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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Ultimately, Chaos prevailed at disc derby

Winnipeg mixed team tops all at Canadian championships

By: Daniel Falloon

Posted: 08/17/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Women's ultimate team Lotus, from Toronto, wins the championship game at CanadInn Stadium. (BORIS.MINKEVICH@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

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Lotus celebrates their victory. (BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

CHAOS ran rampant at Canad Inns Stadium on Sunday.

That's not out of the ordinary at the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but this time, it gave local fans a chance to cheer.

Local representatives Chaos won the mixed division at the Canadian Ultimate Championships, defeating Quebec City's Onyx 14-8 in the gold-medal final.

The teams had to contend with some steady showers, but given the wet conditions all tournament, neither team was out of practice.

"It's nothing new. It's been like this all week," said Aaron Dobson, 32. "You'd hit the ground and slide 30 feet before you could get up.

"I've never played in this much rain before."

Added Chaos teammate Christy Mader: "I was covered in mud from head to toe yesterday (Saturday)."

Playing on the stadium's artificial turf had some advantages over the grass fields at Maple Grove Rugby Park, where the preliminary matches were played.

"The fake turf made it much easier to cut. The wind's swirly, which is a little bit different. It's inconsistent, it made it a little bit tougher," said Dobson.

Dobson's teammate Jared Lehotsky said that the rain made the elusive disc that much more difficult to snag.

"You've gotta be mentally tough and you can't drop discs. It's easy to drop a slippery disc," said Lehotsky, 22.

Mark Zimmerl, a member of Montreal's Mephisto, said that playing the stadium is a different experience, as scoring plays were announced and larger crowds attend. But competitors were also able to see replays on the stadium Jumbotron, a step away from the self-governing spirit of the game.

"It's a fun element. It's one we're not used to, especially in terms of call resolution," said Zimmerl, 40, who estimated that he has competed in 15 national championships. "It's difficult to argue when the video shows you something other than what you thought you experienced."

Though there were official observers at each championship game, they would only step in if the two teams couldn't reach a consensus on a call. The estimated 2,000 fans caught onto the replay aspect fairly quickly, bellowing demands for a second look after a contested catch in the Chaos-Onyx match.

The rain couldn't keep the hearty supporters from right across the country at bay. About a third of those in attendance huddled under umbrellas in the west side's front rows, and remainder took refuge under the second-deck overhang. Their spirit wasn't dampened, though, as one team's fans would try to drown out the other side's, most loudly during the men's final between Montreal's Mephisto and Ottawa's Phoenix.

"Let's go Montreal!" Mephisto supporters yelled, before being challenged with a strong "Let's go Phoenix!" on their next attempt.

Mephisto won the men's open final 17- 15 over Phoenix, and two Ontario teams, Lotus and Stella played the women's final, with Lotus winning 15-14. On Saturday, Ontario's Glum took the masters division 15-6 over Alberta's Figjam, and B.C. rivals Blackout and Vortex met up, with Blackout romping 15-1.

daniel.falloon@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 17, 2009 C6

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