World Champions Again!

Florian Goetze and Patrick Schrickel - The Rock!

I’m too tired to write just now.  Doubles Championship Saturday lived up to the hype and more.  Patrick and Florian are Champions again and Gilles and Franky are perhaps the best silver medal team in Open Doubles history.

Chaos brings home a 3rd World Championship - PT and Jody in Mixed Doubles - and has 6 core players in the top 8 open teams finishing in 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th - more players than any other club :o.

What a great week!  Thanks to everyone who came out to support the event!  I can’t thank our net staff enough - everyone simply kicked ass all week!  Of course, it’s nothing without the players an Thanks So Much to all the those who took the time to travel all the way to Oakland from around the country and the world and thx to all the local players for hosting them.  You made it a fantastic week!

Check out the ‘WFC - Everything Net’ link above.  I updated it with photos of all the brackets in all nine categories.  I think we got em all.

Here’s a link to them and another album on picasa…

2010 World Footbag Championships: Net - All Brackets

hangover breakdown

Complete Net Results - 2010 IFPA World Footbag Championships [click ‘read more...’ below]

Finnish It!

So Close! Florian and Patrick were so solid when it mattered most and that's why they're vying for their 4th The World Championship tonight!

Tuomas Karki is the man and Finland has their first World Championship!  Tuomas and Florian battled for nearly an hour and a half in the Open Singles Net Championship match last night and Tuomas had just a bit too much for Flo on this night.  I don’t remember the scores but I think the last game was 15-13.  It was the last match of the night and the previous two were tough acts to follow.  These guys did not disappoint.  Everybody that came to watch stayed til the sweet sweet Finnish - yes I’m gonna see how many times I can punnish this Finnish word play game .

Once again, time is tight so I’m gonna stop making ambitious promises for what I’ll post.  Suffice it to say - you’ll have a complete story with brackets and results soon.

The Gilles and Franky clinic was on last night and they’re going to the championship against… Florian and Patrick.  Gilles and Franky were on this Friday night and they’re looking to push the defending champions hard.  PT and Manu put on quite a show as only they can but it just wasn’t enough this time.

John Leys and Tuomas Karki were oh so close to the upset of the tournament so far.  Perhaps a bit closer than the 3rd game score which I believe was 15-12.  Chaos #4 and #0 took game 1 15-12 or 13 and this match was played at such a high level from both sides - yep… it’s one of those matches where neither team deserved to lose.  But one of em deserved to win for sure and The Rock - Florian Goetze and Patrick Schrickel.  They always seem to raise their level when they must so let’s see it one more time tonight!!  Florian and Patrick - The New Establishment VS Gilles and Franky - Montreal 3.0 for the title.

Don’t forget… we also have the great pleaure of witnessing Genevieve Bousquet and Jody Welch twice tonight as each of them are vying for 2 world championships.  They will face each other in Women’s Doubles and also in Mixed Doubles.  Also, on the card for this evening - PT Lovern - Chaos #3 - is looking for his first Mixed Doubles title to go along his Open Doubles World Championships from 2004 and 2008.  Lisa McDaniel and Julie Symons are competing against each other and both seeking their umpteenth Women’s Doubles championship.  Luc Legault is the only competitor on the court tonight who doesn’t have a World Championship but you better believe he has all the skills and motivation to change that.

It’s Doubles Net Championship Saturday at The 2010 World Footbag Championships!  We’ll see you tonight for the Grand Finnale!  $10 for a good cause - The IFPA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Results to this point…

*- to be determined today

Open Singles Net
1 Tuomas Kärki
2 Florian Goetze
3 Matti Pohjola
4 Kenny Shults
5 Gilles Demers
6 Yves Archambault
7 Jeremy Mirken
8 Christopher Siebert
9 François Pelletier
10 Alexis Deschenes
11 Luke Legault
12 Cory Current
13 Walt Houston
14 Philippe Lessard
15 Grischa Tellenbach
16 Jack Harris
17 Tuan Vu/Victor Lezama
18 Tuan Vu/Victor Lezama
19 Benjamin Alston
20 Dominic O’Brien
21 Sébastien Duchesne
22 Samuel Cloutier
23 Carlos Márquez
24 Edwin Veltman
25 Rob Adams
26 Tim Vozar
27 Chris Cleaver
28 Diego Chavez Diaz
29 Daniel Greer
30 Justin Sexton
31 Fletcher Funk
32 Alexander Smirnov
33 Greg Neumann
34 Oscar Loreto
35 Kevin Fura
36 Benjamin Kellman
37 Josh DeClercq
38 Jake DeClercq
39 Dan Baron
40 Olivier Berthiaume-Bergé

