a great format to encourage your teammates to work out together, to share new types of workouts with the team, and to track the number of workouts everyone is doing. You can setup goals for a specific number of workouts by individual or by the team for each week. It serves as a great source of motivation for me to keep putting in the time and effort to strive for greatness when I see how hard my teammates are working to improve every single day.
The daily boxes are easy to edit with plain text or any HTML code you want to include to customize your posts. You can include formatting, line breaks for ease of reading (<br/>), and links to useful workouts you found online. Here is a link to learn more about HTML if you are interested. You can also post specific comments to one another with an “@jacob” comment in your box.
A couple logistical items about the site:
- If you are registered with more than one team, your daily posts will be displayed to each team
- This can be confusing with @matt comments when matt is only on one team, etc.
- You can register with multiple email addresses to prevent this confusion and use multiple browsers to store your login info for ease of posting
- If you do register with multiple emails, your first and last name must be distinct because it is the unique identifier for the DB
- Email Louis to report any bugs or make a suggestion about how to improve the site
Uses
One of the great things about workoutlogthing.com is that you can work out in whatever way is best for you. Do you like to run a lot of distance? Do that, and let the team know. Do you need to focus on rehab exercises right now? That’s great, keep the team posted about your physical therapy. Are you striving to complete a certain workout under a specific time? Awesome, post each of your times to track your progress towards your goal. Everyone has different body types and different areas of their game that they are focused on improving, so the openness of workoutlogthing.com can truly benefit all the players on your team.
Workoutlogthing.com may take a little while for it to catch on with your whole team, and for a lot of schools it is probably best suited for just the A team. However, if your captains and/or coaches set one up for your team, I’m sure it won’t be long before everyone joins in the fun. The site is a great way to stay in touch over break and to share comical stories from your night time shenanigans and important updates about your (and your coaches’) love lives. There’s definitely a team bonding aspect of using workoutlogthing.com that shouldn’t be overlooked. I believe that sharing the collective struggle to get stronger, faster, and better will go a long way to bringing our team closer together over the course of the season and result in a deeper bond and enhanced on-field chemistry.
I strongly recommend using workoutlogthing.com to any programs that are serious about their fitness and have high aspirations for the upcoming college season. It’s also a valuable tool for club teams who will begin their preseason workout regimens over the next few months. Thanks again to Louis Eisenberg for putting together the site and sharing it with the ultimate community. I’m confident that if more teams start using workoutlogthing.com, we will see an increase in the overall level of play at the college level across the country. Do work.
Posted December 15, 2011 at 5:00 am by Ian Toner | Comments (5)
Backpacks. Duffel bags. Buckets. Drawstring bags. We’ve all tried some combination of these vessels and others in search of the perfect tournament companion. We’re in search of a durable, versatile, comfortable “basket” that can hold and protect all of our junk without weighing or costing too much.
The Five Ultimate Player Bag has come onto the scene as a specialized duffel bag on steroids. The Bag boasts compartments for all types of supplies, and its material is engineered to provide a lightweight, waterproof solution for the Ultimate duffel bag.
Material (4/5)
The Player Bag’s material is a desirable combination of lightweight and waterproof material. I was able to compare it to an average Nike duffel bag at practices and one tournament, and the Player Bag’s material kept inside contents dryer than the Nike bag.
The inside of the Bag has two open elastic pouches that can hold cleats, shoes, large water bottles, food, or other items. I like having these pouches inside the major compartment because they can separate special items (like food) for quick, easy access between points. There is also a zipper pouch inside the main compartment, which seems well suited for first aid and sun protection goods; it’s very convenient to have these items separated, as well. The largest interior compartment features a mesh, ventilated cleat bag, but I found an elastic side compartment on the bag’s exterior to be the best place to store and air cleats out. All this being said, there is significant room for jerseys, pullovers, and other items to be stored freely in the central compartment.
But speaking of exterior compartments, the best one on the Player Bag is the small, zippered pouch for players’ valuables on the front of the bag; a larger zippered compartment on the reverse side of the bag complements this pouch. Two large zippered compartments (located on each side of the bag, similar to end compartments on a duffel bag) provide more room for discs, cones, and other supplies.
The backpack straps on the under side are well intentioned but provide unnecessary heft to the bag—carrying the Bag via these straps feels unwieldy and awkward, as your belongings tend to awkwardly shift their weight around as you walk backpack-style. The adjustable shoulder strap provides a comfortable way to navigate the fields with your Player Bag.
Usability (5/5)
This bag has made life at practices and tournaments easier. Gone are the days of rifling through jerseys and sweatbands to find your little tube of chap stick, sunscreen, or Neosporin. Just a little bit of organizational effort before your trip to the fields enables easy access and protection for all of your gear, food, water, and valuables. What’s more, I’ve rested assured knowing that the bag will keep my gear (even the shoes I wore to the fields!) dry during rainy days—I couldn’t say that when I used my old high school backpack as my Ultimate bag.
Price (3/5)
At a time when USAU dues are rising, the economy is faltering, and everyone is trying to save money, $60 is definitely a steep price to pay for a Ultimate bag. The Bag provides added organizational benefits, but you have to question how much those organizational benefits mean to you when you can buy a Nike Brasilia 5 Small Duffel Grip at Dick’s or eBags for a third of the price. If you trust the material’s durability, value the organizational benefits, play a lot of Ultimate, and plan on using this bag for years, then this could be the bag for you. However, at $60, the price makes it nearly impossible for you to “experiment” with the Bag (Heck, you could experiment with a duffel and an Ultimate Bucket for just $50).
Overall (4/5)
Five Ultimate Player Bag – $60
Five’s Player Bag makes it incredibly easy for Ultimate players to organize, protect, and transport their items. No other Ultimate bag I’ve owned has made it more convenient for me to neatly separate food, sun protection, valuables, and gear while still making those items quickly and easily accessible. This Bag does come with a hefty $60 price tag, though, so consumers need to be prepared to shell out some dough for their share of organization and convenience.
Edge down, baby. Skyd is proud to present our first Signature Series item with Spikezilla himself, Dylan Freechild.
More about Dylan
