2023 TBUF - South Padre Island

You read that right! After a dozen +++ years, Galveston and cleats on sand finally got kicked to the curb. TBUF got rebranded as a 2 day, 4s tournament in South Padre - and we just had to see what it was about. Just eating at Ceviche Ceviche made the 6 hour drive worth it.

This felt like our most wholesome tournament - with 3 couples, 2 dogs, sisters, a child - and not to mention, a man with Giardia.
With our ears and flash tats on, we headed out for a fun day of mixed beach ultimate. What we faced, however, was the Houston Men’s Professional team and the Team USA Women’s Beach team, lol. At least our crossover was evenly matched (and we’re hoping to see some Dammit Mearle stickers on TV). The weather was also perfectly perfect, and only some of us got sunburned.

After playing, we chilled in the pool, took naps, and ate takeout before heading over to the wedding reception party at the hotel motel Holiday Inn.

There was some spook in the air about Sunday getting rained out, but it was also perfectly perfect. We played tlacuaches - and won on universe. Then we got to play another men’s team who happened to be able to find some women players.

On the way home, we did encounter the storm. It’s hard to say what was the lowest point for me: 1. ugly panic crying over the bridge or 2. Our full car sprinting into Love’s during a torrential downpour only to find out the assholes locked the store.

Highlights:

  • the puppies! (Donkey and June)

  • seeing a family casually walking an alpaca

  • the weather & sand

  • our cart! Thanks, Sam!

  • our coach, Genie

  • our support system, Mikayla & Jami

  • surviving the shit storm we drove through

  • peeing on Love’s

  • Tlacuaches spirit circle and game


More pics can be found here from Matthew Brooks! And even more here!

2023 LeiOut (Rain Out)

Memories from the first LeiOut in 3 years!

  • Pudding Regrets - when you order mousse and you eat too much of it. Can be used for any other regret as well

  • Raw doggin’ - when you wake up and don’t drink coffee, or according to Olivia, do another number of unhinged things

  • Double Door Deplane - an empty promise from SouthWest

  • Tiny House Nation - a lifestyle full of hope and regret

We stayed in Newport in a really sweet house with a chef’s kitchen, 6 burner gas stove, flat top, warming drawer, and a whole second kitchen. The breakfast spreads were lit this year - we didn’t let the egg shortage scare us. Our little rooftop deck was adorable and we were able to capture some golden hour photos - thanks Mik!

Unfortunately for us, California was getting record amounts of rainfall - and we didn’t get too lucky with the weather on Saturnday. This picture kinda sums up the Saturday sentiment.

Our schedule was wack!

Saturday:

  • 1 full game - rain starts midway

  • 1 cold, long bye

  • 1 half game in wind and rain, we lose half the team to frostbite

  • TDs finally call the tournament

  • Highlights: It’s CORN! ABQ friends, getting home to the warmth, Negina being a hero

Sunday: Quarter finals for 33rd place (This is how you lose up)

  • Games start at 9am instead of 10

  • First opponent is confused, so they arrive late. We play maybe 5 points.

  • Second game was super fun, sunny, and we played incredibly and won.

  • Third game (semis), opponent no-showed

  • Fourth game (finals), super fun, competitive game, for a close loss

  • Highlights: volleyball between rounds, spirit games, Becca coming by and bringing the sunshine, acro, color-guard post-finals show, hot toddy, thai food

See more pics here! (Mostly from Mikayla)

2022 Sandblast, Last Blast

After 20 years of of the event, a 2 year pandemic break, we’re back in action on Montrose beach! It’s the best it ever looked. Also it was my bday weekend, woohoo!!

Memories:

  • House was a shit hole

  • Weather was nice

  • Then weather was cold and rainy

  • Then weather okay

  • Then cold and rainy & stormy - we took a lightening break under the overpass and had a little photoshoot. POTATO!!

  • We bought double the alcohol order, it was not wasted

  • Then Sunday was the most spectacular day ever, hot and sunny

  • Everyone went to bed early on Saturday which made my heart sing

  • We bought extra beers, they were wasted (whoopsie)

  • Flights were crazy there and back (lots of delays)

  • Sand in all the wrong places was such a delightful team to play (warrior theme and lots of games)

  • Marlena kicked ass at her first beach tournament - she also go married to Luis game 1

2020 LeiOut

Perhaps the best one so far?! Could it be true?

