Disc sports make a splash at ‘Big Wet’

BALLARAT ultimate frisbee and disc golf players excelled on home turf in The Big Wet at Victoria Park last week Run by Ballarat Disc Sports (BDS) – a club that includes both Ballarat Ultimate and Ballarat Disc Golf – the annual tournament attracted more than 150 competitors from across Victoria, Sydney and Mount Gambier.

Equal emphasis is placed on competition and the social side of sport, encouraging participants to catch up with friends and make new ones.

The Big Wet disc golf tournament director Reece Surkitt said the event is strategically staged in the middle of winter, in a bid to coincide with potentially the harshest weather.

While it wasn’t overly wet this year, the cold conditions were tricky enough to make hucking discs a challenge.

“We were pushing 30-kilometre winds the whole day and it spiked up to about 56 at one point,” Surkitt said.

“In a sport where it’s all about throwing stuff through the air, the wind is a pretty determining factor. It did play a bit of havoc.

“But to be honest, I wouldn’t have minded if it snowed.

“Typically, the only places in Australia you get to play in the snow are on the ski fields.

“The opportunity to play disc golf or ultimate frisbee in the snow is quite limited.

“It probably wouldn’t happen in Ballarat – we get a bit of heavy sleet here every two years – but it could (snow).

“I do hold on to the hope that we will one day host a tournament and it will snow.

“It will be an experience you won’t get anywhere else.”

Event organisers were stoked with the number of participants.

“We had players travel from all over the place – Geelong, Melbourne, a few from Sydney,” said Surkitt, also BDS’ disc golf chairperson.

“For disc golf, we had some interstaters coming across from Mount Gambier.

“We hosted our disc golf and our ultimate frisbee tournaments on the same day.

 

“We are one of the few clubs that are dual code, most are either ultimate (frisbee) or disc golf.

“We embrace both codes and pride ourselves on running events on the same weekend if possible.”

Home team Ballarat Rebellion reigned supreme in the ultimate frisbee competition ahead of five others.

Adleys the Best finished as runners-up, with another Ballarat team Pioneers in third.

RMIT, Ravens Ultimate and Eastern Ultimate filled spots four through six.

A field of 72 players across 11 pro and amateur divisions competed in disc golf, with Ballarat players enjoying good success.

In the pro events, Tim Bohan, from Geelong, won the mixed pro open, while Josh Smith, from Melton, won the mixed pro 40+ division.

Flying the local flag, Meagan Joy won the women’s amateur three division, Wayne Govan claimed the mixed amateur four title, and Linda Nailon prevailed in the women’s amateur four.

Also known as frisbee golf, disc golf is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target, using rules similar to golf.

The sport is usually played on a course with nine or 18 holes, each consisting of a teeing area and target, or basket.

It has seen a significant surge in popularity, becoming one of the fastest-growing sports globally, with an estimated 20 million regular players across the world.

The Big Wet is one of two major events run by Ballarat Ultimate each year. The other, the Golden City Classic, is held mid-January.

For more on Ballarat Disc Sports, visit ballaratdiscsports.com.au.