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Ultimate: Frisbee fun and fair play
Broadcast Date: May 22, 1992
"Ultimate," a.k.a. ultimate frisbee. It's not a very descriptive name, and many players aren't even sure what it means. But they love to play this fast-growing sport that stresses sportsmanship and fair play above all else. A non-contact spin on football, ultimate has become increasingly popular all over the world since its creation in 1968. In this 1992 clip, CBC reporter Tim May attends an Ottawa ultimate match and learns about this exciting sport.
Ultimate: Frisbee fun and fair play
• Originally called ultimate Frisbee, the sport was re-branded as ultimate since the word "Frisbee" is trademarked by the Wham-O toy company.• The word "Frisbee" comes from the Frisbie Pie Company of Bridgeport, Conn. Students from Yale university would buy pies and cookies, then use the round tin containers to toss back and forth.
• The flying disc toy was first designed by Walter Morrison in 1946. Seeking to cash in on the American obsession with aliens and flying saucers, Morrison called it the Pluto Platter.
• Hollywood producer Joel Silver is often credited with creating the first organized ultimate teams and co-writing the first official rules of the sport with friends Buzzy Hellring and Jonny Hines. Silver went on to produce numerous Hollywood blockbusters such as Lethal Weapon, Die Hard and The Matrix.
• As part of the game's emphasis on sportsmanship, there are no referees. Players are expected to know the rules and call their own infractions.
• As a way of enforcing that standard, many leagues also count "spirit points" as part of the final score. The teams award each other a spirit score based on the other team's fair play.
• The first-ever intercollegiate game of ultimate pitted Princeton against Rutgers on Nov. 26, 1972. Coincidentally, that year was the 103rd anniversary of the first U.S. intercollegiate football game, also held between the two schools and in the same location. Rutgers won both games by two points, winning the ultimate match 29-27 and football 6-4.
Ultimate: Frisbee fun and fair play
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Television News
Broadcast Date: May 22, 1992
Reporter: Tim May
Duration: 2:47
Last updated:
April 29, 2009
Ultimate: Frisbee fun and fair play .
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: April 29, 2009.
[Page consulted on Feb. 12, 2012.]