All Star Thursday

Hello to all,

There is always a greater sense of urgency in the Jammin’ as we enter the home stretch of the All*Star Thursday season. The days are noticeably shorter and folks know that the all too soon, the cold dank misery of winter will be upon us. Can you tell I’m a summertime kind of guy?

The Meadow was closed, but we lucked into another window of opportunity when the rains let up in the afternoon. As I walked towards the Bandshell, our bad weather/off season home away from home, I saw Young James, Roger, and Bill Doobs lighting it up. Mr. Dubilier was in the original conversation that led to the creation of All*Star Thursdays, and he is always a welcome sight when he comes in from upstate. Sir Arthur of Coddington was scheduled to join us, so that’s two Guest Jammers in the fold for the day. Barak and Emily were on hand, along with Robbie-Rob, the Ageless Trevor Brown, Quinn-O, The Oracle, JB, Chuck, Andre the Apprentice, Young Daniel, Kevin, Doug E. Fresh, Bradford T., and Emma who brought out The Gamboa. S’Nice!

Every player has traits that define their (Free)style. For Bill Doobs it’s fast hands. He has some moves that seem impossible. Then there’s a blur of movement and the disc is set up perfectly for the seal. He also has excellent throws, so Jams with him Flow like water. James was matching his pace with a very Bad Attitude, while Roger set the tone for the day with great passing, and seal after sizzling seal. Meanwhile Fresh and Mr. President set up shop the far side of the Bandshell courtyard, making the most difficult moves look easy. When Barak lost a nail, Rob jumped in and that threesome was awesome.

I was Jammin’ with Emma and Daniel and wondering where our Guest Jammer might be, when he came stealthily in from the South, with a sly smile on his face. This was the first time that Arthur gave us any advance notice for one of his visits and he was ready to Jam as soon as he put down his bags. Emma and James snatched him up, and away they went. ShredNow is both a command and an accurate descriptor for Mr. Coddington. You can see it when he sights the disc and rips off a triple spinning Scarecrow as if it were a ‘The’, and in the way he covers ground. He was always putting himself in position to make the next play. Later, when James went off to Jam with Rob, Barak subbed in and this was a Jam to behold. There were many spins, brushes, guides, and very fancy seals everywhere. Emma continued her fine play, as Barak and Arthur kept pushing the envelope. Gotta love it!

The Jams continued too fast and too furious for words. I got time with Quinn-O and Dan, while Kevin and Bill Doobs did their thing. Bradford T. Barak, and Sir ShredNow went at it while Rob and James paired off as well.

Joey, Roger, and Fresh did some serious work. Young Daniel subbed in for Fresh after he got some solo time with Arthur. This final Jam eked out Jam of the Day because Roger just kept crushing. Fresh and Joey of course played at their ‘A.B. Someone’ level, and Daniel has transformed himself into a tremendous Flowmeister, but Roger was on fire. I was invited by Emma to be a part of the committee of between 2 and 69 to decide who would be honored with The Gamboa. Roger made his bid early and just kept making plays. As the evening was settling in, he and Joey went mano a mano, with The Oracle pulling some magic out of his hat. But each time he upped the ante, The Reliable matched and raised the bid. Ultimately, the choice was clear. Emma bestowed The Gamboa upon The Roginator, and he finished his Jam by delaying the disc on the trophy itself, and sealing the deal with flair.

It is actually (All*Star) Thursday morning as I write this edition of the Chronicle and I am very excited. Anton, Sleepy Jammer, Stefan, and Bol are here already, Vic and Richie Regs arrived yesterday and joined our German brethren for a Long Beach Jam. There are many more Jammers converging on NYC for the A*TGJI House of Hein and then Jam Camp this weekend. Hope to Z you later!!!

Peace Out, Yo!

TP-TJH

Emma Kahle is Yella

Arthur Coddington back in NYC

Hello to all,

September 1^st snuck up on the Tribe after Mother Nature hit us with record high temperatures in July, to go with record high rains, an earthquake, and a Hurricane in August.  We did not have the locusts or frogs that were forecast in some quarters.  It is amazing how fast the summer goes by.

