WATCH: This game is like football and basketball, but with a disc

• Ultimate Frisbee all about sportsmanship
• Local tournament held containing 32 teams
• Great community feel

After a multiple year hiatus, the 2022 Sunflicker Ultimate Frisbee tournament was back with a bang.

Thirty-two teams from across Western Canada and the U.S., faced off against each other, diving, throwing, and catching their way to the trophy.

President of the Kelowna Ultimate Players Society, Paul Brain, told Kelowna10, the tournament has been a part of the ultimate frisbee scene in Kelowna for a long time.

“We tried to do a small little tournament of like 24 teams, and then sold out real fast. [We] went from 24 to all the way to 32 [teams],” Brain said.

The tournament hosted excited disc players from a variety of different skill levels and locations, with players in the city from Seattle to Saskatoon.

According to Brain, ultimate frisbee is a lot like football with basketball rules.

“You’re catching in the end zone like you would in a football game, but you can’t run with the disc like a basketball. You can’t dribble obviously, so as soon as you catch it you have to stop and throw it to your partner,” he said.

Brain added there is a lot of cardio that goes into the sport.

“There’s a lot of running. [It’s] similar to soccer, but we have rec divisions, we have competitive divisions, and depending on who you’re playing with, it really changes how you play,” Brain said.

The organization tries to have ultimate frisbee available year round for the community, including moving indoors for the winter.

“As soon as it gets nice out, we’re outside with a bunch of leagues,” Brain said.

The leagues range between a variety of skill levels and age ranges, allowing for anyone to give the sport a shot.

“The community for ultimate has got to be some of the most fun groups. Everyone is just out to have fun,” Brain said.

What helps is that the sport is self-officiated, too.

“Sportsmanship is like, through the roof. There’s no animosity. Teams are playing hard against each other and they’re congratulating each other after a point which is just amazing. [It’s] what I love about this sport.”