Bangkok Hat was a personal highlight of 2019, which meant that Kris and my return to the tournament held a lot of both excitement and expectation. Would it be as good as last year? Could it perhaps be even better? Through an incredibly spirited team, even better food, and stellar organization, Bangkok Hat’s 20th anniversary tournament proved that even the highest of standards can be exceeded.
At the heart of my Bangkok Hat 2020 was my team: the Pink Panthers. A healthy mix off veterans, young stars, up-and-comers, and middle-of-the-road players like myself, we clicked as a team from before the first game. We established connections by all taking the effort to learn each others’ names right away (something that I didn’t even manage to completely do through the entirety of Bangkok Hat 2019). This helped bring us together and develop team chemistry right away.
From this solid baseline, we never stopped growing as a team. We weren’t quite the star-studded teams that challenged the eventual A-bracket finals, but I’d wager that there wasn’t a team that had more fun on the field that we did. The Panthers fostered an atmosphere of growth – all team huddles were constructive and encouraging, and ended with a hearty cheer (either the classic Pink Panther theme or simply screaming ‘PP!’). We managed to take home the B Bracket Championship (also known as the Beer Bracket or Chumpionship). More importantly, we left the tournament as friends with some vibrant memories of a weekend well-spent.
Many of the other memories made from Bangkok Hat 2020 came from the moments spent eating the food provided for us. I have yet to have better lunches, dinners, and snacks at a tournament, and this year’s offerings outshone even last year. My favourites from this year were the khao soi (crispy egg noodles) and fresh coconut. Drinking from a freshly-cut coconut on the sideline on Sunday refreshed me and gave me the energy I needed to give the Panthers everything that I could in our last few games.
I was not the only one putting my all into this year’s Bangkok Hat. The organisers outdid themselves this year. They clearly wanted the 20th iteration to be one to remember. Apart from the outstanding food, there was also water, alcoholic smoothies, beer, and snacks, free to all participants. Everyone received a jersey and a disc as part of their registration. There were massages available on the sidelines. There was also a memorable party on the roof of a hotel, with free drinks flowing throughout. Almost the entire tournament ran on time, with only a few games on Sunday falling significantly behind. I cannot imagine putting together a tournament like Bangkok Hat, and the 20 years of experience are evident in every small detail.
While Bangkok Hat is not a cheap tournament, it is worth all of the money and effort spent to be there. My team was amazing, the food was incredible, and the tournament ran smoother than fresh coconut water. If you’re thinking about whether to make Bangkok Hat a part of your Ultimate schedule in 2021, just do it. If I’m still in the region, I’ll see you there!
Featured Image by Zrs Gamboa.
