Saltimate Cuatro
Simple with a lot of passion.
That’s how I describe the 4th edition of Saltimate in the city of Maasin, Southern Leyte. 16 teams participated this year. 2 teams came from Cebu City and 14 teams from all over Leyte. It only shows that Leyte Ultimate is getting bigger, and not just in numbers, but also the number of players that really has the potential to compete at a higher level. It was so exciting to see players improved through the years, but what really made me excited about Saltimate Cuatro was to be with friends on this side of the country whom you can only see and enjoy each other’s company once a year. It was a different pace from the other tournaments that I covered this year, but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t there to compete. Oh yeah, they were there to win it all.
Just like last year, Saltimate was under the pouring rain. After a good night sleep, I was greeted by wet fields and a wee bit of drizzle that turns into a shower in the middle of the day. It’s always tough to shoot under the rain. You were searching for the better shot while trying to protect your gear not to get wet. I covered my camera with my trustee black garbage bags. The camera is safe, the tough part is working with your gear that is covered with plastic. There’s a bit of a challenge to twist and turn the lenses, even looking at the viewfinder is tough. You have to wipe it off with your fingers every time to have a clearer view. But hey, the show must go on. It’s rain or shine in Saltimate. The action continues.
The Greatest. Of. All. Time.
Or shall I say, the “GOAT’s” are back, ladies and gentlemen! I have to admit, I was so annoyed with them goats last year. In fact, during my talk in Manila, I said, "When you are trying to look for your shot, you have to make sure that you have a clean background. No garbage bins, no portable toilets, no goats or cows snacking on some grass." I was hoping that they were not there this year. But I guess there's nothing I could do about it, really. It’s the goats home turf. They were there since they were kids, and we were just there to share the fields with them for two days. After a few hours of shooting on the sidelines with these “horny” animals doing their own thing and minding their own business, I learned to like them in a way that its okay to put them in frame with the players. They witness a lot of great plays and highlights all throughout the weekend. They became part of the tournament. They’re probably the reason why there’s a local team in Maasin that’s called The Maasin New Horns.
Respect the GOAT’s.
I’ve seen a lot of players that stepped up a notch when it comes to their game during the Maasin weekend, and it was quite nice to witness their improvements from the time that I saw them a couple of years ago. SGD Grasshoppers of Sogod Southern Leyte, on the other hand, was the team that improved the most in my opinion. They were faster. Stronger and smarter on the field. You can see their passion for the game through their cuts and passes. I am hoping that they will continue to improve in the coming years, and hopefully, the other teams will follow suit. Leyte has a lot of talented young players. They just need to be exposed some more.
The games went on full throttle on the second day just like the sun shines so bright. It was a beautiful day for ultimate and some teams took advantage of it. Host team Maasin Pirates started strong but the Airbenders of Tacloban prevented them from advancing to the next round, giving Airbenders the chance to play against Team Uncle Pipe in the finals who dominated the tournament with a zero loss record.
I was expecting a close championship game between Airbenders who were composed of some of the seasoned players of top Tacloban team, DBN and Cebu’s Uncle Pipe who were basically composed of players from Fasa Fuego with add on’s from Tacloban and Bohol. The game was intense from the start, but the Cebuanos are just too tough in the end. With players like Gawix, Wilson, Gaius, and Donna spearheading the Uncle Pipe attack, and The two Russel’s controlling and dominating the end zones, that team was on a different level. They continued their winning streak and won the tournament with a clean slate record.
Team Uncle Pipe is the Saltimate Cuatro Pool A champions.
I always had a wonderful time in Maasin, Leyte. Very hospitable community. From picking me up from Hilongos Pier to Maasin and back; to food trips and all. They will do everything they can to make your stay comfortable in a very simple way. No bells and whistles. Just pure fun and relaxing kind of way. I always like it when that happens. Thank you so much, Saltimate Cuatro. Most especially to Arlene, Jayke and Japhet. And of course, to the founders and originators of Maasin Ultimate, thank you for your hard work and support to this community for the past 10 years. It will get bigger and better.
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