This Frisbee team sport is picking up speed in Belgium - there are 23 teams already, more than half of them in Flanders. "When I helped start the team with a couple of friends four years ago," says Disco Duro founder Pieter Jacobs, "I always had to explain what Ultimate was." Now, he finds that players are showing up knowing the game already.

Disco Duro is one of two teams in Ghent - the other is Gentle, which is now so popular it is no longer accepting new players. They are also so serious and focused, they couldn't stop practice to talk to a lone journalist about their sport.

Jacobs played with Gentle for two years before starting Disco Duro. "Gentle focuses on being good; we focus on having fun," he says. "I do this in my spare time, and I want to always make sure it is fun." Disco practices weekly, from summer to winter, in rain or in sun, for two hours without a break. "Why would you want a break from something this fun?" asks Jacobs.

At a ritual post-practice beer, team members nod their heads in agreement. With only about 20 people (compared to Gentle's 200+), there is a remarkably strong attendance rate for a cold Monday night. The answer is given before the question is asked: "They come because it's fun."

So what makes it so fun? To start, Ultimate is one of the least expensive sports to play - all that's required for a game is field space and a cheap, plastic disc. Played in mixed teams of both men and women, the aim is get the disc from your end of the field to the other end zone by throwing it to your teammates.

There are a handful of basic rules that makes learning the game relatively easy. Once you catch the disc, one foot must stay planted. This means no running or walking, and you have to throw it within 10 seconds of getting it. If the disc is intercepted or dropped, the defence gets possession of it. Once a disc ends up in the end zone of the opposite side, a point is scored, possession switches, and the game continues up to 15 points. It's a mixture of speed, Frisbee-throwing skill and strategy.

Ultimate's first college team formed in 1970 in the United States. By the late '70s, the sport had crossed the pond to the UK. Originally seen as a counter-culture activity, Ultimate has been steadily attracting more traditional athletes, lifting the level of competitiveness. However, its roots in the hippie lifestyle are still evident in one of its core rules: There are no referees. In a show of anti-establishment democracy, Ultimate players call each other's fouls. If a player who committed the alleged foul disagrees with the call, the play is redone.

This all helps explain why Ultimate places such a high priority on the Spirit of the Game (SOTG). That's right - the sport actually has an official name for its vibe. While competition is encouraged, it is more important to respect the players and the rules. It is so vital to the success of the competition - which has reached international levels - that awards are handed out at tournaments for the best SOTG.

"We came in second for SOTG in the last tournament we played and got first SOTG in the Ghent tournament," says Jacobs proudly. A teammate chimes in: "We are not going to sacrifice the enjoyment for the win."

As Disco Duro trots onto the field, mud sticking to the cleats, they high- five each other after every point - whether they scored or the other team did.

http://users.telenet.be/DiscoDuro

Want to join in on the Frisbee fun?
Ultimate team Disco Duro is organising a free training for people who want to learn to play Ultimate on Monday, 15 November, from 19.00 to 21.00 in Ghent. Email [email protected] to sign up.