Open Doubles
1 Gille & Franky or Flo and Patrick*
2 Gille & Franky or Flo and Patrick*
3 John Leys / Tuomas Karki
4 PT Lovern / Emmanuel Bouchard
5 Jeremy Mirken / Jack Harris
6 Christopher Siebert / Kenny Shults
7 Eric Wulff / Luc Legault or Matti Pojhola/Janne Uusitalo*
8 Eric Wulff / Luc Legault or Matti Pojhola/Janne Uusitalo*
9 Jim Derricott / Steve Dusablon
10 Walt Houston / Benjamin Alston
11 Andrew Ronald / Alexander Smirnov
12 Cory Current / Scot Hansen
13 Tuan Vu / Alexis Deschenes
14 Yves Archambault / Dominic O’Brien
15 Grischa Tellenbach / Samuel Cloutier
16 Sébastien Duchesne / Philippe Lessard
17 Victor Lezama / Diego Chavez Diaz
18 Carlos Márquez / Oscar Loreto
19 Daniel Greer / Chris Cleaver
20 Edwin Veltman / Tim Vozar
21 Chris Young / Fletcher Funk
22 Jim Hankins / Greg Neumann
23 E.J. Gammage / Dan Baron
24 Justin Sexton / Olivier Berthiaume-Bergé
25 Josh DeClercq / Jake DeClercq
26 Rob Adams / Kevin Fura

Mixed Doubles
1 Jody Welch / PT Lovern v Genevieve Bousqet / Luc Legault*
2 Jody Welch / PT Lovern v Genevieve Bousqet / Luc Legault*
3 Becca English-Ross / Kenny Shults v Julie Symons / Alexis Deschenes*
4 Becca English-Ross / Kenny Shults v Julie Symons / Alexis Deschenes*
5 Lisa McDaniel / Janne Uusitalo
6 Florian Goetze / Kerstin Anhuth
7 Lisa Monti / Dominic O’Brien
8 Alexander Smirnov / Julia Tikhomirova
9 Steve Dusablon / Michelle Chen

Open Women’s Singles
1 Geneviève Bousquet
2 Julia Tikhomirova
3 Kerstin Anhuth
4 Darlene House

Open Women’s Doubles
1 Julie Symons / Jody Welch v Lisa McDaniel / Genevieve Bousquet*
2 Julie Symons / Jody Welch v Lisa McDaniel / Genevieve Bousquet*
3 Becca English-Ross / Tricia George
4 Julia tikhomirova / Darlene House
5 Lisa Monti / Kerstin Anhuth

Intermediate Singles (missing a couple final places here)
1 Jean-Francois Bélanger
2 Luka Weyler-Lavallée
3 Theodore Fritsch
4 Jack Lentz
5 Brett Milliken
6 Leiner Hevia
7 Robert Creel
8 Michelle Chen
9 Joey Vu

Intermediate Doubles Net (still compiling - missing some data here)
1 Jean-Francois Bélanger / Luka Weyler-Lavallée
2 Chris Hughes / Brett Armstrong
3 Theodore Fritsch / Leiner Hevia
4 Michelle Chen / Brett Milliken
5 Jack Lentz / Dillon George
6 Jasper Shults / Joey Vu
7 ??????
8 ??????
????? Robert Creel / Benjamin Benulis

Masters Singles
1 Tuan Vu
2 Rob Adams
3 Edwin Veltman
4 Tim Vozar
5 Dan Baron
6 Theodore Fritsch
7 Diego Chavez Diaz
8 Kevin Fura
9 Jim Hankins

Masters Doubles
1 Jim Derricott / Tuan Vu
2 Becca English-Ross / Steve Dusablon
3 Rob Adams / Dan Baron
4 Edwin Veltman / Tim Vozar
5 Diego Chavez Diaz / Theodore Fritsch
6 Tricia George / Lisa Monti
7 Jim Hankins / Kevin Fura

Reality Show!

A picture speaks a thousand words, eh?  Well, I don’t have one nor the time for a thousand words.  I know, you’re thankful for the latter no doubt.  Here’s the deal…

Open Doubles - check our seeding via WFC - Everything Net above - the top 8 are IN.  Figure the quarterfinals from that.  1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5 tonight at 6pm at the Oakland Convention Center at the Marriott City Center.

Open Singles - check our seeding via WFC - Everything Net above - the top 4 are IN.  We’ll have a Fin in the finals of the World Championships for the first time ever I believe and it’s long over due.  NICE!

I’ll try to get pics of the beautiful brackets Johnny has printed up and on the walls of the convention center uploaded to chaosfootbag today so anyone who wants can see the entire competitive progression.  Sorry, I’ve just been way to busy to get it up here before today.