  • Best home (2 sides of duplex by the beach)

  • Best home cooked breakfast (all the fixin’s)

  • 3-3 record with super clean play

  • Ice baths & leg drains

  • Reilly running into the glass door

  • Fun group dinners

All pics compliments of Matthew Slimmer can be found here!

2019 Sandblast, Grassblast

This year due to 1. An endangered bird species nesting on Montrose Beach and 2. Massive flooding of a lot of beaches in town including Montrose – Sandblast had to be relocated last minute to grass. Day 1 was in Washington Park (about a 45 minute drive from our AirBnB and almost in Indiana) and Day 2 was 10 minutes farther south than that on Rainbow Beach.
While, at first, we were shocked by the news – it turned out to be an awesome experience. We saw the city from all directions, kicked ass on grass, and had fun on beach.

Here are some of our fondest memories:

  • Doug catching water balloon in mouth

  • 4-0 on grass

  • Allegra convincing the TD and that poor team to play goaltimate against us as one of their sand games, since they failed so miserably at getting us off the field.

  • Giant (free) bottle of sunscreen

  • The honey point, with weekend champions–Marlena and Nathan.

  • Field cooler (and Samules & Mimosas)

  • Cubs game for those that went

  • Acroyoga demonstrations in the kitchen and grass of Paul’s latest and greatest skills from Seattle.

  • Flight cancellation with bonus day for finally going on architecture cruise in Chicago with Higgs and Max.

  • Baby birding Higgs when I almost accidentally did drugs

  • Erin’s bail out huck to sparkles

  • Holding seed, but most importantly, winning top 3 in spirit!

  • Doublehappiness sharing out post!

  • Erin’s full album here

2019 Copa Tanga

Woo! The Mearles traveled to Europe for the first time since Cuddlepuddle’s tour at Windmill. I think we can all agree that the Spanish are crazy (9pm dinner, 12am party time.) When do they sleep?!

We did power through, and here are some of our favorite memories:

Party House vs Quiet House – and various ways to enter said houses. (Crawling over many doors, having an old couple stare you down thinking you’re breaking in)

Custom Dammit Mearle tights made a debut, great success!

Tough jersey trade market, but a few successful trades nonetheless (gotta teach those Europeans what its all about)

The Czech gal who said “you expect a lot of strange things at this tournament, but I’d never expect to play a team from Austin, Texas called Dammit Mearle” while laughing hysterically.

The new Danish team that said “we didn’t really know what to expect from this game. We saw you were Americans but you weren’t really warming up…”

Learning that Europeans take frisbee very seriously..but also take partying very seriously. CHOOSE ONE OR THE OTHER! 

Breaking seed! 3 & 3

The abysmal Day 2, Game 1 that we do not speak of.

Sparkle’s Bday and surprise ice!!!

The best all you can eat Japanese restaurant!

The worst restaurant!

The fun surf themed restaurant where I genuinely think our waiter thought we were pro frisbee players or something!

2019 LeiOut

Our Favorite Memories from our 5th LeiOut!

Full album here by Matthew Slimmer!

  • Acro yoga!!

  • Max ceiling water bowl “trick”

  • banana straw

  • The $10 avocados!

  • ZAMBONI!

  • Best dance party ever

  • Glitter tats still going strong

  • Our skirts!

  • Pingpong in the garage

  • Introducing games and spirit to a first timer team.

  • Getting on the perfect spirit score list!

  • Baker’s flight fiasco

  • Breakfast power porridge, Quinoa Gruel!

  • Dat Blood Wolf moon lunar eclipse

  • Upper deck ices, All the ices and the love note from Sparkles (1- intro table 2- coffee cabinet 3- bakers bed 4- my shoe 5-master bathroom 6 – toilet)

  • Tandem bikes

  • Remaining undefeated at Sumo wrastlin’.

Oh yeah and Monday we had a challenging crossing to the end of a long jetty with strong winds and sea water hitting us. At the end was a tower with a rusty old ladder that Sam decide to climb up on and take am epic pic from

Our home that was kinda falling apart but kinda perfect.

2018 Sandblast

Memorable Memories:

  • Chris showing up to the airport with Party Car only to realize his flight wasn’t for another 3 hours #loungelife

  • The dice that would never hit #fridaythe13th

  • Playing frisbone in lovely, sprinkley weather

  • Introducing our new “fun facts” spirit game with Allegra being the MC

  • Pep talks from “The Coach” and “The Coordinator”

  • Discovering that “Sam-Mule” is a better name that “Spicy Ginger Drink That Sam Makes”

  • Eating at the same Ramen place by accident

  • Allegra shotgunning a beer and immediately barfing it up right outside the restaurant in broad daylight

  • The rest and rally group strolling to the party bar at 11 only to find no more frisbee people, a dresscode, and a douchebag bouncer.

