Question of the Day - 08 January 2025

Thank you for asking. It provided the impetus for us to contact James Shorey, the owner and general manager of -- and a player for -- the Las Vegas Bighorns Ultimate Frisbee League franchise.

We were surprised and grateful to find him so accessible, receptive, and congenial, which we recognized as a reflection of "Spirit of the Game." That's a set of Ultimate Frisbee principles that place the responsibility for fair play on the players. As a ruling paradigm of ultimate, highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect among competitors, adherence to the rules, and the basic joy of play. It's the foundational reason that we enjoy UFA games so much -- that, and it's a great sport with serious athletes who can do honest-to-goodness physics-defying things with a frisbee. 

Here's what James told us.

How long have you been involved in Ultimate Frisbee? 

I’ve been playing ultimate frisbee since the summer of 8th grade in 2001. I got started in Cleveland rec leagues, which led to going to college nearby at Oberlin, where I had the pleasure of being an Oberlin Flying Horsecow for four years and coached the team the year after graduation. I then moved to Denver, where I continued to play for a team called Inception. Denver was competitive, so it was a good place to improve my game. I moved to Vegas in 2015 where the ultimate can be classified as more laid back than Colorado. I’ve been an active member of the ultimate community in Vegas since then.  

What brought you to Las Vegas 10 years ago?

I was working in the cannabis-cultivation industry in Denver when I was offered a job relocation to Vegas. At the time our company, MJardin, was making a large expansion to Vegas and I was excited by the opportunity after five years of Denver living.  

No, I meant what kind of car were you driving? (Kidding.)

Ha. I drove in in a 2001 Buick LeSabre I bought off craigslist a year prior to the move. It served me well in Denver and made the drive here no issue. I actually spent four out of five years in Denver with no car. It was surprisingly easy there. Here, there's no way.  

What do you like about living here?

The weather and the plethora of opportunity. Coming from Denver, I was excited at the prospect of being able to afford my own apartment.  

When you arrived, was there an ultimate scene? If so, did you get involved right away?

Less than a year after the move, in 2016, my college friend Elliot Sakach (who actually plays for the Houston Havok now) was temporarily working in Vegas and invited me to play in the Vegas rec league. I’ve been a regular ever since.  

How has the ulti scene changed over the past 10 years, both in Vegas and nationally?

Vegas has been a fun sleepy ultimate community since the beginning. We get along well as a community and it’s always been fun. There’s talented players in the community, but it suffers from a common Vegas problem -- over the years, the talent seems to move away for one reason or another.  

Nationally the sport has hit another gear. The name Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) is a year old and represents a hardworking push to the mainstream that wasn't ready to happen ten years ago. The league learns lessons every year and now it’s coming into its own maturity, so I’m excited that we’re able to be a part of it.  

How did the Bighorns come about? From what we understand, this has been a surprise to the UFA community.

It came about from a back and forth with the league that began in August this year. In August, I met with Andy Donahue, a friend since we met in the UNLV MBA program in 2021. Over drinks at Red Rock casino, I told him my plan for a Vegas UFA franchise. He followed up with, “We should email the UFA commissioner and see what’s possible." I could write a book about then to now, but it’s still surreal that here we are. Once they got over their surprise, I think they see where we’re going with this.  

Do you think you can field 12 players? 

Hah! After three days of tryout registrations, we had double that already. Now, 50 have signed up. There's a massive amount of interest in players traveling to Vegas to play and we already have tryouts from California, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado signed up.  

How do you think the summer heat will affect games in June and July?

Over the course of 2024, we attended multiple Las Vegas Lights [soccer] games and determined that it’s a non-issue. Game-start time will be around 7 p.m. at the earliest and our first home game is April 25. Our schedule is likely to be more heavy on home games in May and June to bypass the July heat.  

What can you say about other people in the Bighorns organization?

Andy Donahue has been a key player as chief of staff, but that's the organization thus far. I maintain 100% ownership and we’re looking to work with future partners who can elevate the organization to the high-quality threshold of other Vegas franchises.  

Do you have an idea how much single-game and seasons tickets will be?

We're excited to be an exciting low-cost outdoor spectator sport. Single-game tickets will be under $20 and season packages will include some awesome merchandise that’s on its way.  

Anything else you'd like to add? 

Thanks for all the questions! I certainly hope to see some Las Vegas Advisor members in the stands this spring!