Ultimate Frisbee: Gwangju Uprising
by Ryan Noll
Last summer, Ryan Noll, Spencer Wilkerson, and Marty Nedjelski helped to create Gwangju’s first Ultimate Frisbee team: the Uprising. The team is named in honor of the revolution that took place in Gwangju in the 1980s. For those who don’t know, Ultimate is played with a flying disc on a field that is similar to a small American football field. The disc is passed between players until it is caught in the opposing team’s end zone. The name “Ultimate” comes from the first game played in New Jersey in 1968, when it was described as the “ultimate game experience.” Since then, the game has spread to almost every American university campus and on to club teams. Ultimate has also gained popularity on the international level and has become increasingly popular in countries that surround Korea such as China, Japan, and the Philippines. It is not as popular in Korea, but things are changing, especially in Seoul and Daegu.
The Gwangju Uprising competes in the ROK Ultimate League based in Daegu, which was founded in 2009 by Marty Nedjelski. The League consists of co-ed teams from all over the country including Daegu, Busan, Daejeon, Ulsan, and Gyeongju. In last year’s fall season, the Uprising shocked the nation by claiming second place after losing in overtime in the championship game. This was no small feat for a team in its infancy with the majority of its players having never played competitively before. “It was a pleasant surprise. The team just clicked before the playoffs and proceeded to knock out the favorites,” says the Uprising’s captain Ryan Noll.
The team’s aim is to play well but to have fun doing it. “We’re going to play hard and compete for the win, but no one is yelling at each other or crying. Everyone is cheery before and after the games,” says the Uprising’s leading scorer Chris Dunning. Outside of Ultimate, the team often bonds over dinner or drinks together. “It’s not just a team, but a family. I love this group of people,” says the Uprising’s coach Spencer Wilkerson.
The ROK League’s spring regular season just finished, and Gwangju Uprising finished 10-2. The playoffs take place in Gyeongju on April 21. Going in as the number two seed, expectations are higher this time around. “I feel like we’re even better than last season and we’re looking to win that big tiger trophy this time,” says Ryan Noll.
Ultimate is a sport for everyone. It can satisfy the needs of the athletic and competitive type because it takes a certain degree of skill and training. It can also satisfy the needs of the laid back type because, in its nature, Ultimate is a friendly game. “Beer and Ultimate compliment each other like soju and a Korean business meeting. They just do,” says Ryan Noll. The Gwangju Uprising will be losing a large portion of its team this summer due to the end of teaching contracts. They will be looking for new recruits as soon as the spring season wraps up. If you have any interest, send an e-mail to Ryan Noll (rynoll84@gmail.com). You can also find where and when the team has pick-up games by joining the Gwangju Ultimate Frisbee page on Facebook.