Preying
Manti Travel to Versailles for Tournament
We
looked out the window to long stretches of concrete and orange cones.
We counted rest stops and gloried in cornfields and cowsheds. We
peed into frozen toilet seats, read multi-colored graffiti off pocked
walls and just once attempted to break into a flavored condom vending
machine, but the dispenser was padlocked and rusted shut. We were
in Versailles (ver-SAY-uhlz), Ohio drinking 70-cent coffees and
chit-chatting with waitresses our age and friendly.
For us, the Preying Manti, Oberlins womens ultimate
frisbee team, the morning had started cold and gray, but as we passed
strip malls and small towns, the sun began to shine. And the American
flags got bigger. Ranging from computer print-outs taped in windows
and bigger flags waving over front yards, to finally, a 20 foot
high triumph of Christmas lights, the stars and stripes were flying.
Even a few cars were sporting red, white and blue.
The day began with a real country breakfast. After having asked
a guy at the gas station where we could eat (Eat? he
asked with a doubtful look), we found the place. Straight out of
the 50s with a swivel stool counter, booth seats and
brown vinyl on all the chairs. Our waitress, nice and even keen
to the in-town frisbee tournament was our first taste of pre-game
luck. You need something to eat if youre going to be
out there throwing discs all day, she told my vegan teammate,
giving her a doughnut on the house.
As we left, three elderly men came in, talking eagerly about surgical
encounters. Even the waiters at the restaurant knew everyones
name.
The tournament did not share that cozy charm. People had come from
all over Ohio to play frisbee. And that was what we did, for five
straight hours. Never mind that we won a game through forfeit and
the wind was sending every throw off its course it was sunny
and we appreciated a reprieve from the Oberlin rain. By the time
we left, beer happy and sore muscled, we had met a few people, sung
a few songs and most of all, experienced Ohio country.
Throughout the day we split frisbee-playing with other activities
such as song-writing and skit-production. We did a side-splitting
rendition of a pizzeria making a pizza (using the team as ingredients),
and rewrote the newest Sugar Ray song All the crazy throws
and hucks, All the times that I said fuck, All the times that I
got stuck, Its gone in the end-zone. Its frisbee
tradition to do a little performance for the other teams after the
games, but not all the other clubs followed Oberlins lead.
Our energetic style won hands-down.
Another thing we definitely excel at is uniforms. No frisbee skirt
has ever shimmered more in the mid-day sun than ours did, you could
even see them reflected on the grass. And a dozen times that day
confused opposition could be heard saying, Ive got the
one in the red skirt. Theyre all wearing red skirts!
Which wasnt even true, we also had lime green and silver represented
in the lineup.
With only three subs all day, by the end of the fourth game we were
ready to go home. Some of us had gotten up as early as four that
morning, and all we wanted was a stop at Taco Bell and sleep.
On the way home we were like horses going back to the stables
pedal to the metal the entire way. We never went under 70 unless
it was to slow to a roll so someone could pee out the window. We
made it in a record time of a little over two and a half hours,
and went our separate ways. Even though we had been away for less
than a day, everyone was happy to be back at Oberlin. The only exception
was our captain, who stayed at the tournament the second day to
watch.
The frisbee-players dedication is awe-inspiring. To see them
run around on the field, you would think there was a million dollars
on the outcome. But frisbee isnt about money, its about
love of the game.
First-year
Jessy Bradish is a member of the womens frisbee team.
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