I could see Roger and Barak tearing it up all the way from the big tree in the Northwest corner as I walked into the Meadow.  The Reliable One snapped off a backhand and Mr. President converted those Z’s into a wild combination.  He started with somersaulting groundwork, maintaining complete control of the delay, got up, gave the disc a Zing to change the angle, brushed it once for good luck, and then just crushed a big air, double spinning Gitis.  When I got to the folks gathered by the Manhole expressing my amazement, both Robbie-Rob and Young James (newly returned from Texas and much of Europe) said “You should’ve seen what Roger just did!” describing a combination that started with and Osis backroll and finished with an Osis behind-the-back catch.  S’Nice!

New England’s own Alan Caplin was on hand as a Guest Jammer once again.  The Ageless Trevor Brown, The First Lady, Young Daniel, Doug E. Fresh, Quinn-O, Jill, BenJAMin n’ Claire, Kevin, Mojito Jay, Tony, Ben Heaver, Jestin Heaver, Ivan-TJH, Andre the Apprentice, Bradford T., TedShred n’ TLC, and Chuck were all out as well.  It was a day where folks moved from Jam to Jam to Jam, getting a tasted of all of the various players.  I started out by Heaving with Jestin and Ben for a while to loosen up before coming in to observe and Jam.

Rob and Mr. E Fresh were up and at ‘em, working the squirrelly breeze to perfection.  This caught James’ eye, so he dove in to get his groove back.  He was shredding away happily, when Sir Bradford wondered aloud to the Board about who should receive the dreaded Yella Jersey that he had in his possession?  Last week’s Rand-O-Man Jams brought out the entire Tribe…except for a certain Columbia student who made the excuse that he was still in Texas at the time.  The discussion was brief.  Young James protested vehemently, but to no avail, and he donned the Cowardly Coverlet.  This was followed by a pretty significant amount of whining about not being able to Jam in “that thing” and the unfairness of it all.  We all felt really, really bad for him.  Really bad.  Really.  Tee Hee…

In looking at my notes, it appears that Barak was the chief Free Agent of Freestyle, moving around like a sommelier of Jam.  Roger and Barak got back up together, and were later joined by Alan C.  Barak also got in with Ivan solo, and with Joey and Roger yet again before exiting with the very patient Emily.  Fresh, Quinn-O, and Joey did their thing for a time, while Ivan, Alan, and James displayed big time Hein behavior.  I spotted Daniel and Andre off in the distance and was happy to hop into that one.  Daniel has been a serious (J)ambassador, always taking the time to teach newcomers, and Andre has been a beneficiary of his generosity.  The latter has great instincts and it was easy to feel his excitement from the first moment I entered the fray.  He’s got solid throws, and while he is primarily Clock, he is learning both spins.  Inspired by our EuroJammer brethren, we are thrilled to have Generation Next Jammers here in NYC.  Other Jams included Brad, Joey, Dan, and Roger; Ivan, Trevor, and Kevin; Quinn-O, Lou, and Ted; Ted and Fresh, which I slipped into for my own final Jam, and a few more that I didn’t write down.  A great time was had by all.

As I rode my trusty steed away from the park that evening, I thought about just how lucky the Hard Corps of the Big Apple has been this season.  We’ve had a visit from Paul and Cheryl Kenney, multiple appearances by Gary Auerbach, and had Flash Flood show for consecutive Thursdays.  The All*Star Thursday Guest Jammer Initiative started by welcoming home Richie Regs, continued with Randy Silvey, and we have Anton Capellman as our next A*TGJI invitee in a couple of weeks.  He is bringing three other companions from Germany.  Not only that, but Jammers from around the country who are converging on the area for Jersey Jam Camp http://veebros.com/jersey-jam-camp.html will be in attendance.  Oh, and this week we have Sir Arthur of Coddington, he of ShredNow fame coming in for some o’ dat Noo Yawk Juju.  All that, and so many not mentioned here, have made it all very special.  We hope that YOU will join us too!

Until then…

TP-TJH

James Wiseman is Yella

The Hard Corps of the Big Apple extends our hearty congratulations to all of the winners, competitors, Sideline Jammers, and especially the organizers, of the FPA World Championships in Prague. The stills and videos posted made us feel a part of an incredibly wonderful extended family. The rebirth of our sport in Europe has energized us all, so please keep Spreading the Jam!