  • When the gal on Gilligan’s Island got snotty with Allegra about how picks work

  • Erin accidentally saying that our first game might start at 11 and everyone throwing their phones into a ditch and going out until 3AM

  • Sunday being the most beautiful sunny day and getting a rebuttal win first thing in the AM!

  • Playing GOALTIMATE!!

  • Mini Flipcup!

  • Reid’s beautiful and clever scoreboards

  • Playing the “captain’s gift for erin” game – 5v5, stall anywhere.

  • YUMMY diner style burgers after a hard day’s work

  • Playing all the games at Cork bar – pool, shuffleboard, darts

  • Second dinner!!!

 Full Photo Album Here!!!

2018 LeiOut

Another one in the books. Memories to note:

  • All 6 of us paying with our Chase Sapphire Card at the Italian restaurant.

  • Our awesome 3-story house.

  • Bookbag dance & boys learning it

  • nintendo switch – on the flight and the whole group playing on Sunday eve

  • baker throwing the rumchata across the room with 1/2 of it left in it.

  • That sweet fireplace in the living room and Max’s mad fire skills.

  • All the glitter tats

  • Sam’s proud 4×4

  • Playing savage women for last game Saturday and winning!

  • “Ass called” play working over and over – duh

  • Max being party of an elite group of sting ray victims.

  • When both Allegra’s car and Baker’s car raced to the 1 driveway, both missed the turn, had to turn around and Baker barely won.

Full photo album provided by Matthew Slimmer can be found here!

2017 Sandblast

Best memories:

  • Marshall leaving our bouji happy hour in search of Irish Coffee, being gone forever and coming back with an expensive concoction only to say “They don’t have Bailey’s and they never did.”

  • Our full team spirit game – everyone doing the pop balloon game.

  • The creepy (awesome) murder basement with not one, but two washers and dryers.

  • Singing Happy Birthday to Marshall at the pizza place.

  • The plush grass in the backyard of our Air BnB

  • (Attempting to) Name the silhouettes on the disc

  • Paul getting the shit trolled outta him on text message leading him, Robin, Allegra and Sam to super lame bars.

  • Square dancing at the gay bar before dinner!

  • The drag show at the same bar after dinner!

  • Glitter faces.

  • Spotting the upside down Mearle flag that was traded to a Chicagoian in Boracay.

  • Matthew providing photographic evidence of our experience and providing a break from the wind.

  • Our 6th place victory and our positive air bnb review!!

Full photo album can be found here!

2017 Boracay & Back

What an experience.

Full facebook photo album here and Matthew’s wonderful photos here.

THURSDAY: Arrive on the Island after a full day of travel. No time to sleep – must meet up with the group and find out what’s going on.

Dave organizes the group and we grab a trike to Ariel’s House then boat out to Ariel’s Point. I had to wake Marshall from a coma sleep. So much drool. Worth it.

$50 for a full day of boozing, cliff diving, lunch, snorkeling (bright blue star fish) and relaxing. Clear water, clear skies. Perfect day.

Day wraps up with a Chinese dinner, a game of quarters & captains meeting. Marshall tried to be Scott’s wingman.

After not wanting to swap into C-Pool with the Finnish team it was confirmed: Elite Pool.

FRIDAY: Breakfast @ Sunnyside. Start the day with playing the Boracay Dragons. They’re kind of a big deal. They bageled us. I mean, they’re good but we also didn’t play our game. I was able to find enough energy for a point or two.

Next game: Beached Whales. A mixed group from UK. I thought we could take ’em – but we fell short.

Final game: Dime Piece. We’d heard about them – how they like to “win the party.” It was a contested match. We wanted to win it for Ekk. They ended victorious by 2. Close match, fun game.

End day 0-3

Friday Night Party: Some people went HARD. I mean H.A.R.D. We walked for what seemed like forever to Station 1. The party was bumping when we arrived. I hard stopped at 11pm. Others closed it down circa 2:30.

