Since its development in the US during the late 1960s, ultimate frisbee - often referred to simply as ultimate by its players - has grown considerably in popularity. Today, in many of the world's largest cities, novices and experienced disc throwers alike can find plenty of opportunities to play. Shanghai is no exception, with the game first taking flight in the city back in the late 1990s when the Shanghai Ultimate Players Association (SUPA) was founded by a group of expat ultimate enthusiasts.

Judlin J Willmont is one of the association's founding members. Hailing from Boston, Willmont visited China in 1994 when he was still in college. After finishing his degree, he moved to China in 1996. With several other members, he helped found the SUPA in 1999. In the beginning, there were about 30 people in the association; enough to form two teams. Since then, the group - which describes itself as a community of "locals and expats united by their love of frisbee, friends and beer" - has expanded with each passing year and now boasts about 200 members.

As someone who has seen firsthand the growth of the SUPA as well as the spread of ultimate in Shanghai, Willmont told the Global Times: "we have a lot of good players in Shanghai who play the ultimate tournaments. But we also have people who just learnt to play frisbee by coming here, and have since become very good. It you do not like frisbee, (ultimate) seems like some kind of cult; but if you like playing, it is a lot of fun."

Today, members of the SUPA compose several different teams and groups. The association regularly takes in new members and organizes informal pickup games several times a month. The association also includes an advanced team known as the Huwa (or literally "the Shanghai frogs"). With an impressive record of Chinese tournament victories under the team's belt, the Huwa have also competed with distinction in tournaments across Asia, including those held in South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines.

The Huwa's winning record is all the more impressive considering the frequent changes to its roster. "With many expat members in the team, Huwa has a very high turnover, since people come and people go. Our team last year looked very different from two or three years ago. We lost several captains. We have to adjust a lot, but we made it," said David Wills, one of the captains of the Huwa.

Wills himself was born in Tokyo. His father is from Florida, and his mother is from Taiwan. He has resided in China for three years and plans to stay in Shanghai for another 18 months. Having already attended the Trouble in Vegas Tournament, the Manila Spirits Tournament, the China Nationals Tournaments, the Shanghai Tourney, and the Hong Kong Pan-Asian Tournament, he is one of the most seasoned players on the Huwa team. Also, as one of its captains, Wills helps run practices and handles the scheduling of tournaments by communicating with teams based in other cities.

Aside from the Huwa, members of the SUPA comprise several other Shanghai-based ultimate teams, including the Laohu (literally "the tigers") for older players, the Pirates for those who just want to play for fun, and the Shanghai Wings team for local Chinese players.

Of course, for SUPA members, plenty of activity happens away from the field as well. A management committee helps rent playing and practice space, schedules games and organizes the local league. And according to the committee's treasurer, Geoff Ng, "people from the association are also friends. We usually go to have a drink together after the game. We also hang out and travel together."

Ng went on to mention that, unlike many other competitive sports, men and women can take the field together and compete on the same ultimate team. "There are usually four guys and three girls in one team," he told the Global Times.

Zhang Xiaochen, a female player from the association said: "I started to play frisbee six years ago, and came to Shanghai three years ago. I play in different teams: every Monday in the Shanghai Ultimate Players Association and every Sunday in the Shanghai Wings. Female players do not have the same speed and strength as male players, but we respond quickly."

According to Xu Qing, captain of the Shanghai Wings, more and more Chinese people are taking up flying-disc games. Xu just recently returned from the World Ultimate Club Championships in Italy, where he competed as a member of the Chinese team. Xu, who only started playing ultimate two years ago, says that, "compared with other sports like football or basketball, players run a lot and change quickly from attacking to defending." In his spare time, Xu teaches young children to play frisbee as well.

As the summer winds down and expats return from their holidays, league play organized by the SUPA will resume next month. Five teams made up of the association's members will play against each other twice over the next 10 to 12 weeks. Every Monday starting at 8 pm, two games are scheduled at Jingan Workers' Stadium. The team that wins the most games will be named the season's champion.

Members of the Shanghai Ultimate Players Association in action

Photo: Courtesy of Pavel Sedlak