On a perfect, warm Saturday night in June, a group of 600 people filter into Concordia-St. Paul’s Sea Foam Stadium. They don black and blue hats and shirts, some with face paint and signs, many with jerseys of their own. A jumbotron displays highlights of past games and camera crews line the field, ready to capture the next great play. Finally, the Minnesota Wind Chill take the field and a surge of energy fills the air. As the game goes on, the score fluctuates but one thing stays the same: the excitement. Members of the Wind Chill huck discs downfield, their teammates racing past defenders for impossible goals in the endzone. Overhead throws, impressive layouts, and tide-changing blocks all get the fans on their feet, chanting and cheering for their Minnesota Wind Chill.
Their goals are loud and their spirits are contagious. In the remaining minutes of the game, fans rise to their feet and countdown as the team clinches yet another win, rising up among the ranks and making their presence known around the community and the league. The 600 fans, as with any other sport, bond and share in the camaraderie of the next big professional sport in Minnesota: ultimate frisbee.
No, not disc golf, though that, too, is a growing pastime. Ultimate frisbee is a team sport, a sort of conglomeration of football and soccer, but with a disc. Some may recall playing the game — or variations — in school, from elementary school gym class all the way to college intramurals. Yes, that ultimate frisbee. That ultimate frisbee has grown rapidly in the last decade or two and now has entered the professional sports scene, as part of the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL). That ultimate frisbee has found its way onto the Minnesota professional sports scene.
A Brief History of Ultimate
The sport began officially in the late 1960s, when New Jersey high school student Joel Silver (producer of movies like Die Hard and The Matrix) brought the idea to the student council. The game grew rapidly, and continues to do so today with over 3 million people playing it in the United States. It is a prominent high school and college sport, and proponents are pushing to get the sport into the Olympics. Ultimate is a social justice-driven, integrity-based sport that has garnered a lot of attention from some notable figures.
Marques Brownlee is a well-known tech YouTuber, with a prominent Twitter and social media following. He also plays on the New York Empire AUDL team. Brownlee has played in the league since 2013 and has built quite the resume, including 88 career goals and two championship titles.
Perhaps ultimate frisbee’s most well-known supporters is none other than Bill Nye the Science Guy (yes, that Bill Nye the Science Guy). He actually played the sport in the early days of the game, helping to pioneer ultimate. Bill Nye occasionally still touts his skills with the flatball, and frequently speaks about how he expects ultimate to continue to gain popularity in the States. (Highlights of Bill Nye’s reasoning include limited injuries in the sport and the inclusive nature of the community.)
The American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) was founded in 2012. With an initial eight teams, the league set out to maintain the sport’s rich history while growing its reach and establishing some credibility. Today, the league has 25 teams divided among four divisions. Each team plays 12 games in the spring and summer, with a championship weekend taking place in late August. Minnesota hasn’t won a championship yet, though they’ve made some excellent playoff runs and continue to be one of the top teams in the league.
Ultimate in Minnesota
While it is hard to say how many youth clubs, school teams and pickup games there are in Minnesota, it is clear to see that ultimate has made its presence known throughout the state. Minnesota is home to prominent ultimate frisbee teams, including Edina High School, Hopkins High School, Minnesota Grey Duck and St. Olaf Bezerkers. Programs are blossoming in middle and high schools, and many competitive college players go on to play for the Wind Chill or other teams.
The Minnesota Wind Chill was established in 2013, joining the AUDL for their second season. After a few seasons of splitting their home games between the National Sports Center in Blaine and Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul, they officially made Sea Foam their home field in 2019. Home games feature a beer garden, food trucks, balloon animals and an atmosphere like no other.
Wind Chill fans love showing up for their team. Looking in the stands, you’ll see all kinds of people, of all ages and backgrounds. There are parents of Wind Chill players who drove up from Iowa; middle schoolers with their own team’s jersey on, hopeful to one day be playing on the field in front of them; and genuine Minnesota ultimate fans, with their faces painted and noise makers in hand.
The vibe of a Wind Chill game is unbeatable. At the entrance of the gate, people are walking around with a disc in one hand and a drink in the other. A line of food trucks satisfy hungry spectators, and Wind Chill-branded cornhole is set out in true Minnesotan spirit. For those fans wanting to try their hand at being a professional ultimate player, a frisbee target throw and “sky trainer” are a fun challenge, available to try before, during and after the game. The atmosphere is exactly what a sports setting should feel like: family friendly, social and exciting.
From the opening pull, fans are on their feet. Chants crescendo from the stands and signs wave in the air. High-fives are passed around and bleachers shake with every Minnesota point. And when the Wind Chill win, fans rise to their feet in the final minutes, joining their community and their hometown ultimate team for another victory.
The Future of Ultimate
Professional ultimate seems to be here for good. Even so, there is still a lot of work to do before the team sells out Allianz Field (which, let’s be honest, seems like the natural next step for the team, especially considering the growing nature of both soccer and ultimate, and the fact that the stadium is across the road from Concordia-St. Paul!).
The Minnesota Strike is the state's representative in the Premier Ultimate League. With their inaugural season in 2022, they are looking to grow the sport and represent women, transgender, non-binary and genderfluid athletes. Currently, they have a few different venues they play at for their home games, but with more growth and recognition behind their name, hopefully they will soon be on par with the Wind Chill and other professional sports.
The AUDL has made definitive steps to grow the sport. One of the most notable is introducing ultimate to their next fan base: football fans. You may have seen the Wind Chill take on the Madison Radicals during halftime of a Vikings game in the last year or two. While the Wind Chill were one of the first teams to play such an exhibition match, a number of other ultimate teams have played in front of crowds in sold-out football stadiums. After all, who better to market ultimate to than to people who are watching what is practically the same game?
Additionally, the AUDL has offered a few opportunities to invest in the league and the sport through WeFunder. As the league grows, so do their expenses. With open investment opportunities, fans can support the league, and the league can find more ways to grow and get established. (Side note: Bill Nye is an investor.)
Finally, an AUDL video game is in the making, with hopes to release in the near future. The game will be in the same vein as FIFA or Madden, and the developments in the game have been exciting to watch. Be sure to look out for it and follow the AUDL on social media to keep up with the latest. It looks to be a great game and will be an effective way to advertise the sport while getting fans involved even more.
Let’s Chill
Like many of Minnesota’s sports teams, the Minnesota Wind Chill are impressive. They have a rich history and a promising future. Also like most of Minnesota’s sports teams, the Wind Chill have been known to break fans hearts. And that’s why we love them.
As new sports in Minnesota and the states thrive, including Major League Soccer and E-Sports, it’s worth giving ultimate frisbee a look, too. The sport and community is unique; while the game is extremely competitive and players are some of the most athletic among athletes across all sports, the atmosphere is different. The “Spirit of the Game” drives a friendly, integrity-focused aspect where players will call their own fouls, and good sportsmanship is top of mind in the midst of even the most heated competitions.
Competition is still very present, and as games get tighter and playoffs approach, ultimate is no different than other sports. Even so, opponents pick each other up, clap each other on the back, and often exchange smiles. Ultimate exemplifies everything we were taught as kids in sports, and everything we want to pass down to our own. The spirit of competition and sportsmanship is alive and well.
Bundle up and check out a professional ultimate game this summer. Wind Chill and Strike games are fun and family-friendly. In fact, fans have the opportunity to join the team on the field after the game for pictures, autographs and to toss a disc around! Paint your face, make a sign, and join the fun. Follow the Wind Chill on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the Strike on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and be a part of the next big Minnesota sport.
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