Turn Up Taichung: The Second Coming
If you thought Austin’s rundown in the podcast was detailed…
Thanks to Austin and Kat (and Bryan and Cal) for this awesome preview of Turn Up Taiwan 2015.
(And duh, watch my interview with Austin and Kat in Podcast #1 if you haven’t already.)
Turn Up Taichung: The Second Coming
Austin Bartenstein and Katherine Tse, with contributions from Bryan Goh and Cal Lee
We’re back and continuing our tour of Taiwan. Hosted by Whisby Nation, Turn Up Taiwan lands in Taichung this year on September 19-20, bringing together 18 competitive teams across Asia. Follow Whisby Nation at www.facebook.com/whisbynation for tournament updates and scores.
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±7°C (Taiwan)
This team might take the cake for being the youngest team; the majority of their players are in high school and their oldest player is only 20, but their commitment to the sport is clear in their increased tournament presence. At July’s qualifying tournament, they fought their way to the B pool finals against an older, taller, expat ringer team. Though Ting-Yi Su (of Whisby Nation) originally coached them, they have come into their own and look to notch international experience.
Players to Watch
Taiwanese players are known for their quickness regardless of their age, and this team is no exception. Zi-Yuan Liu pulls double duty as a key handler and cutter for this team, while Jin-Jing Liu will bring more downfield options, as well as a patience that belies her youth.
Likely Ceiling – B pool prequarters
Likely Floor – B pool consolation
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Arctic Stars Zone (Taiwan)
As one of the more experienced club teams in Taiwan and with many of their players frequently representing on national teams, ARC looks all-around solid on paper and tight-knit in person. Their strengths are in their tall downfield receivers and the quick give-and-go of handlers accustomed to working with each other. However, they stumbled at the qualifying tournament in July after losing on universe and falling to a 5th place finish. In those situations, the vulnerability of their mental game becomes transparent. If they want to avenge their loss, they have to be able to stay focused mentally as much as physically, especially their defensive line.
Players to Watch
No discussion on ARC is valid without mention of their LeBron James, Simba. His deep looks are accurate; his on-field leadership is apparent; and he can posterize almost anybody in the air. As with most of the star players on your average Taiwanese team, he plays double duty as both handler and cutter.
ARC will also look to contributions from Jun-Yu Pan and Chuck Ko, two of their main male cutters, along with Amber Hsu. Meanwhile, Cloud Lee is considered one of the top female handlers in Taiwan, and though her stature may belie her danger, her team often relies on her resets and dumps to move the offense. Last year, ARC had a big quarterfinals against Whisby Nation, only losing by two. If ARC’s supporting cast can consistently take pressure off Simba and Cloud, they’ll have a good shot at surprising teams.
Likely Ceiling – Quarterfinals
Likely Floor – B pool finalists
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Assassins (Taiwan)
Assassins, nee 7 Fighters, has had a consistent showing at local tournaments but aims to break into the top echelon of club teams in Taiwan. Typical of local teams, they feature a couple star players, mostly male, who are supported by a cast of eager teammates. Like Hao Cool and Sid Vicious, they have been focused on building their roots and have therefore invested more in overall playing than in strategies or set plays. However, they are often undone by unforced errors, and an increase in defensive intensity can generate turnovers and jitters on their end.
Players to Watch
Once on the field, their standout players are instantly apparent: Rui-Shun, A-Wei, Pin-Chong, and AJ. The first three have had to oscillate often between handling, cutting, and endzone in past tournaments to generate offensive movement. AJ in particular will be a welcomed addition for them – a smart player who can open up more cutting options, ease disc movement, and be a much-needed deep look.
Aside from Chiong-Yun Chang, most of their ladies will need to distinguish themselves. Playing in a mostly cutting role, Chiong-Yun is a reliable receiver and an occasional deep striker. Her team will need her to be able to get open more often.
Likely Ceiling – Consolation
Likely Ceiling – B pool finalists
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Banana Pride (China)
Banana Pride represents a mixture of Pride of Dongguan with other teams. No one from Pride of Dongguan hails from Dongguan itself, but from their respective abodes in the Pearl River Delta, they all set Dongguan as true north on their moral compasses. Dongguan has become a regular fixture at select tournaments in the past, including Hong Kong Pan-Asia, Shanghai Open, Manila, but this is their first Taiwan showing. In spite of that, they’re no rookies to playing against A pool-level teams, having matched up at Shanghai Open against some of Asia’s strongest players.
