Ultimate Frisbee has been around since the days of the hippies and peace movement.

Although it has seen considerable growth, it still remains a fringe sport; a subculture of sorts.

Now, however, it is played at universities all over the country.

Last fall, the Eau Claire ultimate Frisbee club, Eau-Zone, finished its season with a record of 17-4. ÿThe team later won the Hallo-Winona Tournament with an undefeated record and finished second at Eau Claire’s Disc Chaser Invitational, losing to Carleton College’s (Minn.) team GOP.ÿ

“Eau Claire ultimate frisbee grew so much this fall,” junior captain Kali Pace-Graczyk said. “I think this was the time where we truly became a team.”

Sophomore Jake Henderson agreed.

“17-4 was a total improvement from last year,” he said.

With the team on the up, Pace-Graczyk said Eau-Zone is looking to grow even more this season by finding more people to join the team.

“It is a lot of fun and you don’t even need to have played before to come,” she said.

This spring, Eau-Zone looks to its winter training to contribute to its success, Pace-Graczyk said.

“This team is going to have its best season yet,” she said.

The club will start its spring season with a trip to Baton Rouge (La.) next Thursday where it will play in the Mardi Gras Tournament March 1-2.

Eau-Zone will have to face the country’s largest Div. 1 schools at the tournament. Ohio State, Arkansas, Florida and Notre Dame are among their opponents.

Junior co-captain Bjorn Hagstrom said he’s optimistic about the season’s outcome.

“We are going to put E.C. ultimate frisbee on the map,” he said, “and just have an awesome year all around.”