Ultimate: The Accidental Sport
In the summer of 1968 — during a time of American upheaval and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr and Robert Kennedy — ultimate frisbee was taught with social justice issues of conflict resolution that reject a winner-take-all mentality. As the game expands worldwide can its ethics remain intact as a high-flying action sport on the precipice of the Olympics? Six Weeks in the Summer of '68 is the first episode in the documentary series The Accidental Sport: The Birth and Survival of Ultimate
Episodes

Six Weeks in the Summer of ‘68
From 1965 to 1968 a group of Amherst College students played a game of team frisbee known as the ancestor to ultimate. One of the players, Jared Kass, a future psychotherapist, taught the Amherst frisbee game at a nearby enrichment camp during the tumultuous summer of 1968. When the summer ended Kass joined anti-war civil disobedience protests at Amherst and never played team frisbee again. But the game he taught — imbedded with countercultural values of the times — improbably survived.

Columbia High School Presents... Ultimate!
In the fall of 1968 at Columbia High School in Maplewood, NJ then-junior Joel Silver, fresh from the summer program Kass taught, proposed on a lark that the student council and newspaper club settle a dispute "on the frisbee field." When the Kass frisbee game proved popular, Silver and friends Buzzy Hellring and Jon Hines did everything they could to promote the new frisbee game and codify the rules. It worked — but how would this new mixed-gender game continue when the founders graduated in 1970?

From NJ to LA: Diversity and the Spread of the Sport
Ultimate's missionary appeal is evident as we meet the die-hards from the early years who fight to keep the sport alive, including women pioneers excited to join a co-ed team sport that welcomed them before the passage of Title IX. The driving forces behind the game's appeal: egalitarian, fun, frivolous yet still competitive, mirror the 1970s and translate well across the country as new teams began to form across the country — and draw expressed interest from frisbee manufacturer Wham-O who seek to change the rules of the game...

Jose Cuervo and the Rebel Alliance
The 1980s brings a global adoption of ultimate and the attraction of sponsors looking for the next breakout sports hit like beach volleyball. Enter Jose Cuervo Tequila and their quest to put Cuervo-sponsored ultimate on national television to skirt the laws on liquor advertising. They change the rules, sponsor national tournaments and the great sell-out is under way... or is it?

Get a Referee or Go Home: Ultimate Solves a Problem
Ultimate's policy of resisting referees in favor of the 1960s-70s era player-controlled "Spirit of the Game" rules no longer works as cheating starts to take center stage. To preserve Spirit of the Game, stave off referees and make the game appealing again, Charles Kerr and Will Deaver create a new and unique system of refereeing that requires players to resolve disputes before a potential ruling. "The Callahan Rules" changes ultimate and provides a pioneering blueprint for other sports.

All Mixed Up: Ultimate Returns to Its Roots
In 2000, outspoken feminist and co-founder of the world’s largest coed ultimate tournament, Potlatch (now Sunbreak), Joey Gray wins nomination to run the governing body of the sport in the United States. Her vision to promote Spirit of the Game and mixed ultimate becomes the template for ultimate's recognition by the International Olympic Committee. Will this stage elevate the sport and hold it back from developing professional leagues?
About The Project
The Accidental Sport is a documentary series on the origin and survival of a new American sport, ultimate frisbee, using the uniquely folk aspects of ultimate as a prism that refracts different colors of cultural and societal appreciation of sport in American society. It’s been three years since filming began but the project has been in the works since the publication of the history book Ultimate: The First Four Decades co-authored by the creator of this project and ultimate historian, Tony Leonardo. This documentary will reveal and define many of the unknowns of ultimate — and bring them to screen for the first time.
About the Team
A project like this with a minimal budget relies on the grace of many; some paid, some working for free and some providing advice and support. Please inquire about working with us -- we’d love to have you join.
pitch deck editor
teaser editor
cinematographer, editor
assistant editor
director, cinematographer
researcher, junior producer
producer, director, researcher, sound
researcher
archive researcher
website, logo, graphic design
assistant producer
sound

Tayara Romero
pitch deck

Jacob Oliver
teaser-trailer editor

Charles Cleary
cinematographer, editor, outsider

Dan Torelli
assistant editor

Rob Featherstone
director, cinematographer

Jenna Hunt
researcher, junior producer

Tony Leonardo
producer, director, researcher, sound

Dana Lewis
researcher, photographer

Luca Serio
archive researcher

Cody Schatzle
website, logo, graphic design

Aidan Shapiro-Leighton
assistant producer

Harry Flax
sound
ADVISORS and SUPPORTERS
Jo Ardinger, Jen Barton, Kate Bergeron and Mike Gull, Mike Denardis, Remco Bikkers, Eric Eckelman, Zane Friedkin, Pete Gilchrist, Willie Herndon, Pat Leonardo, Kristin + Jason Lund, Jim McDonnell, Jeff Mee, Rosalie Miller, Peg Pearson, Matt Radecki, Dave Raflo, Tim Rockwood, Ilja Willems, Adam Zagoria.
Ilja Willems + Remco Bikkers: BureauNY.tv
Jeff Mee: IMDB
Rosalie Miller: Wanderhouse
Jo Ardinger: Personhood
Tim Rockwood: IMDB
Eric Eckelman: JEAN
Matt Radecki: IMDB
Zane Friedkin: Story Syndicate
Help The Production
The stories of the past don’t have a voice until we bring them to life.
Altruistic contributors in the ultimate community have started off this series but we will need additional funds to keep going. Meanwhile, we are happy to keep doing what we are doing at no-budget levels with in-kind contributions of time and effort whenever possible! Please consider a contribution to keep this project going.
The series is fiscally sponsored by the International Documentary Association — a 501c3 organization. Donations made to the IDA are considered tax-deductible and the IDA will reimburse the project as we meet its standards.
We are also asking that you consider a contribution to oft-overlooked voices in our community and support the Black ultimate Con10ent Series sponsored by Disc/ Diversity.
About Ultimate
Ultimate is a universal sport founded on the principles of fair play, self-guidance and robust competition. It is one of the few team sports that values equality on the field and is being considered for the Olympics as a mixed-gender sport. There are thousands of teams worldwide and numerous leagues both professional and amateur. Ultimate competes in multiple divisions including Mixed, Women’s and Men’s on grass, sand and indoors. For more information check out World Flying Disc Federation, USA Ultimate, The AUDL, the PUL, Revolution Ultimate, Ultimate Canada and local ultimate organizations in your city.