Players to Watch
Captain Colin Erickson-Sheehy has long been a mainstay in the Shenzhen ultimate scene but is on a final farewell tour. He will look to go out strong with well-placed hucks to a tall and fast cutting crew that includes Yuri Melnychuck, Sean Keith, and Matt Sexton. On the female side, look for pickups Lolly Zhang and Jamie Lam to come up big and turn some heads in Taipei.
Likely Ceiling – B pool quarters
Likely Floor – B pool consolation
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Chuckies (Singapore)
Chuckies ended their season with a bang at Singapore Opens, finishing day 1 of the tournament as No. 1 seed. Along the way, they upset a couple of higher-seeded teams and made it to the semifinals for the first time in their club history. Led by Ben Ho, who is their coach but will also be playing in this tournament, the team is looking to further their run for the season. Expect the team to hit the ground running from the first game onwards. Having trained together for a whole season, their familiarity with each other will pay off during tight games. Due to the other higher profile teams, Chuckies could be under-seeded and may take the tournament by surprise.
Players to Watch
The Chuckies squad boasts of several Singapore National Under-20 players. On offence, look out for Krish and Felix to generate options all day for the team. For defence, we are likely to see the popular ” crazy girl” 3-girl handler defence during the tournament. This zone is known to frustrate even the most experienced handlers in windy conditions.
Likely Ceiling – Quarterfinals
Likely Floor – B pool finalists
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Convicts (Macau)
This Convicts team is a strong combination of talent and experience seen in Taiwan for the first time. A new squad with roots in Hong Kong Blaze, southern China, and some Hong Kong Junk pickups, this may be the strongest Convicts team yet. Convicts gave an impressive run at Malaysia Open in July, taking the B pool championships. While much about this team remains unknown, they are stacked with individual stars who have the potential to help this team earn a few upsets.
Players to Watch
The team is led by the Ningbo HK twins Sunny Todd and Tom, the wily Gigi Law, and the Macanese Mac Daddy Carlos Leong. Don’t judge these players by their size. Sunny Todd stole the show at Shanghai Open earlier this year with his sneaky layouts and defensive intensity on taller players. Meanwhile, Gigi, who comes with foundational experience in Canada, is a workhouse on defense and more than capable of pressuring turnovers. Some talented players less known to the international community may be the super layout machine Wing Lee, the tall and athletic Wang Xiao Fei, and the young talent Florence Pang.
Likely Ceiling – Quarterfinals
Likely Floor – Consolation
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Fast Count (Singapore)
Fast count is another team comprising of Chuckies players. They will be led by the one of the most popular couples in Singapore Ultimate, Kumar Gohulabalan and Angelina Dass. Their thin squad may work against them on Day 2. However, expect them to pull of some surprises against unsuspecting higher seeded teams with their patient dump swing offense.
Players to Watch
Kumar may be one of the fittest guys in Chuckies, given the amount of time he has dedicated to gym sessions. Although not as youthful as his contemporaries, he is known to have (easily) outrun young opponents half his age. Together with Honghui, they will provide a stable handling base for this team.
The team is also equipped with a few speedsters, Titus, Dzafir, Leo Yi-Shaun, and Andrea Ryan, who will keep many teams’ defense honest. Also watch out for Abishek Radhakrishnan, who is at least 1.9m tall. Do not bet against him pulling down those hucks over the weekend.
Likely Ceiling – B pool finalists
Likely Floor – B pool consolation
*Most crucially, this team has one of the strongest boat race lines Singapore can offer. Look out for the winning combination of Kumar, Angelina, Agatha, Leo, and Abhi.
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Hao Cool (Taiwan)
This team may well be the Seattle of Taiwan ultimate: they are led by strong, experienced players who are focused on growing the sport at the grassroots and youth levels, and the results have been staggering. Although their roster has a wide age disparity with high school players aplenty, don’t sleep on them. Their younger players have more than the fundamentals buckled down and look comfortable in their roles, whether it’s playing their 4-man cup or running a stack. However, what will fire Hao Cool’s tournament run is their boundless energy. Their on-field players are supported with unwavering optimism from a loud sideline, and win or lose, it’s clear that they play for the love of the game. Place your bets on Hao Cool as Taiwan’s rising team.
Players to Watch
Captain Hao Hao is patient in all areas of the game from coaching to playing, which sets an offensive tempo that remains calm even in the face of stifling pressure, and he is backed by Yu-Kai Pan. In an equal leading role is King Tsai, who has been called one of Taiwan’s scariest deep threats. If he isn’t restricted to handling, he can extend the downfield on offense and easily come down with any discs in the air. Hao Cool’s zone works so well in part because of his deep deep threat.
While most of their girls are still young, You-Jing Cheng brings cutting experience as a key AOUC player.
