As you read this, three local men are arriving in Lecco, Italy to represent the USA in the World Ultimate Club Championships – ultimate as in "ultimate Frisbee."

Like the World Cup in soccer, this tournament takes place every four years and is pretty much the pinnacle event for this unique and growing team sport, which is off the radar for most of us. It does not draw large crowds…yet.

And please. Do not confuse it with Frisbee golf.

Zach Eastlund of Iowa City shown here was kind enough to stop packing and fill me in this week. He's joining Dan Kreswick of Iowa City and Brian Rupert of North Liberty as part of team Surly, the top-seeded team in the Masters Division, which includes guys over age 33. Surly, sponsored by a brewery of the same name, is a Minneapolis-based club team of considerable renown, having won the national title five out of the past six years.

Eastlund is 34 and is a stonemason for Country Stonemasons of North Liberty. He picked up the sport from his brother while attending Luther College, then honed his skills later with some very top-notch Iowa City and Ames clubs.

What the heck is it? Ultimate Frisbee, now referred to as simply "ultimate," was invented by some New Jersey high school kids in 1967. It's played on a field similar in size to a football field with two opposing seven-member teams. Players cannot run with the Frisbee, but must pass it up field until it is caught by a player in the end zone to score. If intercepted, possession changes hands. It's a no-contact sport, but Eastlund points out that like basketball, there can be abundant contact and even some injury.

You gotta be in shape. "It can get rough," Eastlund tells me. "It's rough on your body. You are on the ground a lot. You are running all the time. You gotta be in shape." He says some in the sport claim a weekend tournament is like running a marathon. It's also a sport of strategy, with the Surly team working off its own 20-page playbook.

Equipment cheap, but not trips. "All you need is a Frisbee and maybe a pair of cleats to play," says Eastlund. However, even with a corporate sponsor, players end up footing most of their own costs to matches and tournaments. He says his wife Kristen will spend some time in Italy with him to make it part of a family vacation. The world tournament concludes Aug. 16. They have two young sons, Leif and Henrik, who will have to wait for a future trip.

SOTG is at the heart of ultimate. SOTG stands for "Spirit of the Game," which refers to ultimate's self-officiated nature which demands a strong spirit of sportsmanship and respect among players. Disputes are to be settled good naturedly on the field by parties involved, although Eastlund says at the high tournament levels, "observers" are now being pressed into service to make final rulings when necessary.

"You can occasionally have fights and arguments," he says, "but sportsmanship is still at the root of this game. We all try to keep that in mind, but sometimes on the field in a big tournament game – well, things can get a bit…intense."

For more information: Visit the official tournament site.

Watch video highlights of ultimate Frisbee:

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