by Juliet Pendray and Kendall KIC On Sunday, the 17th of August, it was getting dark, and the maddening crowds of Portland's Bite Festival were vanishing from the park. Knots of kickers still buzzed around the finals court, laughing and hugging and saying their good-byes to friends and opponents that they might not see for another year. The tents were coming down, and the footbags were going back into our pockets. None of us could believe it was over so fast.

The 1997 World Footbag Championships was extra special for all kickers. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the sport, and, since footbag's birthplace was Oregon, the event was also a homecoming of sorts. New records were set here for prize money, number of competitors, and the sport's media exposure. As anticipated, this was the best Worlds ever!

Groundbreaking footbag events were underway in Portland, even before the opening ceremonies. Beginning August 9th, 14 teams, all pioneers in the sport of footbag, assembled in Willamette Park to do battle at footbag net--the original footbag net, not today's game they called "ultra" at the time. The new generation of kickers arriving before the main event watched in fascination as these teams played the familiar game in this wholly unfamiliar way. For many of today's hot competitors, this was an introduction both to the people that began the sport of footbag and to the old rules of the original net game.

The competitors, some conspicuously defying age with startling speed and flexibility, faced off in mixed doubles and open doubles for the two days of the Pioneers of Footbag Tournament. Since the old footbag net rules (used until 1984) allowed five kicks per side, the game's strategies were somewhat foreign to the sport played now. Today's fast-paced three-kicks-per-side game with no player taking more than one kick at a time, certainly looks different, but spectators can attest to the finesse and excitement that old rules provided.

In the Pioneers of Footbag open doubles final on Sunday, the fast footwork and court coverage by the 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984 Doubles Net Champions Mag Hughes and Billy Hayne triumphed in the third game over the accurate and deceptive placement of Bruce Guettich and Kevin Courtney. Guettich's signature flying inside smash was a revelation to kickers schooled in spikes using outsides and toes almost exclusively.

The mixed doubles final on Sunday featured the team of Lori Jean Conover and Billy Hayne against Garwin Bruce and Cheryl Hughes. This was a grudge match stemming from Conover and Hayne's 1983 Championship win. The '83 champs prevailed, making Billy Hayne a two-time Pioneer winner. Some people just never lose it. the contestants gather 'round

As the local media, spectators and tournament participants looked on, the ceremonies began with the U. S. National Anthem, sung by Vancouver, Washington resident Tad Harris. Speeches followed by Directors Ted Huff and John Stalberger, challenging today's footbag competitors to take footbag to the next level. Introductions of the tournament's stellar staff followed, headed by tournament director and co-founder of the Sole Purpose Footbag Club, Kendall KIC.

There were 207 registered players--a new record for the World Championships! The tour- nament promised to be a truly international event. Kickers came from afar, lured by the strength of the competitive field and the variety of events. The smiling Finnish (nine total) were driven around town by a host family in a sponsored 15-passenger van. Net players flew from Australia to the Rose City. The Auckland Freestyle Footbag Club in New Zealand sent three freestylers who were welcomed at the airport by the Finns and their hosts, and squished into the van. Venezuela would have been represented, but for an unexpected meeting between a certain Venezuelan competitor (John Penaloza), and a rather fast-moving car. The footbag player is now doing well after extensive surgery; the car, however, is another story. footbag net

Tuesday afternoon saw the start of five days of ferocious net competition with singles pool play on the 52 net courts set up at Westmoreland Park. Net players numbering 126 faced off to begin narrowing the field in intermediate, open, women's and women's intermediate divisions.

Tricia George won her fifth career women's singles net title--her first since 1989--beating Tina Lewis, who had overpowered Julie Symons to appear in her first singles net final. Tricia (who showed little fatigue after a grueling tournament and a tough semi-finals match against Canadian powerhouse Evanne Lamarche) came back from losing the first game to take the next two games handily over Lewis. The two women were evenly matched in their style of play, with well placed shots, and long, entertaining rallies.

Jody Welch won her eighth women's doubles net title, teaming with Julie Symons to snatch another title from Lisa McDaniel and Evanne Lamarche. Down 13-8 in the first game, Welch and Symons demonstrated championship form, regaining the momentum to win that game and the next for the match. Exhausting rallies and great teamwork characterized the women's crowd­pleasing play. Jody and Brent Welch continued their dominance of mixed doubles net, winning their seventh title by beating Kenny Shults and Tricia George in a tight three-game match. (This continues to be the only event that Shults has not won at the World Championships in his 20-year footbag career.) The Welches lost the first game, but Jody Welch's awesome feet were in fine form, and she was not to be denied. The dig of the tournament was all hers, popping up one of Shults' straight down "toe-jams" for a perfect set, which her husband and partner Brent then buried. The Welches went on to win the next two games to capture the match in three.

