And so, 13 Quixotes led by Don QAlvarito of Madrid set off toward the first-ever World Beach Ultimate Club Championship (WBUCC), held from October 14 to 19, 2024, in Portimão, Portugal. The championship took place on Rocha Beach, prepared with 20 fields, 2000 athletes, over 30 countries, and 3 divisions (open, mixed, and women).
Day One: We started with great vibes and strong results, beating the Lithuanian team Vorai (13-8) and the German team FT Würzburg (13-9). We had faced these Germans just the previous weekend at the international beach tournament in Valencia, XeQueBó, where we made it to the finals but ended up in second place against Valencia’s Murciélagos, who took the trophy. The whole team was left with a bittersweet taste…but you learn from everything. Back at the World Championships, that first day of the tournament was a great start: a powerful, fast, tikitaka-style offense that didn’t miss, a defense beginning to bare its teeth, and solid pre- and post-game routines.
“We’re nothing, boys, just white mountains and us here, united, living in the moment, loreando.”
Evaristo AlvOne, King of the Deck.
Day Two: We stayed connected and closed out the group as leaders, defeating the English team Flump (13-2). Later that same day, in our final match, we faced a Danish team named KFK, winning 13-7. We left feeling great, satisfied that we had given our all. The synergy was the same, with our offense choreographing points and our defense leaving our opponents breathless.
Day Three: We rose early, rested, and hit the sand at 7:30 a.m., facing a Canadian team called St. Laurent. This team had topped its group, winning all its matches, but had lost its first crossover to KFK, whom we had beaten. Our captain, QAlvarOne, continued to unite us, instilling confidence, humility, and commitment. In this first match, we secured a 13-7 victory. The second game of the day was against Italy’s CUS Padova Barbastreji, whom we defeated 13-5, with three consecutive breaks in the first half being key. At this point, our oldest player, Don QGonOne, fractured his big toe during a defensive play. Still undefeated, we were set to face another unbeaten team, Humiliswag from the United States, seeded number one overall. It was a controversial match, with calls, gestures from American ultimate legends, and a lack of communication overshadowing Q’s hard-fought victory, 10-7. The final spirit circle was long, with accusations resolved individually after the circle ended. Winning the power pool gave us a bye for the next day, but we were humble.
Day Four: We had two games, starting with a 12-7 win against Sweden’s Viksjöfors. The second match was on Field One (Arena) against another U.S. team, SunDogs. Quijotes scored their first point thanks to “KingKong of the Arena,” whom the commentators referred to as “Arenas.” This point would become the number one play of the day. The first half was tough for Quijotes, trailing by two breaks, spotting the Americans a 4-1 lead, but we closed the gap to one point before the second half began. SunDogs got another break, bringing the score to 9-6. Encouraged by the Spanish teams cheering from the stands, Quijotes managed to tie the game at universe, 9-9. In the last point, we went out on defense and had a chance to win, but ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be, and SunDogs won. That quarterfinal loss ended our dreams of reaching the top. It was the toughest moment of the tournament for Q…many hopes and emotions that crumbled.
Day Five: Our last day of competition, it was time to recover from the blow of the previous day. The first match against Magic Disc (France) was a true Quijote-worthy feat, with five consecutive breaks in the first half (7-2) and finishing 13-5. During warmups for the final game against UFO (Netherlands), we lost another player, JosuOne, who cut his foot on something, leaving the team with 11 players. Still, we won 13-10 and finished as the world’s fifth best. It was a true testament that this team had the potential to win medals.
We want to congratulate Jetset Open from Belgium, who became the first club world champion in beach ultimate, gifting us with one of the finest finals that will be remembered in this sport’s history. We also want to express our gratitude for the support on social media, the messages of encouragement from Spain, and our deepest thanks to our families and to the Spanish ultimate teams who cheered us on and shared in that unforgettable week. A special mention goes to Don Rafael López for creating lighthearted moments that helped bring us together, Ubuntu – one step more. Thank you, Alvarito, for your tremendous Quijote-worthy work as our captain. If we have the chance to relive another season like this, it will be a true gift in life.
Below, we have been able to save the beautiful poem written by Rafael López, the father of one of the players.
Thirteen modern Quijotes
– bare –
without steed or armor,
galloping tirelessly
across the Lusitanian sands.
Thirteen fearless titans
piloting their flying disc,
in conquest of the sky.
Thirteen offshoots of indomitable Viriato,
defending inch by inch
their Iberian land
from the rude onslaught
of the stale, enduring, out-of-date
Roman American empire.
Glory and honor
to these dedicated apostles
of Ultimate!
“The key to success was the uncertainty the captain of Q was able to endure to build a humble, committed, and united team.”
See all the resultas at https://live.wbucc.org/team/open/quijotes-8
