Overlooking View Street, Dave PettenuzzoB次元官网网址檚 office is well-decorated with national and world championship trophies.
The trophies belong to the Nomads.
This week Pettenuzzo is strapping on the cleats one more time as his team, the reigning world-champion Nomads, is competing in the (over-33) of the , which run Thursday to Sunday on the grounds of Landsdowne middle school, Topaz Park, St. Michaels University School and Royal Athletic Park.
The 45-year-old has been playing ultimate Frisbee since 1990, and is a patriarch of the sport not just on his team, but in Victoria.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a long, long journey for the Nomads,B次元官网网址� Pettenuzzo said.
Ultimate tournaments allow a maximum of 28 players per roster, and the Nomads always fill the quota, he added.
B次元官网网址淪ome are newer to the team, but most of the guys go way back to the early days in the 1990s. And itB次元官网网址檚 more than a team. WeB次元官网网址檝e truly evolved into a lifelong brotherhood.B次元官网网址�
Pettenuzzo joined the Nomads when he arrived here in 1993 and has since inherited a leading role with the team. He also founded the Victoria Ultimate Players Society, organizers of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 summer league, and current hosts for this Canadian Ultimate Championships.
The tournament is especially big for the Nomads, winners of multiple national and world titles in the open and masters (over-33) divisions. In 1997 the Nomads placed seventh at nationals here in Victoria. The majority of the team pulled double-duty as hosts for that event.
TheyB次元官网网址檇 like to win it here on their home turf, because if the Nomads have a home, itB次元官网网址檚 here.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e also getting older,B次元官网网址� Pettenuzzo said. B次元官网网址淲hen a player retires due to their age, we say B次元官网网址榯heyB次元官网网址檝e gone to pasture.B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檝e been thinking about it myself. A few guys have been talking about it.B次元官网网址�
As a husband and a father to two boys, 12 and 8, itB次元官网网址檚 never easy for Pettenuzzo and the core of 20-odd teammates to get together for a tournament. But itB次元官网网址檚 about much more than that, he says.
B次元官网网址淔rom the time Dave Martin founded this team in 1990-91, itB次元官网网址檚 been a tribe mentality,B次元官网网址� he said, B次元官网网址渁 special bond as brothers.B次元官网网址�
The original idea was to have a group of players who jumped in a van and travelled to tournaments. It turned into a world-class team, which is renowned for its play and for its spirit, part of the positive vibe that ultimate, a self-refereed sport, is meant to run on.
B次元官网网址淲e actually have get-togethers that arenB次元官网网址檛 for ultimate at all,B次元官网网址� Pettenuzzo explained.
Twice a year the Nomads regroup for a non-ultimate reunion, one of them a disc golf tournament along the Lillooet River. The winner gets a green hoody, akin to the green blazer of golfB次元官网网址檚 The Masters.
The disc golf tourney will continue on, even if the teamB次元官网网址檚 ultimate days donB次元官网网址檛.
Naturally, it would be fitting to win one more national title, and on home soil, to boot.
B次元官网网址淚t would be nice. Certainly weB次元官网网址檝e got some very talented players and we all know what to do.B次元官网网址�
The Nomads are the favourite but face a tough division with Figjam (Calgary), NSOM (Montreal), BDU (Toronto/Ottawa), FLOOD (Winnipeg), Pioneer (Calgary) andVictoriaB次元官网网址檚 own Republic. VancouverB次元官网网址檚 infamous Furious George are favourites to win the menB次元官网网址檚 open category.
VancouverB次元官网网址檚 infamous Furious George are favourites to win the menB次元官网网址檚 open category.
More than 1,500 players on dozens of teams will compete in five divisions, the menB次元官网网址檚 open and womenB次元官网网址檚 open, mixed open, juniors (under-18), and menB次元官网网址檚 masters (over-33).
Locals playing for the Nomads this week are Pettenuzzo, Chris Carmack and Jeff Shields.
The rest live around B.C., parts of Alberta with one from Toronto.
B次元官网网址淭hey all have history here but have moved away to enrich their lives in other places,B次元官网网址� Pettenuzzo said.
The Nomads won the menB次元官网网址檚 open national title in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2008, and in 2011 as a masters team. They won the men's masters 2012 world championship in Japan last month representing as Team Canada, a roster largely different from the one that will take the field on Thursday.
