Manila Spirits 2016: SPIN CITY!
It was one heck of a weekend in Spin City where everyone from around the world went for huge bids all weekend long and where a very familiar power team went home as victors with the right to call themselves as Champions of the recently concluded Manila Spirits 2016.
Fifty-eight teams from all around the globe traveled to Manila to take part in this year's Las Vegas themed Spirits. As a Vegas resident for seven years, I was definitely excited to witness what the organizers had prepared for us. Will there be any street performers around just like in the Las Vegas Strip? Will there be beautiful showgirls who will entertain the guests just like the ones in Fremont? Will there be any poker tables on the playing fields and party venues? Is it true that Elvis is still alive?! But one thing's for sure though, I was one hundred percent confident that we will have great Ultimate battles on the fields of Alabang Country Club the whole weekend. The AAU team arrived just in time to witness all fifty-eight teams do what they do best... Play great Ultimate.
The weather was great at Alabang Country Club last weekend. We had a few rain showers on the second day but weather was perfect with a little extra heat on the third day of the tournament. As expected, with so many teams on one large piece of land, we were able to capture amazing highlights but somewhere I'm sure we have missed a lot of other fantastic plays all weekend. That goes to show that teams are stacked with great talents who came in prepared this year. With some of the highlights undocumented by us media folks, we sure hope that you have it all saved in your memories (and muscle memory) and please do share them to all of us when we see each other again next year.
On the second day of the tournament, I was still looking for that Las Vegas theme on the playing fields, and I haven't seen anything; any sign that I can call it, Las Vegas. But when the day turned into night and the players took off their jerseys and cleats, the Casa Real was filled with their costumes and we drank the night away. Also with DJ Tutay in control of the music, I truly felt that Las Vegas had finally come to life. We had street performers, Vegas cops, Showgirls, even the Mafias were there, you name it! Even if we didn't see any poker tables, roulettes and slot machines, we still got to witness some great Vegas action on the dance floor (and staircases) the moment the clock struck 12 midnight. It was hot and steamy. Just ask those lucky species who were sober enough to remember.
Photos? No photos during the Casa Real party. We decided to stick with the Las Vegas theme. So just like Vegas, What happens in Spirits... Stays in Spirits.
Roswell, NV is just a few miles away from Las Vegas, and just like Roswell where allegedly the first place ever to have a UFO sighting documented, we also witnessed some Unidentified Flying Players on the third day of Spirits. There were a lot of "out of this world" games all throughout Day 3, but the finals game between Black Flag and Mixed Nuts was totally Phenomenal - the main UFO sightings event in this year's Manila Spirits. The finals was truly an out of this world, action-packed game with fantastic play-making and highlights from foreign and local players of both teams. It was definitely a treat photographing these two teams the whole weekend.
In the end, Black Flag took home the W.
Congratulations Black Flag for winning the Power Pool division and Team Love Parade for winning the recreational pool. Much respect and congratulations to the individual players as well. But most of all, big kudos to the PFDA board Ping, Karen, Jo and Maynard for the successful Manila Spirits this year. It was truly one of the most unforgettable tournaments that I have covered this 2016. See you all next year!
Until then More images to share, More stories to tell... It's All About U!
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