Paganello 2013 [EN]

Krátký report z Paganella 2013 sice najdete ve článku s výsledky turnaje, ale nechtěli jsme vás ochudit o shrnutí turnaje od legendárního Toma Leitnera, který se trochu rozpovídal o historii, kterou pomáhal tvořit. Text je sice v angličtině, ale určitě stojí za to...

Ciao Jammers!

It's been 10 years since the 2003 Nike Spring-Summer Freestyle Ad Campaign, 10 years since the 1st FPA Worlds in Europe.

I remember watching young European jammers playing their hearts out year after year at Paganello but not being able to challenge the American players for the title.

How have times changed. 

European players have not only grown in number but they've improved their playing level matching and often surpassing the once dominant Americans.  

Tracing the rankings back 10 years ago there were 19 Americans, 1 Puerto Rican in the top 20 in 2003.

Now, the top 20 is made up of 10 Americans and 10 Europeans (6 Italians and 2 Germans, 1 Hungarian and 1 Swede)

This year for the 4th year in a row an all-European team won the Paga pairs, and for the 3rd time in the past 4 years a European team has won co-op....also, this year Emma became the 1st non-European to win the mixed division (with her Italian partner Marco Prati).

Additionally, the past 2 FPA Worlds pairs titles have been won by European teams with the previous 3 being won by teams with a European player as well - before that no European player had ever won an FPA pairs title.

But the sentiment among Americans is not of defeat but of victory - having finally spread the jam to a new continent helping build a truly international freestyle disc community.

...on to this year's Paganello (in Wonderland) review:

Though there were fewer teams this year (14 pairs) than usual, the quality remained super high. Most of the best players from Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic and Hungary were here with many debuting their FPA worlds routines. 

In Friday's pairs quarterfinals Rimini locals and current world champs Clay and Andrea took 1st in pool A, followed by me and Manuel and then Pavel and Flo, Eleonora and Domy squeezed into the semis taking 5th.

The "hot" pool was pool B where the top 3 teams all hit big time...in 3rd were 2 time defending Paga champs Claudio and Marco who completely shredded for most of their round but had some errors at the end, in 2nd with a very strong round was Balu and Cristian but nobody could match the electrifying performance of Reto and Joakim who had the routine of the day with the very appreciative crowd erupting time and again as they hit so many huge combos.  Taking 4th with a very solid round were Jens and Robert with Fabio N and Serge M surviving to take 5th and advancing to the semis...

The finals were epic, one of the highest level ever at Paga...

5 pairs and 3 co-op routines could have all been winning routines, and 3 mixed as well...big props to Balu and Christian for having the routine of the day 2 days in a row and to both for being the first from their respective counties to win a Paga open title.

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Here are some of my personal Paga '13 highlights:

Baby paga: newly born Tommy (Manuel and Laura), Xavier (Serge M and Alessandra) and Lui (Flo and Judith) were all in the house :-)

Domy taking down local favorite Clay in the Superpro semi as a dozen local teen girls were screaming for 'Domy-nator'

Flash mob style dancing throw-down in the middle of the fish market in downtown Rimini Friday night!  The freestylers won the Friday night party!

Andrea Dini and Clay's final 2 disc co-op during the pairs semi - oh my gyad!

The super-LOUD standing room only crowd for the finals!  wow!!!!

Cristian and Nadine's very entertaining Bat-Man routine

The return of Flo and Judith to competition with a spine tingling performance

Emma's awesome gitis in the mixed final!

Balu and Cristian absolutely crushing their routine in the finals (and semis!)

Cega, Claudio and Manuel's final co-op in the the co-op final - huge gi-toss to huge gi-toss to huge flying scarecrow!

Pavel, Balu and I finally hitting our routine and tying Clay, Reto and Joakim for 1st (Clay's team won the tie breaker)

Big freestyle representation in costume on the dance floor at the "wonderland" Sunday night party featuring the Karlsruhe magic mushrooms and a mo-hawked Balu-rina!

Cega beating Reto in a very close and exhausting 4-3 Superpro final.

John Titcomb winning the spirit of the jam :-)

Lui stealing the disc from the after finals jam - forcing the players to stop jamming and start dancing to the live Southern Rock band (for a little while at least ;-)  )

Monday Jam: Sun!  Steady wind! Full day of shredding with so many great players - including Matteo Gaddoni!

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With the help of great tournaments like Paganello, EFC, Frisbeer Cup and many, many others the spark that Nike lit 10 years ago has grown into a sustained fire - which really 'fires' me up!

Congrats to all the winners and competitors at Paga '13!   

Thanks again to the Lui and her tireless staff for making it happen...one more time :-)

   Z ya in Santa Cruz!!!!

   - Tom