Kenny Shults, appearing in his 16th consecutive doubles net final, teamed with Randy Mulder to reclaim the title they had lost to the Montreal duo of Sebastien Verdy and Emmanuel Bouchard last year. Shults and Mulder have now won five of the last six World Championships, and are the undisputed monarchs of the game. Along with second-place finishers Allan Petersen and Peter Shunny, they wowed the crowd on finals day with perfect, floating, on-top-of-the-net sets, towering spikes, and impossible digs. This year's Worlds saw more high flying blocks than ever before, showing the direction footbag net is heading.

Kenny Shults, an eight-time winner in singles net, was appearing in his 12th singles final opposite six-time finalist Randy Mulder. Before this match got underway (the last of the tournament), an emotional Shults announced his retirement (from singles net only) to a packed stadium crowd.

After two brutal games, the players found themselves even at one game each. As the third game got under way, a band from Idaho (the headline act of the Bite Festival) began their first musical set on the stage abutting the finals court. The entire audience of over 2,000 turned to the band together and booed, in an attempt to postpone the band until this exciting match was over. In awe at what they had witnessed while warming up, and in deference to the will of the crowd, the band stopped after their first song and announced that they're turning center stage back over to the final game in the intense singles footbag net finals match.

With Kenny leading 13-10 in the third and final game, Randy Mulder found the reserves to win the next five points and take both the game and the match 15-11, 12-15, 15-13. Players and fans who had witnessed many such finals reported that it was the most dramatic match in footbag history. (It was also the first documented case where a crowd of thousands of spectators did "the wave" around and around a footbag court.)

The freestyle contest began Wednesday at the Fred Meyer Memorial Boys and Girls Club Gym, with a different sort of atmosphere. The room was gyrating with single-minded artists, all apparently intent on "skooling" each other in new moves with seemingly little regard for the actual competition. Newly-discovered moves are not jealously guarded; freestylers "skool" each other constantly both on the turf and, more recently, on line at the footbag website.

However, as the order of performers and judging assignments was posted, there was an abrupt change in the room. Individuals clutching tapes or CD's, and sweatdamp footbags, sought out private corners of the gym or squares of sidewalk outside and ignored all possible distractions. Brows furrowed as nervous competitors discovered that trick combinations were mysteriously difficult to do when only twenty minutes remained before going on stage.

One of the challenges, particularly for newer competitors, was to keep their cool and their routines intact whenever the footbag dropped. Those unfamiliar with freestyle competition are often surprised by the timing of the crowd's applause during a competition. "Why does everyone clap only when they drop the footbag? Isn't that like applauding when the figure skater falls?" Well, this is yet another unique aspect that sets footbag apart from other sports. We clap both for the string of tricks that preceded the drop, and in support of the kicker's courage to continue. And, as freestyle grandmaster Ken Shults is wont to remind us... "Gravity always wins."

In the first round, Mika Koistinen (a first-time competitor from Helsinki, Finland) blew away the other 34 intermediate singles competitors with scores that took him well into the "Go Pro!" stage of applause. Mika gained high marks in all categories for a total score of 21.26, ultimately winning the intermediate competition in round two.

In the semi­final round of open singles, 18-year-old Ryan Mulroney (last year's intermediate champ now entering in the open division) produced the most blistering shred of the competition to that point, and did so without a single drop! Mulroney nailed a whopping 245 adds in this routine, and was rewarded with a huge ovation from the admiring (and stunned) crowd. (Video of this routine is online at http://www.footbag.org.)

Also in the second round, Daryl Genz and Rick Reese totaled a startling 440 adds in open doubles freestyle, warming up a routine guaranteed to take them to the podium.

On Friday the 15th, the World Trade Center in the heart of downtown Portland was the site of the final round of the freestyle competition. It was here that the cream of the planet's crop of footbag freestylers assembled to determine who was the most skilled of shredders or, in footbag speak, the most "heinous of the hein'." Scott Cleere presided as Master of Ceremonies from the podium, keeping the audience entertained with his own brand of off-the-cuff humor between the routines, including impromptu interviews with tournament directors from around the globe. Spotlights centered on the mats of the finals stage, ringed by fan-filled bleachers.

