Worlds Breakdown - Twenty Ten
With your host, AG!
Part 1: The deal to date...
I am part of, what is affectionately known by the sport's old guard as, the "post-vasek generation." I started playing in the spring of 2003, less than one year after Vasek won his first world championship title in 2002. Before that, i get the impression that, while there were favorites and challengers, the world title was really up for grabs. I could be wrong. I'm no expert on footbag history (Ethan Husted is, read his article on "The Day Vasek Took Over" at Fourkast), but if you look at the list of world champions before Vasek there are a number of names scattered across the previous decades.
The first recorded world freestyle champion (according to footbag.org) was in 1983 (Jack Schoolcraft). Between 1983 and 2001 there were 9 different world champions. Kenny Shultz and Peter Irish each won 5, while Rick Reese and Ryan Mulroney each won 2, while a handfull of individuals got to wear the crown for a year. However, the longest streak was that of Peter Irish ('91, '92, '93 (also won in '95, '97)). The fact that Reese's 2 wins were 8 years apart ('88, '96) and Shultz' 5 wins spanned a decade ('85, '87, '89, '90, '94) overlapping Irish's early 90's dominance, seems to show that there was a number of strong, talented players and any year it could have been won by any of these men.
9 world champions in 19 years...
enter young Vaclav (Vasek) Klouda.
Flash forward to 2007.
10 World champions in 25 years. 6 consecutive world championship wins. And what's more impressive: He was only 15 when he first did it!
Vasek's win in 2002, over 2 time and defending world champion Ryan Mulroney, ushered in the new era, at first on shakey ground. people still review tape and discuss the win and it's legitimacy (Vasek dropped on a fairly minor component, Ryan bobbled but didn't , Vasek wins, Ryan second). Since then, Vasek ruled with an iron fist. 2003-2007 there was no question as to who was the world champ, unanimous decision across the board, unquestionable. Nearly every competition he entered he won with ease, miles ahead of the competition in every event. The number of repeat victories and title defences he amassed is absolutly astounding.
2008, when the worlds returned to Prague (having previously been held there in 2003), Vasek finally showed he was human. Though dropless, Vasek bailed a number of times during his finals routine, decreasing the difficulty and artistry, and for the first time since 2002, the audience was unsure who just won. In another controversial decision that split the judging panel, Damien Gielnicki of Poland won while Vasek humbly accepted second place.
The unthinkable had happened. Vasek was no longer world champion. Up to that point, for my entire footbag career i knew only two things: 1) gravity always wins, 2) Vasek Klouda is world champion. It was like the day i found out Santa Claus wasn't real. Infact, i think i believed in Vasek Klouda for longer.
Damien Gielnicki slid in and snatched the crown off the golden child's head, but poland's raucous celebration was short lived. Vasek returned in 2009 to reclaim what was (rightly, depending who you talk to) his. And then he faded into the background.
Many claim that other opportunities and interest in freestyle football had averted the king's attention, resulting in his second place result in 2008, and scratches from shred 30 and circle, and his loss in request, but that the loss relight the flame (maybe only vasek knows for sure). Similarly, while in previous years Vasek toured europe doing the full circuit of tournaments, the 2009-2010 season saw him attend only 2: Todexon 11, at home in Prague in early march (3rd place), and the European Championships in july (5th). Indeed, on the new "World Cup" rankings the defending world champion is currently tied for 29th...
Perhaps the era is over and the door is open. Maybe not. But one thing is for sure. There's 5 guys standing on the porch waiting for the door to be left open so they can rob the joint.
With your host, AG!
Part 1: The deal to date...
I am part of, what is affectionately known by the sport's old guard as, the "post-vasek generation." I started playing in the spring of 2003, less than one year after Vasek won his first world championship title in 2002. Before that, i get the impression that, while there were favorites and challengers, the world title was really up for grabs. I could be wrong. I'm no expert on footbag history (Ethan Husted is, read his article on "The Day Vasek Took Over" at Fourkast), but if you look at the list of world champions before Vasek there are a number of names scattered across the previous decades.
The first recorded world freestyle champion (according to footbag.org) was in 1983 (Jack Schoolcraft). Between 1983 and 2001 there were 9 different world champions. Kenny Shultz and Peter Irish each won 5, while Rick Reese and Ryan Mulroney each won 2, while a handfull of individuals got to wear the crown for a year. However, the longest streak was that of Peter Irish ('91, '92, '93 (also won in '95, '97)). The fact that Reese's 2 wins were 8 years apart ('88, '96) and Shultz' 5 wins spanned a decade ('85, '87, '89, '90, '94) overlapping Irish's early 90's dominance, seems to show that there was a number of strong, talented players and any year it could have been won by any of these men.
9 world champions in 19 years...
enter young Vaclav (Vasek) Klouda.
Flash forward to 2007.
10 World champions in 25 years. 6 consecutive world championship wins. And what's more impressive: He was only 15 when he first did it!
Vasek's win in 2002, over 2 time and defending world champion Ryan Mulroney, ushered in the new era, at first on shakey ground. people still review tape and discuss the win and it's legitimacy (Vasek dropped on a fairly minor component, Ryan bobbled but didn't , Vasek wins, Ryan second). Since then, Vasek ruled with an iron fist. 2003-2007 there was no question as to who was the world champ, unanimous decision across the board, unquestionable. Nearly every competition he entered he won with ease, miles ahead of the competition in every event. The number of repeat victories and title defences he amassed is absolutly astounding.
2008, when the worlds returned to Prague (having previously been held there in 2003), Vasek finally showed he was human. Though dropless, Vasek bailed a number of times during his finals routine, decreasing the difficulty and artistry, and for the first time since 2002, the audience was unsure who just won. In another controversial decision that split the judging panel, Damien Gielnicki of Poland won while Vasek humbly accepted second place.
The unthinkable had happened. Vasek was no longer world champion. Up to that point, for my entire footbag career i knew only two things: 1) gravity always wins, 2) Vasek Klouda is world champion. It was like the day i found out Santa Claus wasn't real. Infact, i think i believed in Vasek Klouda for longer.
Damien Gielnicki slid in and snatched the crown off the golden child's head, but poland's raucous celebration was short lived. Vasek returned in 2009 to reclaim what was (rightly, depending who you talk to) his. And then he faded into the background.
Many claim that other opportunities and interest in freestyle football had averted the king's attention, resulting in his second place result in 2008, and scratches from shred 30 and circle, and his loss in request, but that the loss relight the flame (maybe only vasek knows for sure). Similarly, while in previous years Vasek toured europe doing the full circuit of tournaments, the 2009-2010 season saw him attend only 2: Todexon 11, at home in Prague in early march (3rd place), and the European Championships in july (5th). Indeed, on the new "World Cup" rankings the defending world champion is currently tied for 29th...
Perhaps the era is over and the door is open. Maybe not. But one thing is for sure. There's 5 guys standing on the porch waiting for the door to be left open so they can rob the joint.