Ok, it’s showtime - quarters thursday, semis friday, for the world championship on Saturday Night.  Doubles events anyway.  Does anything else really matter?

Montreal - Yet Again

The AkiSphere 2010, presented by AKIQ

Thanks Aki Quebec!  I stole a link to your flash vid to liven up my post and I can’t figure a way yet to link it from the embedded flash itself .

Now for the post…

I’ve said it many times before.  Probably every time I’ve attended a Montreal tournament and lived to write about it.  But don’t simply expect to get out alive.  If the competition doesn’t get you then the city just might.

Make no mistake though, it will be worth it.

If you consider yourself a net player then you must attend the Montreal summer event.  If not every summer then every other.  Figure out a way to make it happen and then make it happen again.

This year was the 2nd installment of the The AkiSphere, officially titled The AkiSphere 2010, presented by AKIQ.  However, Yves Archambault and his partner in crime of the time, Martin Cote, started this whole Quebec summer tournament scene some 20 years ago.  It’s not a grand stage.  It’s a simple venue.  Basically, invite some friends who happen to be kick ass net players, setup some nets in Parc La Fontaine, deliberate over the seeding (and basically get it right), draw up the brackets, and GO!

Of course, come finals day - line a center court, bring in a sound system and some banners, organize a staff of judges and downtime entertainment, and then let the players set, yet again, a new standard for quality of play in this no budget yet highly competitive sport!

4 of the 13 teams had a legitimate shot to win the doubles event.  From the semi final matches through to the championship and including the bronze metal match, all of them were highly entertaining if not epic!

First up on Championship Sunday was the #2 seeded Gilles Demers and Francois Depatie-Pelletier against the #3 seeded Team Chemistry - Ben Rochon and Jean Francios Lemeaux!  Gilles and Frank won in straight sets 15-12, 15-12 but the match was a bit closer than the score.

Next up, it was the no. 1 seeded Chaos #3, PT Lovern, and Montreal/Chaos #27, Emmanuel Bouchard VS the number 4 seeded Chaos #2, Jack Harris, and Chaos #25, Jeremy Mirken.  Most of the crowd expected a lop-sided result for PT and Manu.  They were heavily favored.  However, Jack and Jeremy showed everyone they well deserved the stage come showtime and they pushed the defending champions to 12 in both sets.  Most notably, jumping out to a 7-1 lead in game two only to relinquish it to the 2008 and 2009 Montreal champions.

Hence, the stage was set for a highly anticipated title match between the no. 1 and 2 seeded teams.  The rally of the day was won by PT and Manu in game 3 with two incredible digs followed by an total kill.  First Manu got under a murderous sweep from Franky and then PT did the same from the same.  Each dig was a perfect 5’ high bump, followed by a juicy set, and while the first impressive answer from Manu was dug (seemingly effortlessly), PT saw a picture perfect set from Manu to which he could do nothing if not absolutely murder it… sunback… boo ya!  The war, however, went to Gilles and Franky in 3 sets - 15-13, 13-15, 15-13.  There were many amazing rallies including several side out duels that seemed to go on forever.  GThe crowd grew and stayed for the entire match. Why not?  How could you leave once you caught a glimpse and dared to sit and watch.  It was simply epic.

Somehow, following the doubles final Franky managed to challenge JF in the singles final.  Well, I’m not quite sure if that’s the best way to describe it.  JF took game one 15-1 and it looked like the long hot intense weekend had taken from Franky any motivation for a fight.  Then, he answered JF in game two, um, 15-1… wha?!?!  Yes, seriously!  In the end JF’s experience was the difference and he finished off the doubles champion 15-12 in game 3.

For the bronze metal - CHAOS!  Our boyz, Jack and Jer, yes… Chaos #2 to the twoFive, notched perhaps their biggest victory yet while defeating the current Green Cup champions, Ben Rochon and JF Lemieax, in straight sets 16-14, 15-12.  Jack and Jer jumped out to a… 2-11 deficit in game one?  Yes, but only to come back and win that.  I mean no disrespect to Team Chemistry.  Chaos’s jubilation is a result of how this highly this team is regarded.

On behalf of all Team Chaos I thank Gilles Demers, Luc Legault, Martin Cote, and the entire staff of the AkiSphere!  You were great hosts and ran a solid event.  We’ll never forget it and will surely return.

Before then, we’ll see you at The 2010 Green Cup, presented by Chaos, and The 2010 World Footbag Championships!

Ciao

Here’s a link to an interview Gilles took part in on some Montreal News affiliate…
http://www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/rdi_week_end/2009-2010/Entrevue.asp?idDoc=114315&autoPlay=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.radio-canada.ca%2FMedianet%2F2010%2FRDI2%2FRDIEnDirectMatinWeekend201007040800_3.asx

Alive and Kicking In Chitown at The WCC

Ben comes dangerously close to death, seriously, but escapes with hardly a scratch. Him and Walt also came oh so close to reaching the semis. These guys just keep getting better. Their day will come - doh!