The weather forecast was kind of bleak for NYC. While the sun was shining, there was a severe thunderstorm warning in effect until 9pm as I wandered onto a virtually deserted Sheep’s Meadow. There was a solitary figure lazily brushing a disc. Do my eyes deceive me…could that be Flash, again? Sure enough, Mr. Flood had come back for more, which was great news for us all. Joey, Susan, JB, Roger (back from Praha), Fresh, Jill, BenJAMin and Claire, The Ageless Trevor Brown, Kevin, Mojito Jay, Jimmy D. and Ann Marie, Ivan-TJH, Ben Heaver, TedShred and TLC, Quinn-O with his whole family in tow(?!), and Chuck were all out to join the fun.

It is highly unusual for Jam of the Day honors to be bestowed on the very first folks to dive in the deep end, but on this afternoon, there was no question in my mind. Flash and The Oracle got up while most folks were still getting nailed up. As Fresh phrased it so eloquently when Roger posted our group picture on FB: “That Jam was Butter.” This was actually the first time they ever Jammed together, though you would never have know it from the high level of disc dexterity displayed right from the start. Plenty of Flow with an extraordinary array of high difficulty moves on both parts. As previously mentined, Flash is ambiDISCerous throwing, and Joey has that ‘insta-throw’ thing completely down, so the disc was in constant motion. UD, vertical, standard, both spins, rolls, brushes, deflections, Laerbs kicks, Phlash Phlauds, matching roll combinations, everything you could think of was in there. Great stuff. And that was just the opening Jam!

Next up was Fresh and Roger, who looked quite relaxed after his trip(s). I snatched up Ivan for some Jammin’/Heavin’, ‘cause that’s the way (uh huh, uh huh) I like it. Ben Heaver, with his unparalleled overhand, jumped into the fray with us, so it was really on. I was able to keep one eye on the Jams since we were throwing at distance. I saw that when Flash took a break, Joey shifted over to join the Fresh Roger combination. Sir Tedley enticed Flash back into action almost immediately, and then Quinn-O slid in seamlessly once they got a rhythm. Both of those Jams looked great. In fact, after I had broke a good sweat, I noticed Flash sauntering over to TLC for a beverage and conversation. This opened up the door for me.

For the last couple of years, the combination of TedShred and Quinn-O has brought out the best in me. I don’t even bother to try quantifying why it works, it just does. We always Flow right from the start, and today we were in perfect sync. We hit an O’Malachy right off the bat, and never looked back. Quinn’s Southpaw Mac-throws went for strikes, while Teddy was just ablaze. At one point TO hit back to back Phlaud seals, one lefty, and one righty, after wild flow-filled combinations. That was worth “One Dollah”, and then “a Buck Fifty” to be sure.

Right around this time is when we heard thunder in the distance. No big deal…until we saw the lightning cracking across the sky over Central Park South. Those thunderheads were massive, threatening to scatter our gathering to the wind. Except, we don’t need no stinkin’ conditions to have fun, we just kept it going. Trevor, Kevin, and Ivan got up and at ‘em, and The Oracle said “I’m comin’ down” joining me, TO and Quinn-O. These jams were all kinds of fun, especially as the lightning bolts kept arcing across the sky to the south and east, but the rain stayed in Brooklyn and Queens. Jimmy D. and the Reliable One paired off and were having a blast. At one point while Chuck, our Ace videographer and King of Speed Flow, was about to move on from their Jam, when Jim said “Wait a minute. Watch This…” They then went for and hit back-to-back Gitis on cue.

Folks kept things moving as the sun dipped below the buidings of Central Park West. There was one massive Mob-Op when Trevor and Ivan hopped into our 4-man, then I slid over to get a bit of Roger and Fresh, who snuck in their last licks. Overall, it was really a great way to prep for… prep for…

Prep for SIR RANDETH OF SILVEY, our next All*Star Thursday Guest Jammer Initiative Invitee! If you are within a 500 mile radius of the Manhole on August 25th, you better make your way to NYC, ‘cuz it’s gonna be ON like Donkey Kong!!!!

Peace Out, Yo!

