Students Joel Silver and Jared Kass, along with Jonny Hines and Buzzy Hellring, invented ultimate frisbee in 1967 at Columbia High School, Maplewood, New Jersey, USA
(CHS). The first game was played at CHS in 1968 between the student
council and the student newspaper staff. Beginning the following year
evening games were played in the glow of mercury-vapor lights on the
school's parking lot. Initially players of ultimate frisbee (as it was
known at the time) used a "Master" disc marketed by Wham-O, based on Fred Morrison's
inspired "Pluto Platter" design. Hellring, Silver, and Hines developed
the first and second edition of "Rules of Ultimate Frisbee". In 1970 CHS
defeated Milburn High 43-10 in the first interscholastic ultimate game.
CHS, Milburn, and three other New Jersey high schools made up the first
conference of Ultimate teams beginning in 1971.
Alumni of that first league took the game to their colleges and universities. Rutgers defeated Princeton 29-27 in 1972 in the first intercollegiate game. This game was played exactly 103 years after the first intercollegiate American football game by the same teams at precisely the same site, which had been paved as a parking lot in the interim. Rutgers won both games by an identical margin.
Rutgers also won the first ultimate frisbee tournament in 1975, hosted by Yale, with 8 college teams participating. That summer ultimate was introduced at the Second World Frisbee Championships at the Rose Bowl. This event introduced ultimate on the west coast of the USA.
In January 1977 Wham-O introduced the World Class "80 Mold" 165 gram frisbee. This disc quickly replaced the relatively light and flimsy Master frisbee with much improved stability and consistency of throws even in windy conditions. Throws like the flick and hammer were possible with greater control and accuracy with this sturdier disc. The 80 Mold was used in ultimate tournaments even after it was discontinued in 1983.
In 1979 the Ultimate Players Association (UPA) was formed with Tom Kennedy elected as director. The UPA was the first national, player-run USA ultimate organization. Before the UPA, events were sponsored by the International Frisbee Association (IFA), a promotional arm of Wham-O.
Glassboro State College defeated the Santa Barbara Condors 19-18 at the first UPA Nationals in 1979.
Finland won the inaugural Ultimate European Championship held in Paris in 1980. England and Sweden finished second and third.
Alumni of that first league took the game to their colleges and universities. Rutgers defeated Princeton 29-27 in 1972 in the first intercollegiate game. This game was played exactly 103 years after the first intercollegiate American football game by the same teams at precisely the same site, which had been paved as a parking lot in the interim. Rutgers won both games by an identical margin.
Rutgers also won the first ultimate frisbee tournament in 1975, hosted by Yale, with 8 college teams participating. That summer ultimate was introduced at the Second World Frisbee Championships at the Rose Bowl. This event introduced ultimate on the west coast of the USA.
In January 1977 Wham-O introduced the World Class "80 Mold" 165 gram frisbee. This disc quickly replaced the relatively light and flimsy Master frisbee with much improved stability and consistency of throws even in windy conditions. Throws like the flick and hammer were possible with greater control and accuracy with this sturdier disc. The 80 Mold was used in ultimate tournaments even after it was discontinued in 1983.
In 1979 the Ultimate Players Association (UPA) was formed with Tom Kennedy elected as director. The UPA was the first national, player-run USA ultimate organization. Before the UPA, events were sponsored by the International Frisbee Association (IFA), a promotional arm of Wham-O.
Glassboro State College defeated the Santa Barbara Condors 19-18 at the first UPA Nationals in 1979.
Finland won the inaugural Ultimate European Championship held in Paris in 1980. England and Sweden finished second and third.