Let's Talk About Beach Ultimate

Jonathon Warren-White

Beach Ultimate holds a special place in my heart. It is my favourite form of the unique sport that I love, brought to one of my favourite places: the beach.

Australia has a spotty history with Beach Ultimate, despite it being the only place that we have won a gold medal in the open ages. We’ve sent teams to World Championships in 2007 (where we won gold), 2011, 2015 and 2017, and to the Asia-Oceanic Championships in 2019 (where we won bronze). From 2015 it was an annual National Championship run by the AFDA, but has been on hiatus for the last few years due to the COVID Pandemic. Then there are a range of fun beach tournaments, along with various smaller leagues, that have come and gone around Australia.

For too long Beach Ultimate has been seen as a novelty by our community – something that you do when the weather is hot and with a beverage in your hand during or between points. At one stage, the biggest talking points for one of Australia’s largest beach tournaments was how many mangoes you could eat in a single day.

Beach Ultimate suffers, in a way, because of Australia’s cultural understanding of what a beach is for – that is, somewhere we go to relax and fool around with our mates. This article sets out to reframe what Beach Ultimate could mean to us.

Why beach is a fun, competitive format

Beach Ultimate more similar than you might think to its grass alternative. The fields are smaller, and you play with only five players, but apart from that the rules are almost identical. What makes it unique is the playing surface and how that changes the game.

Throwing becomes a completely different beast on sand. Accuracy, shape, and pace of throws becomes so much more crucial – you won’t be bailed out by athletic receivers running down errant discs.

Conversely, defense becomes so much harder. Traditional footwork is non-existent, and it’s almost impossible to use your body to direct the player you’re guarding. Zones and junky defences can still be effective, but are much more reliant on players who can shut down angles. Longer bodies are needed on the mark to force wide around throws.

“I can’t jump properly,” is the most common excuse I hear from people who don’t want to play beach. So? Neither can your opponent. Most people seem to dislike beach for the sole reason that the way they play grass ultimate does not work on the sand. To me, this is not a weakness but rather a major selling point.

Beach Ultimate requires a whole new suite of tactical knowledge and skills acquisition. Single gender players will change the way they play in mixed ultimate, so why can’t they adapt their play style to the sand?

Becoming the best in the world

I started playing Beach Ultimate for the same reasons as you – it sounded like a fun way to play ultimate in Summer, where I could also drink some beers and have a swim. I played locally here in South Australian pickup sessions, and enjoyed our yearly “Big Kevs” tournament every December.

It was not until I put my hand up to play for the Australian team in 2015 that I realised how much I loved this version of the sport. All of a sudden, the intensity lifted and the new athleticism and skills completely changed my mind on what could be achieved on sand.

I truly believe Australia has the potential to lead the way on Beach Ultimate. We have a sufficient talent pool to produce players that can thrive across both beach and grass, and we have the time and space to do it. We just need to invest in proper beach training and systems.

Players that are on the cusp of Australian grass teams could switch to Beach and become elite champions of the discipline. If we build up a core of knowledgeable coaches and players that understand and train specifically for beach, we can really start to see the sport grow.

Personally, I have two goals in mind to help grow beach Ultimate in Australia. At the local level here in South Australia I plan to establish sustainable beach leagues and tournaments, along with specific beach training programs for those who want to become elite.

On a larger level, I want to create a Beach Frisbee Ultimate Club here in South Australia, with the goal of travelling to international tournaments. This club could be a fantastic opportunity for players to expand their beach skills and take the discipline more seriously. Hopefully other states and clubs can get started up, taking on the challenge to make Beach Ultimate a real and viable option as a disc sport.

*Editor’s Note: If you’re interested in the elite beach scene, in November last year the AFDA released their plan to grow and improve the National Beach Ultimate team program. It’s a fascinating read, check it out here: https://afda.com/p/international-beach-ultimate-over-the-coming-years?fbclid=IwAR0rpuEQVHbLy6tErYc_ZB-kOHY6-J2BkElHo8mhVNBObA6viIlBODUckeE.