Crazy November!

7:34 AM All About U 0 Comments

And I thought October was crazy. 

But, if you get a once in a lifetime chance to photograph some of the best teams and players around the world, hangout with them, convince them to eat Balut and Durian, party with them in Boracay AND become good friends with them in the end, then I must say, November is C R A Z I E R. 

The four city tour with Tyler Kinley of Seattle Sockeye was definitely a memorable experience - tiring, but loads of fun. We went to Iloilo, Davao, Iligan and Cagayan De Oro. Four different cities with four different results. It was awesome to see everyone getting involved and excited about the clinic. Each city had different things to offer, and I'm sure Tyler had a great time during our crazy trip. Tyler is one of the best Ultimate players in the world. A lot of people look up to him, especially players here in the Philippines. Hanging out with him for weeks and seeing him teach was definitely an amazing experience. But, it was more amazing to know Tyler better and be friends with him. He has a heart of gold; willing to share everything that he has learned from his 14-year career as an Ultimate Ambassador. Thank you, Tyler for being such a bad ass!

To Shiela, Ma'am Daisy and Sir Joie, Doi and Madman, thank you so much for your never ending hospitality. You guys are awesome! To Karen Cabrera and the PFDA Board, thank you for making this Clinic tour possible and for letting PUI be a part of this experience.

This is Team E.R.I.C.

It was such a surreal feeling photographing these great players. But, it was even more amazing seeing our very own Philippine team battle against them during the first showcase game of the weekend. Xtian, Popoy, Dada, Derek, Will, Jlo, Botchok, Chlods, Oli, Kyra and Mai-Mai to name a few, gave Team E.R.I.C. a good run during the Wednesday night's showcase game. The crowd roar like thunder the moment both teams entered the stadium. I had chills at the back of my neck. Goosebumps all over my body. Stadium lights were on. It was GO time. It was finally Bang-Bang time!

The Friday night's showcase game was also one for the books. Though there was a slight glitch and everyone had to wait for a couple of hours for the stadium lights to get fixed, the crowd waited patiently for Team E.R.I.C. and Team Club Jr.'s game to begin. The two-hour delay was all worth it as the two elite teams battled it out like TITANS. As an Ultimate photographer who lives in the Philippines, indeed, it was such a great privilege to photograph these fine athletes. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I will get a chance to witness such an amazing event. The two teams put on a great show that every single person in the stadium would truly remember for a very long time. It was epic. Big thanks and all due high respect to Aldwin Ibanez and John Laraccas of Boon Technical Clothing, Early Recognition Is Critical (E.R.I.C.), Ditch and of course to the PFDA board for Bringing Team E.R.I.C. and Team Club Jr. Japan here in our humble country. You guys are the best! Thank you so so much!

Manila Spirits 2015. 3 days. 16 fields. 74 teams. It was super CRAZY! I have to admit, it was tough to shoot Manila Spirits. So I called for some reinforcements. Thanks to my teammates, Nico, Tahor, Chlods and Lucille for backing me up during the whole weekend. I couldn't thank them enough. They were the right people to be in the PUI team. They are good people. We missed a lot of teams during the weekend (There were too many), but I know that we did our best to cover the whole event. Manila Spirits is a totally different monster compared to other tournaments that I have been to. Teams are so much stronger and competitive. More international teams participated this year and a lot of action to capture on and off the field; Definitely more people to shoot.

The Mighty Team E.R.I.C. and AUDL players were drafted to different local teams not so much as to give teams an upgrade but more as to offer this once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from the best. Beau, Opi and Natasha played with the Boracay Dragons. Jimmy, Matt and Claire went to Team Alpha. Jesse Shoffner, Alika and Stanley Peterson played for Boracay Ultimate. Kelly, Jonathan Nethercutt and Timmy played with Sid Vicious, while Lisa Pitcaithley and Dylan Freechild played with Team Extreme. Club Jr. Japan on the other hand played as a solid team. Japan killed it all the way to the Quarters, Semis and Finals. Everyone was in so much awe, watching how this team play the game we all love. It was simple yet so effective. Nothing fancy, just very efficient Ultimate. I have never seen anything like it. It was amazing. Club Jr. Japan was just too much for Team Mixed Nuts to handle in the end. But, we have to give it to Derek Ramsay, Will Steedman, Jason Lopez, Cat Phillips, Cupcake and the rest of Team Mixed Nuts. They sure did put on a great show the whole weekend also beating Sunken Pleasure in universe point during the Semis.

After the two-week tour all over Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, I am back here in this beautiful island of Boracay, for some R&R with Karen and Buboy, Team E.R.I.C., Team Some Diggity, and the Ditch Crew. It was also nice to see some familiar faces like Akira, Goose (DOUBLE ZEEEROOO!!) and Barrs Lang. Always a good time hanging out with you all.

This Crazy November is definitely one for the Ultimate history books. The best part of this whole experience? It's knowing that players like Beau, Opi, Jimmy, Tyler and Kelly are just ordinary people like the rest of us. They make mistakes, they get hurt, and they also try to have a great time... Just like the rest of us. They may be role models and great ambassadors of the Ultimate sport but they are also good friends. Thank you for this wonderful experience you all.  

Lastly, I would like to thank Boon Technical Clothing, E.R.I.C. and PFDA board for making all of this possible. I am forever grateful to each and everyone of you! Thank you to my PUI crew. You guys are awesome! Thank you Double Happiness for making us look good the whole weekend! And special thanks to Karen, Buboy, Chlods, Peng and Dindi for believing in me. This is definitely a crazy November for all of us, but we are not done yet! 

Oh, and by the way, I didn't get sick this time, thank you Ultimate gods!

Until then... More images to share. More stories to tell. It's All About U

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