Tony Leonardo's Collection of Ultimate Frisbee Writing
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2001 Paganello

2001 Pasticiotto

2001 College Nationals Dirt

2001 National Champions Carleton

Beach Ultimate Digs In

2001 Westchester Summer League Top 20 Rumors

2001 Purchase Cup

2001 Hingham

Village Voice Spec Piece

2001 U.S. Club Nationals
Open Preview
Women Preview
Open
Women
Mixed
Photos

2001 Turkey Bowl, CT

Festivus: South Bend, Indiana
Janus: Brooklyn, New York

Interview with Sam O'Brien

2002 Paganello
Final Writeup (Paga)
Final Writeup (UPA)

Interview with Gian Pietro Miscione (Jumpi)

2002 Yale Cup

2002 Boston Invitational/ Club Easterns

2002 Worlds Preview
Women
Open
Mixed
Masters

 

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DELICIOUS & DELIVERANCE
PASTICIOTTO 2001

First annual Pasticciotto (translation: tiny pastry) — organized by Ultilinks entrepreneur Peldi and the Bay Area's Will Tams-Wadman. Played in Torre D'Orso in the deep south of Italy's heel, one week after Paganello and a month after Bologna, a perfect ending to an Italianophile's trip through the country.

The bash was organized as a hat tournament with big-name players like Mike Grant, Yusi Wang, Lars Mussell, Safdie, Seanymac, Fippo and Epa playing alongside first-year players, nomadic Ultimate lovers like Rich Franck, crippled huckers like myself and a whole range of international player types. It was quite a treat, really, to mix and mingle with such a diverse crowd.

Without a doubt the main attraction was the opportunity to party uninhibited. At every stage of the three-day tournament there was a requirement to eat good food, drink wine and beer, and celebrate life with a group of Ultimate aficionados. The highlights included stray dogs, Birra Peroni, shrimping, Vino Rosso, Lemoncilla and customized ceramic plates. I'm not even going to mention Cirque du Soleil's Jamie Ferrer and those Belgians in room 212. They spoke in litres of beer and hours awake and did more justice to their cause then I ever could.

Let me begin with what I know more intimately. For instance, I know for a fact that Peldi fixed the tournament for his team. He told me the previous weekend after Thrill Ride took the Mixed crown at Paganello. He took me aside and said, "Tony, look — this Paganello thing is nothing. What I really want is the key to Torre D'Orso for winning 1st Pasticciotto. I know a capo in Meledugno that can make sure things come out right. All I have to do is bring him some Sopranos tapes from the States. Can you hook me up?"

No, in fact Peldi did not fix the tournament — but he sure did make some spectacular plays en route to the victory. He told me later that the Red team thought they were doomed after going down by 4 to the folks in Blue. "I just said let's make it interesting for the fans. If we're going down we might as well have some fun. So we started hucking it. I didn't think we would really be able to come back."

Well, after three, count 'em three, big huck receptions for scores later, Red emerged victorious. Peldi made some fantastic catches, to be sure, and deserved to win. But lets backtrack.

There was a point where Blue had everything going for them. The conditions for most of the tournament were, unfortunately, a little chilly and short shifts of drizzle accompanied the winds. So in the finals most spectators were donning their Columbia knitwear, but on the field, this David Bowie-looking, spiked-hair English hooligan playing for Blue named Matt Shearing nullified the haunt of the weather with a full-out leap into the Adriatic to chase a disc. Shivering and cold on the sideline afterwards, he provided a natural balance to allow the team on the field to get hot. Several big pays from Shearing himself, Will McGrath and Deirdre Morris gave Blue a commanding edge.

But when he warmed up the game cooled down for Blue and the players in Red (Rustici) turned it up a notch. Peldi himself made those three monstrous huck catches but credit should also go to Giorgio Palladino, Pierre, Jens and Kim. In the end the game was theirs after six straight unanswered points. Blue tried -- I thought poor Mike Grant was going to leave one of his shoulders in the sand after a brutal point at the end of the game. They sent three straight bad throws to him. Three! He ran like one of those stray dogs on crank and dove like a hawk for each disc but they were always coming up just short. It just wasn't to be, I guess.

In semis, it was Red over Frizzante and Blue over Yellow, a team led by one of those crazy Belgians, this missing link of a man named Haggie.

Other fond memories included meeting John and Dayna Hillcrest and their 5-year old daughter traveling in an RV on a long trip that originated in Amsterdam. The souvenir ceramic plates with the Pasticciotto scripting were fond collectibles and chef Antonio from parts thereabouts was a great spirited fellow and a pleasure all around. A man not afraid to give out free beers when given three cheers.

Could it have been any better? Sure the wind and rain were trouble. But let me paraphrase the Mayor of Torre D'Orso in his congratulatory speech. "We hope that this fine and noble sport will carry on and spread its plastic around the world, filling people's hearts and souls with a generous goodness and inspiring the Holy Spirit within us all. Good fortune to Beach-Ultimate!" Indeed. A good time was had by all and we can't wait for next year. Of course, a big thank-you to Peldi, Will, Vanja and Ozzie for making this event a truly family gathering.

 

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