In the summer of 2015, many Ultimate Frisbee players got the news they had been waiting for – Ultimate Frisbee has become a sanctioned Olympic sport. The August 2nd, 2015 announcement came after a two year vetting process that moved Ultimate Frisbee from provisional recognition status to a fully sanctioned sport, much to the pleasure of The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF), which is the governing body of Ultimate Frisbee and boasts 62 member associations on five continents.

There are an estimated 7.5 million Ultimate Frisbee players around the world. Players note the inclusiveness, ease and activity as reasons why they love the sport. “I believe it can enhance human existence when done right,” Tom Crawford, a former director of coaching for the United States Olympic Committee, said. “I was like, This is wicked entertaining stuff! In one weekend I fell in love with the sport and saw its huge potential.”

Ultimate Frisbee, or “Ultimate” as the sport is referred to by players, dates back to the late 1960’s. Official rules were drafted in 1970 by Hollywood producer Joel Silver, who fell in love with the game while attending high school in New Jersey.

Ultimate players believe the sport is more inclusive and culturally relevant than some of the other sports at the Olympics. In fact, some even envision Ultimate as the future of sports. Notably, co-ed Ultimate Frisbee teams boast gender equality since the sport is played in a field with one Frisbee and participation costs are low, making it something for everyone to enjoy and partake in.

“It’s fun to watch a frisbee sail through the air. You see it bouncing off the wind, you see a good thrower use that wind to curve it in at the right place,” Robert Rauch, President of WFDF, said to the New Yorker. “Our hope is that we’ll be in a position, in 2017, to make a credible pitch to put forward the mixed gender division of Ultimate as a viable candidate for the 2024 Olympics.”

In Canada, the city of Vancouver is sometimes considered the epicenter of the Ultimate Frisbee world in the country. The Vancouver Nighthawks are the only major league Ultimate team in Canada and play against teams from Seattle, Portland and San Francisco.