Kiss The Sky

08/12/05 in Aspen, CO

OPEN Division

OK, I know all of you have either been icing down your arms, legs, and lungs 
 (it is 8,000 feet of elevation up there after all) or wishing you could have 
 been there. In fact, one of the ballyhooed gang of 5, those crazy few who 
 have attended EVERY SINGLE KISS THE SKY (ballyhooed only by themselves it 
 seems) did miss the event this year. And it now seems that there may be only 
 one person left who has played DDC every one of those 11 years. So it goes.
 Thus reads the report:
 A big boost up in attendance from last year for DDC. Last year - 3 teams, 
 this time - 6 teams. And a very competitive mix. 
 Making the trip from California were 
 in order of original seeding,
 John Kirkland and Jon Freedman, looking to add to this year's VA States DDC 
 title.
 Harvey Brandt and John Schiller, John looking to do a "Conrad" (if you have 
 to ask . . . ) 
 (OK, maybe you haven't been up there or read all this drivel over the years. 
 Conrad won many, some say too many!!!!, years in a row. Each time with 
 different partners, last year with John Schiller.)
 Rob Knapik and Bill Wright (hey, he is the sponsor after all).
 Wayne Biever and Greg Korth (east coaster on vacation)
 Paul Hobson and Jeff O'Brien (very last minute decision to attend, hence the 
 low seed, as you shall soon see).
 Jim Elsner and Mike Prost (Floridians interested in running a DDC event in 
 Tallahassee, FL).
 Two rounds of a six team round robin would ensue. Total of 10 games for 
 everyone. Top two teams would meet in the finals.
 Freedman and Kirkland went through the first round with nary a loss but a few 
 scares. From Hobson and O'Brien and then taking Brandt and Schiller in a 
 16-14 squeaker. In the second round Knapik and Wright pulled their own upset, 
 taking down Hobson and O'Brien by an 18-16 score. This would have dire 
 consequences for Paul and Jeff as they then took Freedman and Kirkland down 
 to the wire only to lose by a 15-13 score. IF they could have won both of 
 those games, and then taken out Brandt and Schiller (a game they lost only 
 15-13), they had a good chance of advancing to the finals through the tie 
 breaker. So playing incredibly well, Jeff seemed to be the only one who could 
 turn over the staker in the high 
 altitude, they lost three heart breakers in a row by two points each.
 After the two rounds, the results looked like this:
 Freedman / Kirkland     9-0
 Brandt / Schiller     8-1 (both teams agreed to forego the final pool game as 
 the rankings could not be affected)
 Hobson / O'Brien     5-5
 Elsner / Prost     3-7
 Knapik / Wright     3-7  (tie breaker based on Elsner / Prost winning both 
 head to head matches)
 Biever / Korth     1-9
 So on to the finals.
 In the first game it was tight most of the way. Freedman / Kirkland did open 
 up a bit of a lead early but saw it close up (if this observer remembers 
 correctly). At 15-14 Freedman / Kirkland had a chance to finish it but saw a 
 burn go wide. Same at 16-15. Tied at 16s, Brandt / Schiller then made an 
 escape and doubled them to win when there was a mid air collision with a 
 tip and both discs fell in the court.
 The second game inexplicably became a run away. Brandt / Schiller kept the 
 opposition deep and Freedman / Kirkland made a few too many unforced errors. 
 All too quickly it was over, 15-5. 
 So what is left for the season? WI States had their DDC event the same 
 weekend as KTS and we are all waiting for the results. 
 Coming up in September is the North Carolina States with a good DDC group. 
 September 9-11.
 And then in November, the 30th Annual Arizona States. That event will have a 
 Mixed Pairs DDC event on Friday, the 11th with the usual overall stuff on the 
 12th and 13th. Always one of the biggest DDC fields of the year.
 http://www.wfdf.org/event_index.php?sport_id=5
 See you on the court,
 Team Banzai