TP-TJH

AST_8-11

The All Star Thursday Chronicles: A Looooong Time Coming Edition

As Jammers from across the globe were gathering in Prague for the FPA World Championship, The Tribe gathered to pay homage to all the participants in the best way we could think of—by Jammin’ ‘til da’ Jam is True!

Barak and Emily were again the first on the scene, with Ivan, Joey, Forever Trevor, and Ralph arriving in rapid succession. The something kind of funny happened. A guy with short dark hair and flecks of gray (distinguished looking, of course) walks up to Trevor, and introduces himself. Says his name is Allan and he’s a Jammer. I’m about 15 feet away so I can’t hear much more, but he did look somewhat familiar. “Excuse me, did you say Alan? Might that be Allen Flood?” He said “Yeah….” My three functional neurons ignited “You used to play with Ted–they used to call you Flash, right?” He demurred saying “Well the only one who calls me that is Ted…” I said “That’s BS, folks ‘round here know exactly who you are. Man, we have been waiting seven years for you to come out for and All*Star Thursday. WELCOME!” Flash and Ted played together for years, notably for me, in tournament in ‘87 on Frisbee Hill where they and the Velasquez Brothers just blew my mind, doing things with plastic that were beyond my comprehension at the time. Yes, this was gonna a very good day indeed.

Bradford T. (the host of said tournament) came out, as did Quinn-O, Jimmy D. and Ann Marie, Kevin, our Padwan Learners Andre and Kevin, and of course, TedShred and TLC. TO is one of the post positive people I have ever met, but to see the genuine joy on his face when he saw Flash out on our Green Beach for an A*T was really wonderful. Even better was watching these two old buddies getting up to Jam. They started with some Speed Flow (quick catches), nothing spectacular. Just getting a rhythm. As time moved on they got hotter and hotter, working together as only old partners can. Later Mr. Shred described the following sequence to TLC, which I’d like to share: “Flash did a right handed swoop, around the back into left hand indigenous under right leg” and he followed with a series of three chest rolls, cuffing to turnover disc between each roll. I don’t think anyone else has ever hit it. Don’t try this at home…actually, I dare you.” He went on to say Flash has more flow and “consectivity” than just about any of the best players out there. Oh, and he can do every throw with either hand. Welcome back, Flash!

Meanwhile, Joey and Barak were going at it solo, which is a nice combination. The contrast in their styles is interesting. Barak is all-clock, all the time, dictating what the disc will do. The Oracle takes in whatever is thrown his way, subtly influencing the movement of the Frisbee through, brushes, tips, rolls, and deflections until magic happens. Both are somehow just right. Anyway, when Flash took a break, Sir Tedley join that Jam, Brad and Kevin, Quinn-O and Jimbo got together, while I got into it with Ivan and Trevor. Trevor cracked me up when he noted “Hey, this is an all African American Jam!” This is fairly rare, so Ivan made sure to nail a spinning Gitis, while TATB shredded approvingly. Pretty sure that our Padwans Learners got some Kevin or Bradford T. in there somewhere too. As the evening waned, TedShred and Quinn-O joined us for the Last Jam Standing, before retiring for a tasty beverage.

I had the pleasure a walking off the field with Teddy and he was still glowing as he said “I can’t believe we finally got him out here” speaking of Flash. This really is the essence of what All*Star Thursdays are all about—having chance to get together and have fun with our friends. Which begs the question…you know which one. When are YOU comin’ down?

All Star Thursday Chronicles: August 4, 2011

Hail and well met to all the Plastic Peeps around the world.

Before anything else, the Tribe asks for thoughts and prayers be sent out to Fearless Lou who was called away because of major illnesses in his family.  Thinking about you, my Brother.

The Meadow seemed a bit emptier because Lou, and some of our crew, had hit the road. Roger went on a pre-vacation vacation to someplace with a (round ball) golf course, while Robbie-Rob and Young Daniel headed over the pond to participate in a certain Freestyle gathering in Prague.

