International Frisbee Tournaments on the Islands of Hvar & Rab

by croatiaweek
July 13, 2016
in Sport

The Ultimate Holiday – once again frisbee players from all over the world unite on the islands of Hvar and Rab…

Ultimate frisbee – a sport without referees, whistling and hooligans, in which there are neither age nor gender restrictions is slowly but surely taking over Croatia! Once again the tournaments Spinning Paradise on Hvar and Rab are bringing together over 100 frisbee players from around the world.

Playing frisbee on a beach or a meadow has been given a completely new dimension! Ultimate frisbee is the fastest growing sport in the United States and has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee, and the Croatian national team has begun participating in the major European and world championships. For the fifth year in a row the association For Sport is organizing a tournament on grass, Spinning Paradise Hvar, which will be held from 30 July to 6 August in Jelsa. Its sandy version, Spinning Paradise Rab – Beach Edition, is for the second year in a row being organized on the Paradise Beach in Lopar from 26 to 28 August.

Why should you not miss out on this event regardless if you are a beginner or an experienced frisbee player? “Spinning Paradise on the island of Hvar is a unique tournament in terms of its duration and atmosphere because here it is equally important to play but also to relax while partying in the evening” – emphasizes the Croatian national player and organizer Vinko Anzulović.

This year Spinning has been enriched with additional services such as slackline workshops, Playstation tournaments and field trips. “Our format of one morning and one evening game leaves the players enough time to explore this island which is always in the top five tourist destinations in the world” – Anzulović, a native of Hvar, proudly boasts. Although Ultimate is a team sport, individuals can apply as well because the teams are chosen by drawing the players’ names from a hat.

This is also a unique opportunity to make friends from all over the world. In order to enable complete beginners to participate in the tournament, the organizers are providing a training camp, powered by Coca-Cola, which for the third year in a row is led by the highly experienced British coach Sion Scone Brummie.

The Beach edition will be played on the spectacular sandy beach in Lopar, which CNN has included on its list of the most beautiful beaches. The entire tournament will be enriched with various workshops and additional content.

This sport dates back to the 1960s in the United States and is slowly becoming popular in Croatia where currently there are seven clubs in Zagreb, Rijeka, and Zadar. Two teams with seven players each play against each other. The sand courts are somewhat smaller therefore the teams consist of five players per team. There are no gender or age restrictions, and after each game all players stand in a circle and end the game with a group hug, which further supports the spirit of fair play that in Ultimate is called Spirit of the game and is one of the foundations of this sport.