Check out the top national disc players on show in Kelowna

It’s a bonanza of flying discs at the Mission Sports Fields this weekend for the National Masters Ultimate championships.

Hundreds of players (women over 30 years old and men over 33) are throwing, catching and running across the multiple playing fields in a contest of precision, anticipation, and agility.

“It’s a very high intensity sport, so you need to be able to run quickly,” Troë Weston, manager of events for Ultimate Canada told Kelowna10. “Also, you need great dexterity and disc skills, so throwing in different ways.”

They’re not technically Frisbees, as that name is trademarked; competitors in teams of seven go up against each other and try to score with their disc in the end zone, like rugby or football, she explained. You’re not allowed to run while holding the disc.

Most recreational players know the backhand, and perhaps the forehand throw but what about some of the more intricate overhead manoeuvres?

“They're called hammers or scubas,” Weston pointed out; that’s where players throw with the disc over their head. And when it comes to catching, she notes the ‘pancake grab’ is the most surefire way of ensuring you don’t drop that all important pass. Of course, the top players can catch one-handed.

“We’re throwing a lot of flick throws," local player Doug Tam said after completing his opening game of the tournament with his team Granny Smiths team against a line up from Ontario “So, there’s a lot of snapping of the wrists making sure it's flat and going right at your teammates chest so it’s nice and easy to catch.”

The competition is intense with players going flat out, but Tam said whenever there’s a moment of debate regarding a ruling on the field everyone is civilized and settles it quickly. He’s hoping his Kelowna team can reach the semifinals, but ultimately it’s about having fun.

“ We’re old, we don’t want to get injured,” he said with a smile.

The fact that Kelowna can host an event of this stature is a testament to the facility.

“There are very few facilities in the country where we can have so many teams,” Weston noted. “And Kelowna offers many attractions and activities for folks when they’re not playing.”

The championships run through Sunday.