Mr. President and the First Lady were on the scene, light tossing some heavy (175g) plastic when I arrived.  JB, Guitar Sean, Ivan-TJH, Ralphy-Boy, The Ageless Trevor Brown, Quinn-O, Kevin, TedShred and TLC, Jimmy D. and his daughter Anna Maria, Kevin, Chris K., as well as our Padwan Learners Kevin and Andre were out.   Gary A. made yet another Guest Jammer turn, making himself Yella-gible  (two consecutive A*T appearances), a rarity for an out-of-towner.  Joey played the role of The Central Scrutinizer, since he was on the DL with a tweaked ankle.

Ivan and I starting things by slingin’ the 175, which is always a great way to warm up.  One of our forebears (Skippy Jammer?) once said “When a ball dreams, it dreams of flying like a Frisbee.”  This type of flight is the main reason I love this stuff.  Playing with Ivan means that I get plenty of Counter Zzz’s from his mighty lefty backhand, and we are both able to Jam at 60+ yards.  Once we got loose and broke a sweat, it was time for some in-close disc manipulation.   We made our way back to the Manhole (the Center of the Multi-verse) in time to see Gary, TedShred, and Mr. E. Fresh goin’ at it.  I thought this could be special and asked Joey how it was going so far.  He thought things were still a bit uneven, but as we started watching they hit a 6-pass O’Malachy and started on a  roll.

After asking Joey to keeping an eye on the doings, it was time to jump up and get my schmoove on with Barak and Ivan.  The former can do any move he can think of, and the latter is incredibly well coordinated.  Anyone that can do that wild Freeline stuff (add link) is pretty special.  Barak hit a Gitis pull, to insane combo, to double spinning Gitosis seal, which Ivan answered with his own levitation Gitis and his signature spinning behind the head catch that I have dubbed the “Crazy Ivan”, based on the old Tom Clancy submariner tales.  S’Nice!

When we broke for hydration, I immediately asked Joey for an update on that special trio.  He said “Oh man, they went to Eleven–in fact, you can say that they got to an ‘Esoteric Level!’”  Thus spaketh The Oracle.  Guess that means pretty darn good.  Quinn-O, Jim, and Chris went Old School Stylee for a while, with a mess of fine flow.  Later I got solo Jim, and finished the evening with Ted and Ivan.  All in all it was another excellent day in the neighborhood.

All the Best to All Y’all,

TP-TJH

All Star Thursday Chronicles: July 28th, 2011

Hey, Hey, Hey…

The summer is moving way too fast for my tastes. Its already August and the days are getting just a bit shorter. That means we have to Jam better/harder/faster for the rest of the 2011 A*T season.

The temperature was high, but the humidity was reasonable as I strolled across the Meadow. Mr. President and the First Lady were already light-tossing the disc, while Ralphy-Boy and Chris Heaver were flingin’ that thing with abandon. I was feeling a bit queasy for reasons unknown, but heck if I was gonna be Yella because of a belly ache. Next to arrive was Fearless Lou, followed in short order by Bradford T. Young Daniel, The Ageless Trevor Brown, Capt. Mike Bohn, Ben Heaver, JB, Jestin Heaver, Chuck, Mojito Jay, Robbie-Rob, Roger, Kevin, TedShred and TLC, and our newest Padwan Learners Andre and Kevin all came out for some fun.

Barak went out to throw long with Chris and Ralph while I nailed up. Jestin wandered in, subbing for Ralph, who got me up after he hydrated. As always, we locked in quickly and had a nice flow. By the time I was ready to Jam, Barak, Fearless Lou and Young Daniel were already having at it. Roger and Robbie Rob went for a duo while Forever Trevor and Bradford T. did the same. The Jams were typically solid, though my recollection for the day is a bit ephemeral. Not sure why but I was really lightheaded and kind of out of it. During one of my frequent breaks, TLC bestowed a specially made All*Star Thursday shirt upon Robbie-Rob. He had made it plain that he was sick and tired of all of the L and XL shirts, so Chrissy made sure he would have one to his liking. He looked adorable when he sported it, let me tell you. After this moment of levity, I slid in with Lou, Barak, and Daniel and kept playing when Lou, then Danny-Boy broke for fluids. I stopped to do the same, and then decided I would adhere to Freshian Philosophy’s Rule #23: Boot and Jam.