Likely Ceiling – Semifinals
Likely Floor – Consolation
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Hungry Dinos Want Sweet Sour Pork And Wanton Soup And Chicken Chow Mien And 4 Ji Pa (Singapore)
Made of players from Rascals, Freakshow, ZeroDisplacement and Disctractors, Dinos is expected to be full of energy, as the oldest member of the team is only a youthful 25 years of age. With Rascals likely to be running the offense, the familiarity playing with each other during the regular season will help the team through rough patches. Look for high tempo offense, with lots of give-and-goes and long hucks. Physically, this team is able to match most teams stride for stride. However, the lack of practice before the tournament places them as underdogs against more established rosters.
Players to watch
Molly Zhang has developed to be an effective cutter for Freakshow this season. Watch out on her underused forehand flick that will help the team open up the playing field.
Ralphael Soh, Arvind Ravichandar, Daryl Ho, and Ong Yihong represented the Singapore U-20 team at MUO earlier this year and finished 6th in the competition. This generation of young Singaporean ultimate players have the guts, skills and speed to give the speedy Taiwanese a run for their money.
As the oldest player on this team, expect Timothy Teo, 25 years young, to be anchoring the defense line. Having developed a long game over the last few years, he will be a serious threat at both ends of the offensive motion after getting the turn.
Likely Ceiling – Semifinals
Likely Floor – Consolation
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Huwa (China)
Huwa makes their first tournament appearance following a disappointing quarters exit in their hometown tournament Shanghai Open. While they’re anchored by some of their staple players, their small roster is notably missing Dax Haas, James “Rosie” Anderson, and Nick Welch-Bolen, and the majority of their female players are pick-ups who will have to adjust quickly on Saturday. But don’t be writing them off yet; last year, even with a tighter roster, they managed to force a legendary 15-minute-long universe point against eventual champions Whisby Nation on a crossover game.
Players to Watch
Huwa has one of the most complete handlers at the tournament in Sam Schmoker. Coupled with textbook cutter Dave Willis, this team could present a difficult marking challenge for opponents. Huwa is missing most of their ladies and will be picking up some help from Taiwan. If they can mold well together, Huwa has the top-end talent to hang with pretty much anyone at the tournament.
New pickups Zach Starr and Christina Schueler will be major contributors. The latter captained Oregon Fugue during her college career, and it shows in her body-up defense and maddeningly fast footwork that makes her upline cuts or reset dumps nearly unstoppable. Meanwhile, handler Starr has dime hammers and is smart on defensive positioning that allows him to match up well against taller players.
Likely Ceiling – Semifinals
Likely Floor – Quarterfinals
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Juicy (Singapore/Malaysia/Taiwan/Philippines)
Despite being a pick-up team, Juicy has a strong all-around roster that is rounded out with the addition of a few Filipino players. Their strength is in their effective handlers, many of whom can break, hammer, or huck at will, but being so powered in handlers means that they look a little more lacking in deep threat department, and they will have to be able to identify their stand-out cutters in order to open up their throwing options. A number of them have never played together, so it remains to be seen how quickly this team can adapt in a tournament where pool play games matter.
Players to Watch
Given their handling prowess, it should come as no surprise to see Jillian Du (Bowzer), Tim Lee, and Alex Tat as their leading handlers. Bowzer comes with fresh US club experience and previous playing time aplenty with Big Brother, while Tat has contributed to star pick-up teams like the Sexual Panda Harassment Experience and BOAT. Tim may be a less familiar name, but he has a strong forehand flick and a lightness on his feet that makes his transition into cutting a seamless one.
Look for Jonathan Joel and Zoe Weizenbaum, a recent US import based in Taiwan, to be on the receiving end of their throws.
Likely Ceiling – Quarterfinals
Likely Floor – Consolation
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Kaohsiung Love (Taiwan)
Kaohsiung comes into the tournament as one of the newest teams, but their potential for improvement and growth will be interesting to watch. Many of their players are playing an international tournament for the first time. Luckily, they have an accomplished leadership core and a handful of experienced vets in the mix, although the majority is men. Regardless of their record, expect Love to showcase the same spirit and passion in this tournament as they have in tournaments past.
Players to Watch
Rob Hawkins and Forrest Waters are their two highly capable captains. The latter has trained with Whisby in the past, and with his 191cm frame, he is simply unstoppable in a one-on-one jumpball battle. Likewise, Rob has an abundance of experience playing abroad. While he might stay behind the disc more often, he will be a default option on offense and an invaluable on-field leader for this young team.