The drama started on Friday before the tournament action even got under way.  They don’t call it the Windy City for nothing and the Memphis boys experienced Chitown’s wrath first hand as a 70MPH gust off the lake brought a tree down on top of them.  Perhaps it is by the grace of the footbag gods?  Perhaps it is their cool scrappy Memphis style?  Perhaps… sheer luck?  We don’t really care how but The Boyz are still with us and barely a scratch was had.  Life is good.

The match of the day on Saturday was a nail biter between the #3 and 4 seeds, Team Chaos and Team Memphis respectively.  Current World Champion, Chaos #8, Patti Schrickel, and his partner for this event Chaos #5, Eric Wulff, lost game 1 to Team Memphis, Ben and Walt, 15-21.  Chaos controlled the tempo in game 2 however, as Patrick’s serve came alive.  They took it 21-15, forcing the rubber.  Game 3 wasn’t as pretty as it was scrappy with the wind and the sun toying with service tosses and sets.  The crowd of, hmmm - let’s call it several including the head judge, was treated to a roller coaster ride including some fun for the whole family - pg13 may contain strong language, “WTF!?” .  In the end, Schrickdog and The Wulff, that’s Team Chaos 5 to the 8, pulled out the match executing down the stretch - 21-19.  Following that, Eric and Patrick advanced to ‘The Show’ at Navy Pier with a straight set win over the 6th seed in the elimination round.  They’ll face Cory Current and Scot Hansen, event director, for a spot in the Championship Match.

The upset of the day goes to Cory and Scot who stole the #2 seed from Chaos #25 and Chaos #2 in the pool and in stunning fashion, hence gliding into the semi-finals with a bye in the elinination round.

The #1 seed, Chaos #3, PT Lovern, and Honorary Chaos #27, breezed thru their pool as expected and will face Jer and Jack in the semis today.  This match has tremendous showtime potential with 3 great defensemen and 3 offensive powerhouses on display.  I’ll let you figure who I’m speaking of .

As for the other semi-final, it’s not my place to speculate since I’m one of the participants.  Bahhahaaa… Patti and Eric are the favorites but Cory and Scot made it clear they’re not to be taken lightly.  All the pressure is on Eric and Patrick to live up to expectations.  There is potential for a Cinderella story here as the hometown team would love to advance to the Championship match.

Singles, hmmm… well, ok… Patrick Schrickel, Chaos #8, *may* face Chaos #25, Jeremy ‘I booked a flight out Sunday evening’ Mirken should there be enough time to fit it in before ‘Jer Bear’ has to leave.

I’ll be back with a wrap-up tonight or tomorrow morning.

Happy Father’s Day and esepcially to those Chaos fathers and fathers of Chaos fathers !

South American Killers -- SURA 2009

Here, finally, is some video footage of SURA 2009 in Bogota, Colombia.

The future of footbag net is in South America!
I encourage everyone to think about attending SURA 2010 in Caracas, Venezuela.  Venezuela is home to some of the world’s finest beaches and coral reefs, as well as the world’s tallest waterfall.  Venezuela would like to remind you that they win a disproportionate number of beauty pageants, too.  Early December, warm and dry, is an ideal time of year to visit…

Chaos Approved
In 2007 PT, Eric and Patti attended the 1st South American Footbag Championships in Medellin, Colombia.  Their mission: To develop a relationship with the growing footbag net scene in South America.  They provided coaching and participated in various exhibitions to promote the sport, but did not compete because of the wide disparity in skill levels.

In 2008, Jack and Jeremy of Chaos joined Yves Archambault of Pro-Kicker to continue that mission in San Cristobal, Venezuela.  This time, perhaps prematurely, the norteamericanos entered the tournament.  The energy and style of the South American players was easy to appreciate, however, there was too much focus on offense--with plenty of injuries and fouls--and not enough on basics and defense.  That said, a few of the players could legitimately have competed internationally at the open level.

This past December, Jeremy and Jack returned for the 3rd South American Footbag Championships in Bogota, Colombia.  Things have changed.  Several of the South American players are now clearly ready for international competition (you will get to meet a few of them at the 31st IFPA World Championships in Oakland), however, most of these guys are quite young, and though their fortunes may rise with Venezuela’s and Colombia’s, for now it is prohibitively expensive for them to travel abroad.  In the short term, the goal is to get enough North American and European players to attend next year’s tournament to raise SURA 2010 to level 3.  Think about it…