I felt better immediately and jumped in with TedShred and Young Daniel. We really got things going, inspiring Trevor to join the fun. That’s when things went out of control. After we completed a 6-pass O’Malachy Co-op (all brushes, rolls, taps, no delay) Trevor did a 7 kick-brush combo that was thisclose to an Around-the-World. This got us all amped up, but what followed was insane. He dropped into a full front split while trying to seal an errant pass. He then popped right up and kept Jamming. You may wonder why this is a big deal? At the age of 71 (Forever) Trevor is a true Elder Statesman. He plays hard whether he is Heavin’ or Jammin’, and actually has improved his game a great deal over the past few years. This was the Last Jam Standing for the day, and we everyone hit their Onus seals as the sun faded in the West.

In closing, I want to wish all everyone heading to the Freestyle Players Association World Championships in Prague, the Hat Tournament in Berlin, and any other gathering of our Brethren and Sistren. There are several members of the tribe going over to Represent. Personally, I am pulling hard for Young Daniel, Young James, and Emma (Big Dog Inside!) to do well, and the Reliable One himself too. Seeing the next generation of Jammers embrace our sport has been a true Blessing. I wish everyone the very best of luck, and keep Spreading the Jam!!!

Peace!

TP-TJH

Just about the entire USA, other than Seattle, has been baking for the past week.  Hope folks have been properly hydrating during their Jams.

Our Green Beach was virtually deserted and smelled like a hayfield when I arrived.  The Big Apple was baking.  Robbie-Rob strolled in from the 5^th Avenue side, and Joey arrived a few minutes later.  We wondered who was gonna be Yella this week and what excuses they would think up.  The First Lady arrived next, expressing her regrets on behalf of Mr. President.  He was busy negotiating the raising of the debt ceiling or something, so she brought the Yella Jersey for him.  THAT is Love, right there.  Justin-Heaver and Sean moseyed in just after Ivan-TJH, and Newlywed Tony,  Doug E. Fresh, Roger, Fearless Lou, The Ageless Trevor Brown, Alex (CDW), Chuck, Kevin, Kevin-Newby, JB, TedShred, and a late arriving Lovely Chrissy, along with and a new Susan were the hearty souls who ventured out.

Joey was the first one ready to play, having nailed up quietly, focused on the task at hand.  Roger took up the challenge while I got up I got up with Ivan-TJH to get my Heave on.  Warming up seemed oxymoronic given the temperatures, and we locked in quickly.  His Southpaw backhand had plenty of counter Zzzzz’s for combinations with the 175, and it was a blast playing with him, as always.  Fresh and Rob got going as a pair, with TedShred and Forever Trevor, and Chuck and Kevin setting up shop as well.

After Ivan and I broke for water, I joined Lou and Ted, while Ivan went out for additional long tossing.  The three of us have had a unique Flow that I attribute to winter Jams a few years ago.  This was really helped in this Jam because the heat was trying to squash us all.  TO was his normally amazing self, and Lou has really stepped it up since his return.  Many new combinations, with a very solid semi-Vacation seal added to his arsenal.  The Oracle tweaked his ankle during his earlier, so he said he was gonna join us for a mannequin Jam.  Of course, he ignored his pain, shredding extra hard when New Susan, a woman with an easy smile (and a twinkle in her eye for a certain someone!) arrived.  Inspired by the audience, he moved purposefully, making all types of plays, including a nice Gitis, without incurring further injury.

Tony and Kevin-Newbie got up late, while Trevor and Ivan rotated into my Jam with TO and Lou as the evening drew to a close.  When all was said and done, we all ‘Punched the Clock’ and had a blast.  Every Jam was Jam of the Day.  The funniest moment cam when Joey realized that he neglected to bring an extra shirt to change into.  He asked if anyone had a dry shirt.  Well, it just so happens that everyone out this week was in attendance for our last gathering.  This meant that the Cowardly Coverlet was fresh and clean, just waiting for someone to put it on.  The Oracle looked simply radiant as he escorted Susan off to dinner.  We do have fun.

The Board wants folks to know that next All*Star Guest Jammer Initiative Honoree has accepted our invitation.  Randy Silvey will be packing his special towel, and coming down August 25^th!!!  Mr. Silvey is a great player and is a blast to hang out with too.  This would be a great time to make your way to NYC.  So, when are YOU comin’ down?

