On February 22, a torrential downpour soaked Thunderbird Field. Despite the ceaseless showers pelting both the UBC and the University of Victoria’s players, they were unfazed. Yet, as the game began, what cut through the rain was not the familiar sight of a soccer ball flying through the air — instead, it was a frisbee.
That rainy day marked the 12th annual Dogwood Bowl, a rivalry game between the UVic and UBC men’s ultimate frisbee teams. Founded in 2013 by UVic players Kevin Underhill and Graeme Barber, the Dogwood Bowl marks a unique opportunity for both teams to showcase the unique sport of ultimate to a local audience — with Victoria and Vancouver alternating hosting duties.
Due to the ultimate season’s schedule, opportunities to play in BC are scarce. Instead of having home and away games, the UBC ultimate team travels across North America to participate in multi-day tournaments.
But, as UBC captain Justin Luna explains, the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd is a significant aspect of what makes the Dogwood Bowl special.
“It's awesome because you get to tell your friends who haven't seen you play ultimate since high school,” he said. “It's nice to let them know and watch what you've been doing for the past five, six years, devoting so much time and money towards [what is] — to others — a minute, small thing. But to us it means so much.”
However, Luna’s devotion to the game didn’t start until high school, after suffering a severe concussion while playing rugby. He was left feeling scared to tackle and tried out ultimate, which had less contact.
“I gave it a try and the community was really nice,” he said. “They're very welcoming.”
The sense of community that drew Luna to ultimate is one of the sports’ biggest strengths, according to UBC ultimate head coach Alex Lam. In his first year as the team’s coach, he has aimed to entrench a spirit of togetherness in his group from the start.
“A big goal for me was making sure everyone's on the same page — having a good team atmosphere, team culture,” he said. “I just really wanted to prioritize that so that everyone on the team felt supported and encouraged to improve.”
During the Dogwood Bowl, that strong team spirit was needed more than ever. With the onslaught of rain, staying resilient was key to the T-Birds’ success.
“In bad weather, it's really important to know that mistakes will happen,” said Lam. “There'll be more turnovers in general, but we have to continue to persist and not get discouraged by that.”
In the end, they did persist, drawing upon a previous experience of winning in similarly horrid conditions.
“We kept our energy really high, especially in the rain,” said Luna. “As long as you have the seven people on the field believing that they can get the point … that helps a lot.”
Powered by that energy, UBC pushed through for a win on home field, marking their third straight in the series.
The team might not get a chance to showcase their talents in BC until next year’s Dogwood Bowl in Victoria. However, when that day comes, you can expect a game played with intense amounts of passion and energy, powered by a tight-knit, inclusive community.
If you still need another reason to check out next year’s Dogwood Bowl — then Luna has a clear message for you:
“Come out and see a four-peat.”
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