Help bring to life the origins of Surly Ultimate Nation & its close relationship with Surly Brewing!
The Surly Ultimate Nation
Since the late 1970s/early 1980s, the Minnesota Ultimate Frisbee community has grown into one of the strongest in the country. A powerful example of that strength is the birth and development of the Surly Ultimate Nation, from a single Masters Open team to today’s 8 open, women, and mixed teams playing under the Surly banner. This film project seeks to tell the story of Minnesota Ultimate through the lens of the 20+ years of Surly Ultimate, its evolution into a multi-team community, and a long standing period of sustained excellence on and off the field. Across all Masters Divisions, Surly Ultimate Nation has won:
- 4 Worlds Gold Medals;
- 3 Worlds Silver Medals;
- 19 Nationals Gold Medals;
- 10 Nationals Silver Medals;
- 10 Team Spirit Awards; and
- 3 Individual Bakko Sprit Awards
In addition to the final film, we will also create an online video database of longer form Surly Ultimate Nation stories from the multitudes of interviews that have been conducted. Even beyond this project, this will be a place where anyone will be able to add their stories to the fabric of Surly Ultimate Nation lore.
About The Filmmaker
Matt Wilken, aka “Rook”, is a professional filmmaker and educator with 15+ years of experience in documentary and commercial filmmaking work. His deep roots with Surly Ultimate Nation, which began in 2011, coupled with his expertise, make him the ideal person to tell this story that spans multiple generations.
What We Need/What You Get
Generous financial support from members of the Surly Ultimate Nation, our families, and our friends has been instrumental in helping us get this far into the creation of the documentary. We now need to raise an additional $50,000 to:
- Continue conducting interviews with the full gamut of teams and players and collecting more footage during the upcoming Ultimate season;
- Organizing, editing, and obtaining archival materials;
- Creating animations, motion graphics, and music;
In return for your partnership, you will get some fun and exciting perks. Check them out!
The Amplification
In addition to offering financial support, we would love to see partners like you amplifying the campaign by sharing it with your friends, family, and colleagues. At the end of the day, the success of projects like ours hinges on its visibility. Thank you in advance for your partnership!
Save the Date!
To help us end our campaign with celebration, Omar Ansari, the founder of Surly Brewing Co., is hosting a gathering at the destination brewery (Surly Brewing, 520 Malcolm Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414) on Saturday, March 22 from 3–6 p.m. We hope you are able to join us!