Joann Hsieh represents the greatest threat from the female contingency. She is experienced and familiar with playing the numerous roles her team requires of her, but the game length and high competitiveness may take its toll on this team.
Likely Ceiling – B pool quarters
Likely Floor – B pool consolation
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#LGW (Korea)
Korea’s top traveling team has plans to make an USAU-inspired season out of the fall tournaments, starting with Turn Up, so look for them to bring practiced, well-oiled performance against all of the top teams. #LGW got 2nd place at this year’s Jeju Fresh Fourteens.
Players to Watch
If her height alone isn’t enough to distinguish her, Maddy Stephenson has a deadly backhand break that shreds cups and moves an endzone offense, as seen at Shanghai Open. Downfield, her quickness and height lets her gain space as a cutter, along with Randi Burns and Haeri Kim.
Brice Dixon is a huge addition for #LGW. As University of Arizona’s 2013 Callahan nominee, he was credited as the main reason for his team’s USAU top 20 ranking that year, and he comes with game-breakingly sharp throws that will fuel #LGW’s already premiere handling corp. Look for Nick Whale, Dave Friedman, and Paul Adkisson to add touches to what may well be the strongest practicing roster at the tournament.
Likely Ceiling – Champions
Likely Floor – Semifinals
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Niku Tomoko (Japan)
Last year’s token Japanese team IKU has been replaced this year by an equally strong – if not stronger – Japanese-and-friends ringer team. In IKU’s absence, captain Tomoko Iwago was able to piece together a strong contending team in its stead that features a number of IKU regulars, along with key pickups. It remains how they will gel together come Saturday, but their spread of strength in height, throws, and speed means that they have the potential to cause upsets.
Players to Watch
While they already have a solid female contingency, it should be noted that Lesley Sim, who was arguably one of the best women in Southeast Asia, is back and cleating up with Tomoko. She’ll bring smart cuts and a viable deep threat to this experienced roster, alongside Matt Heibel (Sunshine). Meanwhile, Tomoko Iwago can keep pace with the fastest girls on the field as a cutter, but it’s her smooth handling and reset dumps that will let her team stretch the width of the field.
In Yoshio Leeper and Tamir Stulberg’s absence, Enrique Lee is a capable handler and strategist who will know how to maximize the strength of their ladies.
Likely Ceiling – Champions
Likely Floor – Quarterfinals
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Sid Vicious (Philippines)
A young team out of Manila, Sid Vicious is gunning to cause a few upsets with their strong defensive mindset. Despite only forming three years ago, they have notched 2nd, 5th, and 3rd place finishes at Nationals. Turn Up is their first international tournament as a team, and they will be focused on rebuilding and growing their players. Still, Filipino players are generally unmatched in speed across the board, and their field will be anchored by the likes of Mixed Nuts staples Tim Martin, Will Steedman, and Derek Ramsay. Will the rest of their roster be able to equalize the playing level?
Players to Watch
The three aforementioned will be the biggest threats on Sid Vicious. Tim Martin can throw anything. Watch him closely, but don’t watch him too closely because then you’ll get faked out too easily. He’s more than his throws though; anyone present at the Shanghai finals can bear witness to his game-changing layout block.
The biggest danger is the seamlessness of his connection with Will Steedman and Derek Ramsay, both of whom are workhorses on cutting and more than capable of spreading the downfield. Additionally, Nina Buenaflor is a fearsome opponent: she’s smart, speedy, and seemingly tireless. Minimizing her impact will be a major challenge. Don’t look them off; all of them are used to being in the finals.
Likely Ceiling – Semifinals
Likely Floor – Consolation
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Unicorn (Taiwan)
The last time most of this team played an international tournament was in London, specifically WFDF’s U-23 championships. Suffice it to say, this team may be one of the younger groups at Turn Up, but they make up for speed, throws, and a mental fortitude that belies their youth. At the qualifying tournament for Turn Up in July, they upset established club team Arctic Stars Zone by breaking twice and then again on universe point. However, their reliance on their speed means that smart teams and smart strategizing could be their undoing, especially a tight defense that Taiwanese teams are unused to facing, and a lack of height makes every floaty throw a risk.
Players to Watch
Yi-Ze Tsai was a primary handler in London with well-placed hucks and a monster pull that could help their defense right off the bat. But above all, it’s his connection with fellow U23-ers Chung-Wei Hong and Bo-Hsun Lin as the handling core that will likely run this team’s offense. Expect them to look for their biggest cutters in Jun-Yu Lin, Jian-Ye Lee, and Cheng-An Tang.
On the ladies’ end, Shu-Ming Hsu brings energy and a suffocating person defense that is capable of generating turnovers for her team.
