Airbenders in tourney action

IN FULL FLIGHT: Kereama Huriwai from Ilminster makes a spectacular leap as Mana Wainohu of Gis Int 3 runs in. Te Puke Intermediate triumphed as overall champions in the final of the Super 11 ultimate frisbee tournament last week. Picture by Liam Clayton

Teams from across Gisborne and the Bay of Plenty were in town for the annual Super 11 ultimate frisbee tournament last week.

Te Puke Intermediate were the overall champions, beating Tauranga Intermediate in the final.

The best local team was Ilminster, who beat Gisborne Intermediate ‘A' in the fifth and sixth playoff.

Ultimate frisbee is a fast-paced game that is self refereed and “brimming with skill,” said Gisborne Intermediate sports coordinator Wayne Ensor.

The game is a combination of multiple sports. Scoring is adopted from American football, with an endzone and general play borrowing traits from netball. No contact or moving is allowed while in possession.

Games can be mixed gender and the team receiving the restart after a scoring play will decide how many women they want in their lineup, and the other team has to match them with the same number.

The 10 teams in attendance this year were from Gisborne Intermediate, Ilminster, Tauranga, Whakatane, Te Puke and Mount Maunganui intermediates.

The Super 11 Intermediate School's competition has been running since 2009. It covers 26 sports each year for 11 schools from Gisborne and the Bay of Plenty.

Gisborne Intermediate's most valuable players were Keiha Blackman, Isaiah Gerrard-Denham and Gavin Derr. Ilminster's MVP was Rylin Rasissem.