12 teams competed in the third annual Gongmana Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Kiama on 7 and 8 December with Wollongong based team ‘Angela’s Primary’ ultimately coming out as victors.

It was a crisp and sunny weekend, beautiful weather to watch a shiny white disk float through the air from player to player at Kiama’s Showground and Chittick Oval.

Players in action at the Gongmana Tournament. Source: Brian Scott.

Ultimate frisbee enthusiast and Kiama local Stefan Goecke, who both participated on the day and helped organise, says the weekend was a success.

“It was a great two days. 12 teams entered mostly from the area, but one team came all the way from Perth and we all had such a great time,” says Goecke.

For those that don’t know, ultimate frisbee is played on a long field with two end zones at each end. The frisbee is passed between players as they try to score in their own end zone.

Goecke says that one of the best parts of the sport, and the thing that sets it apart from the others, is that there is no referee or umpire. The players on the field make the calls and come to a decision together.

“It’s a sport where the people on the field have to make a decision between themselves. It is a non contact sport and somehow it works. In my 40 years of experience, there have only been a handful of times where it has been unpleasant,” says Goecke. 

“There’s seldom big arguments. Just recently my wife and I played in Portugal at the beach world championships and even there, there are very few arguments. People get on the field knowing that there is no referee. So everyone knows what they’re getting into so there’s a different mindset for all the players.”

A player catching a frisbee at the Gongmana Tournament. Source: Brian Scott.

Goecke first played the sport 40 years ago when he lived in Germany - and has never looked back.

Goecke is confident that the tournament will be back again for another year and also urges anyone who would be interested in getting involved to join a group who meets at Kendalls beach every Sunday at 4pm - simply turn up and play!