Fare Thee Well!

TP-TJH

Joey asked "anyone have a dry shirt" ? Photo by (c) Rob Fried

Hello to all:

Bastille Day was a postcard day perfect for that thing we do.  The temperature was in the low 80’s with a few stray clouds in the sky as I wandered in from the Southwest corner.  The first Jammer on the scene was our pal Barak.  Mr. President, clad in a yellow bandana, was joined by the First Lady after missing a week.  He must have known this was his first day of true Yella-gibility, given that he had been present two (2) consecutive weeks, and then missed a session.  While there were several candidates, the Board had confirmed his nomination in short order.  Roger-Flute and Guitar Sean were also on hand, and Gary A. rolled up just as I started to nail up.  It’s always a better day when a Guest Jammer is around, and Gary has been a fixture in the A*T firmament from our first year of Frisbee Frolic. Rounding out the field were Robbie-Rob, Sue (The Birthday Girl), Roger, JB, Jestin Heaver, Doug E. Fresh, Fearless Lou (who presented the Yella rag), Young Daniel, Mary-Mary, Quinn-O, Ivan-TJH, TedShred and the Lovely Chrissy, Kevin, Kevin-Newbie, The Ageless Trevor Brown, The Oracle, Keith-Ultimate/Heaver, and Helene (Consort of the dearly departed Dutch).  We also had Tom Cole of Santa Barbara make his first A*T appearance.

The early Jams were all pairs, so folks were able to get a nice rhythm.  Fresh and Mr. President (looking fabulous in Yella) moved into the shade to get things started.  The combination of Dougie’s disc dexterity, with Barak’s boundless energy and athleticism, made this one fun to watch.  Meanwhile, TedShred and Forever Trevor set up their Jam in close proximity to them, to be joined later by Kevin.  Joey and Tom Cole staked their claim in the bright sunshine.  Tom has that natural California roll/brush combination game, and the breeze on this day was very forgiving.  Their Flow drew in Young Daniel, holdin’ it down for the Next Gen Jammers.  He has improved so much, and so quickly, that it boggles the mind.  There was much nice passing and I saw him finish one O’Malley sequence with a chomp of a quasi-flying Bad Attitude seal.

Gary A’s contributions cannot be minimized.  He earned Jam of the Day honors when he combined with Joey and Fresh in a Jam that was just Smokin’!  Individually, they have incredible repertoires of moves, but their ability to continuously share the disc while making high-diff plays was just wonderful.  The Roginator kept his eye on this Jam for a while, sipping a tasty beverage and biding his time.  Something clicked, and he seamlessly entered the fray, sealing his share and making plays to raise the level for everyone.  Later, when Joey and Fresh took a break, Barak subbed in for his end of day shredding.  Once he had rehydrated, Dougie joined TedShred and Young Danieland they too, decided to go off.

Quinn-O and my boy Fearless anchored another notable Jam.  The alchemy of the game makes the combination of certain folks extra special, and these two were very much on the money.  I had gotten an early taste, broke for water, and rejoined them for my last Jam.  Ivan-TJH hopped in as the sun dipped below the buildings on Central Park West, and we all had a blast.  Quinn-O brushed, rolled, and passed, Lou crunched his catches, and Ivan continued to Shred at a high level.  Just Glorious!

Before signing off, I must extend a personal expression of gratitude to TedShred and the Lovely Chrissy.  My birthday is July 16^th.  There’s nothing better than sharing an All*Star Thursday with dear friends, while outfitted in a birthday hat and balloon to mark the occasion.  Thank you so much!!!!

To top it off the Team Oberhaus broke out a fresh stack of Yella A*T stylers and passed them all around.  We are truly blessed here in the big apple.

Peace Out, Yo!

Happy Birthday Paul

Como estas mis compadres?

It is a good thing to have a weekly gathering of friends.  We have bonded over the years, using flying plastic as our anchor.  The relationships that have blossomed are strong and vibrant.  Thus, it was special to enter the field from the northwest corner and see that Fearless Lou had returned from his acting gig in Massachusetts.  Even though some thievin’ cretin had made off with his official Jam Bag, including discs, nail kit, and his beloved leopard print shorts, he was in good spirits.

