For some, a summer vacation means sleeping in or relaxing by the pool. For Eau Claire native Chris Schasse and his friend from Minnesota, James Wagner, summer vacation meant giving up jobs and steady living arrangements to provide some publicity for the sport they love.

The duo has decided to spend three months traveling the western U.S., documenting Ultimate Frisbee and the subculture surrounding the sport. They are calling this adventure “The Break Side.” Updates and a weekly video will be featured on thebreakside.com, profiling prominent Ultimate players and interesting storylines surrounding the sport. The duo set a goal of raising $2,000 to fund the project via Kickstarter.com. After reaching the goal, Schasse followed through on a pledge to contributors by shaving his head.

The people, they claim, are what make Ultimate, well ... ultimate. “The spirit of the game” is a well-documented occurrence, even making it into USA Ultimate’s official rules of the game. Ultimate Frisbee often does not use officials, meaning that players must solve disagreements on their own, and players pride themselves on being respectful, passionate people on and off the field.

It’s this spirit the pair wishes to capture, following the exploits of athletes on and off the field. While several destinations are clear, the trip is largely unplanned. Spontaneity and adaptability are important in the sport of Ultimate, and are values important to Schasse and Wagner as well.

“The break side” is an Ultimate term referring to the side of the field a defender blocks. In a move Robert Frost would have been proud of, Schasse and Wagner are taking the road less traveled, throwing their metaphorical disc into the metaphorical defense. It’s a risky move that carries a high potential reward.