The scores of the eight open singles finalists were very close, but ultimately, Peter "The Executioner" Irish of San Francisco took first place with a graceful and dropless routine. The soulful and spooky strains of the digeridoo accompanied him, played live by Toby Robinson, a freestyler and one-time Creative Athletics tour team member. Peter, now five-time winner of the singles title, left no doubt that it was his day. Cool, smooth, and relaxed, he made even the unimaginable look easy.

Scott Davidson of Illinois twirled and whirled his way into second place. A wizard in cross-body moves, the self-named "Enlightener" scored an unchallenged 9.4 in composition.

Eric Wulff of New Jersey appeared, his body electric with vividly painted designs. Every contact with the footbag was smoothly choreographed; his flyers surpassed all with equally smooth integration. The "Iron Man" scored highly with the judges in composition and presentation to take the third place medal.

Sam Conlon took first place in women's singles with a high-add, low-drop routine that displayed the height of the craft in presentation and composition. With unmatched fluid movements, Sam showed the assemblage how to make difficult moves look easy. The Bay Area freestyler's constant smile stood out in a sea of sometimes teeth-gritting, impassive competitors.

Long-time net and freestyle competitor Tricia George demonstrated her ability not only to keep smiling through difficult moves, but to sing with her music as well. Transmitting her sense of fun to the audience, this true professional was jiving through flyers, tight spins, and sole kicks to capture a close second.

Another footbag cross-disciplinarian, Evanne Lamarche, won the third place medal to the cheers of her fellow Canucks in the crowd. Her courageous return to the sport after dual knee injuries was welcomed. A top competitor in net, Evanne's symmetric routine was characterized by the same joyful spirit and intensity that she brings to the net court.

The open doubles competition featured many memorable routines. Securing first place with a 350-add routine, Greg "G. F. Smoothie" Nelson and Tuan "Disco Ninja" Vu used some seriously fast and stomping music to showcase their hard-core and heinous shred. Incredibly difficult passes scored high with the judges, as did the extensive variety of compositional elements.

A close second, Daryl "Genzu" Genz and Rippin' Rick Reese fulfilled their early round promise with an effective, athletic routine. Very high-add stuff, impeccably synchronized, with heart-stopping combinations that were riddled with difficulty.

Lisa McDaniel and Sam Conlon dazzled with a demonstration of grace and synchronization. In matching skirted gear, this team of women showed the boys how to play, dancing their way to a third place medal in the open division. Unique, fluid, and complicated contact passes kept the audience watching in awe.

The women's division welcomed two new teams to the spotlight of the finals stage. First place champions Becca English-Ross and Tricia George shredded it up in "kick-ass-betty" style, impressing the judges with their solid teamwork, energetic floor movement and dynamic presentation to the audience. Evanne Lamarche and Ann Kaplan took second place with an ambitious yet low-drop routine. Christy Rapp and Wendy Curran, two fresh Oregon converts from the net realm, had a ton of fun putting together a routine for their third-place finish.

In the mixed doubles freestyle event, some true pioneers dusted off their kicking shoes and worked up routines for the Portland homecoming of Worlds.

Tricia George and Paul Vorvick teamed up as "Tall/Not Tall" to take third place. They wowed the crowd with a humorous and theatrical duet, employing a broom that doubled as a weapon and an air guitar, to a rollicking tune by Pele JuJu.

For the silver medal, women's singles queen Sam Conlon and her partner Steve Goldberg hooped and looped their legs in true team style. With huge marks for presentation and a high add count, their smooth execution set new standards for mixed doubles competition.

And, taking the gold medal in this relatively new event, Greg Nelson and Lisa McDaniel showed that their individual experiences in the other doubles freestyle events over the years would pay off. Their expertise allowed them to work out most of their routine over the phone, only to practice in person during the few days before the event. The difficulty of their exacting combinations was as yet unparalleled in the mixed doubles freestyle event.

On the last day of Worlds, the members of the Big Add Posse (an informal, exclusive club of freestylers) performed en masse on center court in-between finals matches. Twelve of the world's best freestylers shredded "guilt-free" moves in step with each other--an impressive sight, if a bit daunting to the shredders who bruise their shins nightly with dreams of achieving membership in the group. At the end of the demonstration, an unusual announcement was made: the ranks of the BAP would swell. With shining eyes the inductees, listed below, were greeted by the alumni one at a time. By the howls and cheers of the crowd, it was a perfect wrap-up for the freestylers, already pumped with new aspirations for next year.