The Ageless Trevor Brown rolled in carrying “La Camisa Amarilla”, presenting it immediately to our pal.  The Board had long ago decided that his first day back would be soaked in Yella, and thus it began.  Ralphy-Boy, and Ivan-TJH were also on hand early, so I jumped into some Mighty Heavin’ to start the day off right.  Ralph already can delay a bit, and has a bunch of trick catches in his bag.  It won’t be long before TJH is added to his name.  As for Ivan, well, he really is quite special.  His throws and catches at distance are great, and his get up and go, makes playing with him huge fun.  He gets around town doing his Freeline thing, which you must see to believe…and even then, you might think it was a trick.  Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aao8OLK37nA

One at a time, folks came in until we had a pretty substantial crowd.  The oracle, JB, Chris Heaver, Doug E. Fresh, Kevin, Quinn-O, TedShred and The Lovely Chrissy, Chuck, Newbies Kevin and Andre, Young Daniel, Flute Playin’ Roger (NOT that one), and Guitar Sean rounded out the crew.  I spent a bunch of time Heaving with Ralph, Ivan, and Chris Heaver, because the air was live and everyone was throwing strikes.  I took a break when Mr. Shred and TLC arrived bearing some ‘gifts’ for my boy Fearless.  Yella shorts, Yella bandana, and some sweet Yella shades adorned with funky wings were added to his ensemble.  He was quite the vision when he got back to Jammin’ with The Oracle.

Normally, I can share a bit about all of the Jams that took place, but this was an unusual day.  TedShred was standing there ready to go with plastic in his hands.  Seizing the opportunity to get my first Jam of the day, I said “Let’s Go!” and off we went.  This was my only Jam of the day.  That’s because we never sat down.  Folks busted and exited for the next couple of hours, but Mr. Oberhaus (who is not the Oberdick suing Wham-O) and I never sat down until darkness fell.  I do know that Fresh anchored the other primary Jam, which included Lou, Joey, and Young Daniel at various times, but I can’t tell you much about it ‘cuz I was too busy.

There were many highlights of this Jam, but one section stands out.  At some point Joey had joined TO and I, and things were flowing nicely.  Each of them stepped up to the challenge with flair, while I work the point.  My job was to throw strikes, make the right pass, and seal it when the opportunity arose.  This was all well and good, but it was (almost) just another day at the office.  Then Ivan-TJH joined the fray, and he was ‘en fuego’!!!  I have never seen him play this well. He’s a natural southpaw, so he snapped off counter backhands, and clock forehands with many Zzzzz’s and tremendous accuracy.  He covered ground like nobody’s business, and sealed his combinations with gusto.  At one point Ted hit a double spinning Gitis, Joey nailed a Teabag to Gitis, and Ivan followed with this crazy combo that ended when he set the disc flat and high.  I could not figure out what he was gonna do next.  Eyes blazing with focused intensity, he appeared to levitate straight up.  He then twisted his body, snaking his left hand around his right leg, sealing the move with an Onus Gitis.   Then, without breaking rhythm, he threw me backhand strike.  I did feel that Gitis Twitch, but alas, I broke the string…with a nice combo of my own, into a Triple Fake.

Big Ups to Chuck, our Ace Videographer who capture some of the shredding:  http://vimeo.com/26169004  Check out the opening sequence (:01- :16) which starts with me throwing a Counter UD overhand to TO; Ivan’s Gitis (:38) and TedShred’s Lookaway Goatus (1:12).

Yes, this was Big Fun, indeed!!!

Over the rest of the evening, more folks flowed in and out of this Jam.  I know Quinn-O got in, along with Forever Trevor, Fearless Lou, and Young Daniel at various points.  At the end of the evening, this Jam was the last Jam standing.  I can’t even remember how it ended, just that it was another beautiful day in the neighborhood.  There were many folks Yella-gilble this week.  The Reliable One and Robbie-Rob are good candidates, though I’m nominating Barak.  Mr. President and the First lady were notably absent.  I think he’d look marvelous in the Cowardly Coverlet, don’t you?

I think you should come down and see for yourself!

Peace Out, Yo

TP-TJH