You were probably wondering what articles we at Skyd are most proud of. Luckily, in our first year, we were able to produce enough content to make compiling this list way more difficult than we thought it would be. That being said, we didn’t go by any sort of namby-pamby standards to put this list together; we grabbed a swig of ballerade and reminisced about the good ol’ days. The days before we sold out. The days when we were operating on adrenaline and a (likely misguided) sense of duty to the sport.
Without further ado – our Top 10 Articles of 2011 (be sure to share some of your favorites in the comments):
1. Ham, Sweet Potato Pie and Defense/Toward a Healthy Ecosystem by Lou Burruss
Since Lou brought his blog, Win the Fields, over to Skyd we haven’t been able to get enough. This pair of articles talks the most widely used O and D in fantastic detail. Read more from Lou on his Win the Fields blog.
2. The Great Flip Experiment: Heads vs. Tails by Paul Illian
Paul Illian is a genius. There. We said it. In this study, Paul analyzes the coveted disc flip in incredible detail. Finally, a definitive guide to odds vs. evens. Prepare to be wowed by statistics.
Bonus Paul Reading: How to Build a Championship Ultimate Team
3. Ultimate In A Burmese Refugee Camp by Pam Rodgers
Skyd Magazine catches up with Pam Rodgers and Liz Lu, two amazing people who are bringing Ultimate to refugee camps on the Burmese/Thailand border.
4. Train Like An Animal by Melissa Witmer
Melissa Witmer burst onto the Skyd Scene early with her Three Common Training Misconceptions (part 1, 2, 3) in January of 2011, but it was her motivational “Train Like An Animal” essay that really got us excited about being athletes.
Bonus Training Article: Tyler Kinley on Game IQ
5. The Big Payout: College Ultimate’s Road to Marketability by Tony Leonardo
Will changing the college division lead Ultimate to profit? Tony Leonardo looks at the history of the sport and its path to the mainstream.
6. Spin Reach Trucker Hat Product Review by Adam Restad
The Spin Reach Trucker Hat is pretty awesome, but that’s not the reason we loved this article.
Bonus Review: Beau’s Books.
7. The Five Sickest Layout Grabs Caught On Video
With the advent of Ultimate on youtube, we’ve run in the opportunity to re-experience those awesome skys and layouts and revel in visual bliss. When you dream Ultimate at its finest, the layout is first to mind. And at the top of that totem is the layout grab. We examine the top layout grabs caught on video.
8. In His Own Words: Ken Dobyns – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
6 US Championships and 5 World titles to his name. Look up Kenny Dobyns under the legends heading in the big book of Ultimate. His history. His career. His words.
Hear more awesome interviews on the SkydCast.
9. The Wiggins Zen Throwing Routine by Ben Wiggins
Want to throw like the best? A combination of a group of exercises meant to develop balance and versatility in throwing, Ben Wiggins details his Zen Throwing Routine.
Bonus Ben Article: Business as Usual in 2012?
10. The Ultimate Renaissance: One Year of Skyd by Elliot Trotter
Written by our very own Editor-In-Chief, this is a fitting conclusion to an exceptional year of coverage. In it Elliot Trotter looks at mainstream ultimate and makes some exciting Skyd announcements.
Bonus Editor Article: Bay Area Sweep
Well there you have it. One year in the bag. We’ve set a high standard for ourselves that we intend to surpass next year, and it stands to reason that the Top Ten of 2012 will likely be way cooler than 2011 — that is unless we all die on December 21st. Then we probably won’t have time to write it before the earth deplodes. Happy 2012. May it be filled with many discs and games of Ultimate.
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