The new BAP inductees were: Ryan "The Regulator" Mulroney (now of Berkeley, California), "The Wizard" Noah Dubreuil (of Montreal, Quebec, Canada), Tu "Huge" Vu (of San Francisco), "Shred Red" Fred Husted (of Berkeley, California), "Big-Add" Chad Devlahovich (of Los Angeles), and "Humboldt" Dave Holton (of Atlanta, Georgia). For more information on the Big Add Posse, check out the Freestyle Underground on page 16.

DDOP is an ideal training exercise and warm-up event for net teams, honing longer distance one-kick accuracy. Even though it is a relatively minor event in footbag sports, it draws a strongly competitive field because of prize money and overall points (compiled scores from all open categories, excluding mixed, for the purpose of declaring overall men's and women's winners). This year, the event drew 62 kickers. Long-standing participants Andy Linder and Bruce Guettich overcame the field with a strong rally of 162 consecutive kicks from the required 10-foot distance. Scott Cleere and Peter Shunny, both previous champions in this event, were second with 122. With windy conditions, it was over all too quickly for most.

Five minutes may sound like a short time, until you actually try kicking without stopping or dropping. In the women's category, Ida Fogle broke her previous World Record (799) with a rally of 804, took first place, and ditched the press. Local favorite and always impressive overall player Tricia George was a close second, followed by freestyle specialist Sam Conlon. Andy Linder, the reigning men's world record holder displayed his winning form with a staggering 1006 kicks (just 13 kicks shy of his record of 1019), followed by Sean Flynn and first-time open competitor Brian McKenzie, the much-talked-about 16-year-old freestyle whiz-kid from Nebraska.

Many consider the course at Laurelhurst Park in Portland to be the best venue ever for the golf event. Over ninety golfers enthusiastically hit the links and were treated to diverse hole placements that left even the best golfers challenged. The beautiful old wooded park, layered with hills, gullies and long straight-aways, may have given spectators the illusion of a peaceful day at the park--but make no mistake, footbag golf is hotly contested and always comes down to the wire.

Long-time golf aficianado, Jeff "Animal" Johnson, known as much for his ribald sense of humor and outrageous laugh as for his golf game, came out on top with consistently low scores of 55 for each of his two 18-hole rounds, barely edging out Steve Smith of Malta, Illinois. Tricia George shot 60 and 62 to come out four strokes ahead of her doubles net partner, fellow Oregonian Becca English-Ross.

Peter Shunny, out of Lakewood, Colorado, was able to shed his status as perennial 2nd place finisher by edging out his WFA touring partner and four-time Overall champion Allan Petersen, from Copenhagen, Denmark, by one point to secure his first Overall title. Rounding out this truly international field were Scott Milne from Vancouver, BC, Canada in third place, from Helsinki, Finland, Justin Sexton in fourth place, and taking fifth place Chard Cook out of Vancouver, BC, Canada.

After taking 1996 off, Tricia George came back as strong as ever to recapture the women's Overall title for the seventh time. Following Tricia in second place was fellow Oregonian and net and freestyle partner, 1996 Overall champion Becca English-Ross. Rounding out the top five woman competitors were Evanne Lamarche from Vancovuer, BC, Canada, Tina Lewis out of Austin, Texas, and Kelly Kelley from Addison, Texas.

A tournament happens when some key people decide to make it happen. The 1997 World Footbag Championships came to be when Kendall KIC, Director of Sole Purpose Footbag Club of Oregon, stepped in to conduct it. With the help of a long list of dedicated staff and volunteers, donating hundreds of hours, Kendall orchestrated a multiplicity of events within the whole of the nine day phenomenon. From sponsorship to catering, media relations to equipment tear-down, Kendall juggled tasks with grace... and with newborn Jasper on her hip. The footbag community is immensely grateful to have such a dynamo in their numbers. Kudos to all who had a foot in bringing us the 18th Annual Worlds!

Editor's Note:

All the results for each event at the '97 Worlds, including detailed freestyle score breakdowns, net, golf, consecutives, and club/individual overall results, can be found on your computer on Footbag WorldWide at: http://www.footbag.org/worlds97/results.