SATURDAY: Breakfast @ Sunnyside. A man down. Aubrey can’t recall how he injured his ankle the night before. A lot of players looking rough.Mikayla missed the whole first game! We play NexGen (baby pirates) for the crossover game. We suspect they blew the game so they could win B-Pool. Their median age was 14. They were fun to play and we’re happy to take the W.

Next game was meant to be Dragons again, but we played the Boracay Pirates to mix it up. We scored 8 on them! Final score 8-14.

At some point, I handed a mearle sticker to someone and they asked “oh is this the state of texas.” LMAO

End day 1-1

Saturday Night Party: Coachella

Coachella = Flash tats

Memories: Top 40, breaking it down low, tequila shot, glittering faces, pizza pretzel (amazing), finger lights (errbody wanted ’em)

SUNDAY: Breakfast @ Sunnyside 2 Games left. We played the Australian Masters team Cooee followed by Dime Piece part 2.

End day 0-2.

FINALS: Pirates vs Dragons – Pirates victorious on universe point.

Remember that time the Dragons handler let the pull hit him? That was weird.

Remember that time the Pirates woman with the cat ears was awesome. Yes.

Remember that AMAZING greatest that led to a score? Pirates – 4ever.

Jersey Exchange: Did I pressure a 14 y/o to take my jersey with humping animals on it so I could take his Boracay Dragons jersey? Yes. Am I proud? No. Do I have regrets? Absolutely not. I gave him some stickers too.

MONDAY: Breakfast @ Sunnyside – Bye Bye Boracay. I’ve never felt so good leaving a tournament 1-6.

Honorable Mentions:

Mango Shakes, ocean spirit circles, sunsets, fire dancers, dammit mearle flags, electric energy, paradise, bad mani/pedis

2017 It’s Official: Dammit Mearle’s Spirit Games

Humpy Balloon

Props needed: balloons!

Make 2 teams of 6 (or however many) – Our team vs their team

Each person blows up a balloon. The relay race consists of players running 10 feet, putting their balloon on their back, and the next person popping it by humping them. Remember, you can’t use your hands, feet, or teeth!

Air Humping

Props needed: 2 rectangle Kleenex boxes, a bunch of ping pong balls, string

Put about half of the ping pong balls in each Kleenex box. Strap a box around the waist of two selected spirit winners. The first person to shake the ping pong balls out of the box wins! Twerking encouraged!

Mearle & Sadie Look Up, Look Down

Variation of “look down, look up”
When two people’s eyes meet they start barking at each other until one of them laughs or runs out of breath – losing the bark-off . The winner stays in the circle.

2017 THE HOT TUB BUNGALOW: A VENICE BEACHSIDE ESCAPE

We had a lovely time in our sweet abode. Read some of the reviews here:

“Even with a full house there was plenty of hot water; only burned myself a handful of times.”

“Enjoyed our time in LA during some unexpected cool weather, especially cuddling for body heat without any blankets in the house.”

“The energy efficient features of the house were a pleasant surprise, just had to flip the breaker in the morning to restore power.”

“The second queen bed was so comfortable it reminded me of home, the California State Correctional Facility.”

“Who needs 8 coffee mugs when you’ve got a gravy boat”

 “The stains on the pillows added a down to earth feeling to the home.  I felt humbled by the complimentary lack of pillow cases.”

“Getting into the house was like solving a puzzle! I don’t want to spoil the mystery here, but be ready to have some fun!”

“Operating the front gate was the perfect addition to my daily muscle beach workout”

“It was really nice of the owners to offer to drive by 3 blankets, since there were barely enough for 3 out of the 5 sleeping spaces.  It would have been nicer had they actually brought those blankets over, but we all know: it’s the thought that counts.” 

“There’s probably not a man named Rudy living in a crawl space, wielding a flag pole.”

“The hallway bathroom has a cute, vintage toilet that will remind you of the screaming souls of prior guests.”

“The house has that very trendy low quality-high price feel, but it does have a hot tub. 4 stars!”

“After a long day on the beach, the feeling of bed springs thrusted into your back could be argued as therapeutic.”

“If you’re looking for authentic Venice Beach accommodations –look no further”

“House was great. The couch was super comfortable. Only problem was this creepy tall dude that just showed up and walked around naked. I couldn’t get him to put pants on, but at least he told some good jokes. “

“Who needs handles on kitchen drawers when the flush edges double as nail files?”

“The lack of stairs off the back deck was no problem because the haphazardly rolled hose stuck out just enough to keep me alert and on my toes.”