Participant numbers held steady, making teams of 7 and 8, which was great considering the number of local players gearing up for the World Ultimate Club Championships that had other commitments or needed a restful weekend before the start of WUCC06. There was a strong contingent of international players representing the US, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Switzerland, Singapore and Germany. Pretty good for a tournament still in its infancy!

As in past years, there were five teams, they were:

• Werewolves
• Insane Internationals
• Tricky Trolls
• Candy
• Hoover Manoova

It was perfect weather for Ultimate. Saturday was clear and sunny and the wind was only a minor factor. A passing thundershower cooled things down in the afternoon. Thanks to a Healthway grant delivered through the WUCC06 organizers, The Witch’s Hat was supplied with some EXCELLENT lunches from Zest Catering that would not have been possible on the meager registration fee. While the long, leisurely lunch allowed teams to recharge for the afternoon, everyone was invited to compete in the first 2 individual events. There was of course, the crowd favorite HAMMER THROW as well as a new event, the HULA. Our Canadian friends took the honors, with Sophie Descareaux winning the Hammer and teammate Eric Dion winning the Hula.

Day 1 games ended with the Werewolves’ (2-1-1) finals hopes resting on the outcome of an early morning match between Candy (3-0) and Insane Internationals (2-0-1). Tricky Trolls and Hoover Manoova’ were set to meet in the decider for Wooden Spoon Glory. The thing about Ultimate, as most of us know, is that the end of play rarely signals the end of the day. Most of the Witch’s Hat players met at Clancy’s Fish Pub in Fremantle for dinner and a great night out. It ended better for some than for others, but everyone showed up at the fields for games on day 2, if a little bit late. 

A 10-10 draw in the Candy v. Insane game was a tantalizing precursor for the final, which would see a rematch. But not until the last of the individual events, Flubber Guts, and of course THE BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD were decided. Old man Antony Woodard (Woody) showed what finesse can come with age as he easily dispatched at least half a dozen competitors on his way to winning Flubber Guts. What does it take to be “The Best Team in the World”, you might ask. Only at the Witch’s Hat can you find out. Candy proved they were the BTITW, could they be the best team on the field as well? 

In a twist for the final, the two teams were each given an additional 2 uniform shirts and allowed to select a male and a female player from the rest of the tournament. The honors were bestowed on Eric Dion and Julia Shehan who were invited to play with Candy, and Rusty Slaughter and Sophie Descareaux who were invited to play with Insane Internationals. In the 60 minute final, Candy went on a scoring spree early reaching a seemingly unassailable margin of 10-2 over Insane. After a time-out (and possibly some otherworldly assistance) Insane came back with a great run to be down only 3 points, 9-12, at the end of time. That meant a game to 13, how appropriate for a Halloween tournament After questioning the need to even play the point, Julia “all-star pick-up” Shehan proved her worth with a full-stretch, two-handed, face-planting lay out in the back corner of the end zone for the winning point. Her way of saying “I told you so.” 

The most sought after prize given at The Witch’s Hat is the Most Spirited Player (MSP) award. After every game, each team is asked to award spirit points to two players from the opposing team who exhibit most strongly the spirit of the game, which is so integral to the sport of Ultimate. Spirited play means applying the rules of play fairly, taking the time to explain rules to those who are unfamiliar with them, encouraging positivity and playing hard with a genuine smile. Above all, a Spirited player will win and lose with equal grace. This year’s winners were both international visitors in town preparing for WUCC06, Andrew Fitzgerald from the US and Emily Moorhouse-Aires from NZ.

If you get the chance, please let the following supporters know how much you appreciate their involvement in the Witch’s Hat. Their contributions make the Witch’s Hat a special tournament.