Likely Ceiling – Prequarters
Likely Floor – Consolation
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Ultimaholix-M.I.T. (Taiwan)
Once widely considered the elite team in Taiwan, M.I.T. has been plagued in recent years by age and commitment when many of their players stepped away. However, they looked back to form in July, winning the qualifying tournament as the only undefeated team. Their most effective men have it all: dangerous throws, quickness, height, and a thirst for the deep field, plus nationals experience aplenty. Look for them to default to in cuts followed immediately by long looks. But traditionally they have suffered from the two main weaknesses of Taiwanese teams: underusing their women and playing lazy defense. If they want the championship hardware to stay in their hometown of Taichung, M.I.T. will have to start valuing both these areas.
Players to Watch
Starting the talk with size and impact, Cheng Yi-Shan is a small but tireless cutter who isn’t afraid to body up with her defender or layout for a disc. With her speedy fakes and changes of direction (it helps she’s so light!), she will be the toughest girl to guard on this talent-laden team.
While M.I.T. has brought back all its staple players, Bobo and Momo lead the pack. Usually forced to handle on less experienced teams, Bobo stands out as one of Taiwan’s fastest players and can get open at will. His and Momo’s deep cuts are especially potent, and both M.I.T. and the AOUC team often rely on their downfield threat to bail them out, as spectators at Singapore Open can attest.
Likely Ceiling – Champions
Likely Floor – Semifinals
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Whisby Nation (Taiwan)
Coming off a finals appearance at Zone Cup, this year’s primarily Taiwanese Whisby squad plans to emphasize the talents of its young stars while showcasing the defensive intensity it prides itself on. However, Whisby hasn’t practiced since June, and with most of its players pulling double duty with the AUOC team, Whisby might show a bit of rust on the first day. They will also be missing the cutting talents of Mei Mei on offense. Whisby’s biggest challenges this weekend will be finding their offensive identity again and managing a massive roster. If Whisby’s defense can return to the level they were at last year and convert more break opportunities, they’ll have a really good shot at the Turn Up repeat.
Players to Watch
Wen-Jun Wang leads the charge on offense with her consistent handling and sets the disciplined tone Whisby strives for, while Mu-Ai Wu as a rookie addition to the defense line means more layout Ds and a dump-swing offense on the turn. Also on defense, Whisby brings Yi-Hui Wang back to the roster as he comes to the end of his year of military service. While the military in Taiwan can have “certain effects” on a frisbee player’s career (Fei Fei has finally recovered from his post-military name, Fump Fump), it seems to have had little effect on Whisby’s franchise male player. As Whisby’s most reliable male handler, Yi Hui will be tasked with punching in breaks on the D line. Rounding out the young defense is Ying Cheng, who showed his big play capabilities in Vietnam (see Turn Up poster).
Likely Ceiling – Champions
Likely Floor – Semifinals
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Games to Watch
Round 1: Convicts vs. Arctic Stars (Field 4): These are two teams looking to prove themselves on the international stage. Look for the Carlos/Simba and Gigi/Cloud matchups.
Round 2: Sid Vicious vs. Chuckies (Field 6): Chuckies has built a lot of chemistry this season and should present an interesting matchup for a Filipino team with no shortage of talent or quickness.
Round 3: Whisby Nation vs. Huwa (Field 1): This was a classic last year at Turn Up. The last crossover of the day went to 12-11 with a 15-minute universe point. Huwa isn’t bringing the same roster, but this is a friendly rivalry that never disappoints. Niku Tomoko and Hungry Dinos (Field 5) will be another one to watch this round – two pickup teams with a lot of talent, one from Japan, one from Singapore. Where should one get pickups in the future?! We may never know, since Enrique from Singapore is on the Japanese team. THANKS ENRIQUE.
Round 4: Huwa vs. Juicy (Field 2): While Huwa probably has the male side in terms of talent, will their lady pickups be able to match up with the strong women of Juicy?
Round 5: Niku Tomoko vs. Unicorn (Field 3): Niku is the better team on paper, but Unicorn has a lot of experience together from U23s this summer. Could they pull the upset and disrupt the pool most likely to go to seed?
Round 6: #LGW vs. HaoCool (Field 6): Both teams have been training quite hard for this. They’ll be at their best in the last game of the day.
This article was sponsored by UltiRotate, Taiwan’s leading ultimate apparel manufacturer. A partner of Shanghai Open, Turn Up Taiwan, and the UltiRotate Champions’ League, UltiRotate is focused on developing ultimate at the local level. For more about their quality sublimated or screen-printed apparel, head to www.facebook.com/UltiRotate.
