Ultimate Comes to Jekyll Island

Jekyll Island, GA – January 29, 2009 – Jekyll Island and the Golden Isles will be glad to see flying objects this spring break. High Tide Ultimate, the south’s largest college Ultimate tournament will take over the recreation fields of Jekyll Island and Glynn County. Over 160 teams and 2500 students will compete in this positive athletic alternative for college spring breakers.
Ultimate is a limited-contact team sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the sport is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to American football or rugby. Players may not run while holding the disc. While originally called Ultimate Frisbee, the sport is now officially called Ultimate because Frisbee is the trademark for the line of discs made by the Wham-O toy company.
Due to the size of High Tide Ultimate, the Jekyll Island Authority has partnered with the Glynn County Recreation Department to host the month-long event. Competition will take place at both the Jekyll Island Soccer Complex and the North Glynn Recreational Fields.
“This is the one of the largest events we have ever seen at our Recreational Fields,” said Wesley Davis, Recreation Director at the Glynn County Recreation Department, “We are glad to partner with the Jekyll Island Authority to help bring High Tide Ultimate and its sizeable economic impact to the Golden Isles.”
Tournament directors were attracted to Jekyll Island because of the island’s pristine soccer complex in close proximity to the beach, numerous amenities, and variety of lodging options. “We are excited about being on Jekyll Island,” said Ed Pulkinen, tournament director. “We have access to some of the most beautiful fields and facilities in the country. In addition, between games, our teams can relax on the beach and cool off with a quick swim.”
Hotels and rental cottages are quickly booking on Jekyll Island. Teams already registered include Ivy league schools Yale and Cornell University; and will come as far away as Colorado State and Iowa State University. The event will generate over 3000 hotel room nights and is expected to generate over $1.25 million in economic impact.
“Villas by the Sea is proud to be the host hotel for the tournament,” said Ryan Merritt, Director of Sales for Villas by the Sea. “This business is great for the island and the entire area.”
Likewise, CJ Jeffries of Jekyll Realty commented that his phones are ringing off the hook as participants book rental cottages.
High Tide Ultimate is just one example of the numerous sporting events coming to Jekyll Island. The soccer complex, home to the Golden Isles Soccer Association, hosts many tournaments and camps throughout the year and has become renowned for its quality facilities. Also this spring, Jekyll Island will host the U.S. Kids Golf(R) Jekyll Island Cup and the Oglethorpe University Invitational golf tournament.
“This event is a perfect fit for Jekyll Island, we host everything from lacrosse camps to cross country events to cheerleading competitions,” said Kevin Udell, Director of Sales for the Jekyll Island Authority. “Jekyll Island is safe, affordable and very laid back. It’s hard to get in trouble, and easy to have a great time.”
Jekyll Island offers seven hotels, including Villas by the Sea Resort, the tournament’s host hotel. Other hotels include the Oceanside Inn & Suites, Quality Inn & Suites, Jekyll Oceanfront Clarion Resort, Villas By The Sea, Jekyll Island Club Hotel and the Days Inn & Suites. For more information is available at www.disc-iple.com or www.jekyllisland.com.

Why Frisbee?
In the 1930s and 40s, the Frisbie Pie Co. of Bridgeport, Connecticut, sold pies to several colleges. The students quickly discovered the empty pie tins were great for tossing around campus. In 1948, two Los Angeles businessmen invented a platic version of the pie tin. They called it the Pluto Platter and sold the design to Wham-O. A few years later, Wham-O dubbed it the Frisbee. Oddly, the discs made by Wham-O competitor Discraft are the standard discs for the Ultimate [Frisbee], because they are more streamlined and have a softer curved edge for easier handling. For this reason, the sport has also been called “Ultimate” or “Ultimate Disc” by many teams and clubs.
About Jekyll Island
Jekyll Island is a barrier island on Georgia’s coast – midway between Jacksonville, Fla. And Savannah, Ga. Accessible by car just minutes from I-95, Jekyll Island offers a variety of amenities, including 10 miles of beach, four golf courses, a 250-acre Historic Landmark District, water park, tennis center, an array of lodging options including hotels, cottages and campgrounds. Owned by the State of Georgia, and managed by the Jekyll Island State Park Authority, Jekyll Island has had development limited to just 35 percent of its available land area. This unique aspect of Jekyll Island serves to preserve the critical barrier island ecosystem, and provide guests with a unique escape from the crowds and complications of other beach resort destinations. The Jekyll Island Foundation is a public 501 (c) 3 organization which operates exclusively for charitable and educational purposes to support the work of the Jekyll Island Authority by assisting in the preservation, conservation and appreciation of Jekyll Island. Please visit www.jekyllisland.com for more information or call 1-877-4JEKYLL.

Contact Information

Beth Burnsed

Event Marketing Coordinator

Jekyll Island Authority

Contact via E-mail