More Than a Tournament: How Chronos Ultimate Fest Is Growing Ultimate Frisbee in the Philippines

For many Filipinos, a Frisbee is something you casually throw around at the park or on the beach.

It isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when talking about competitive sports. Basketball dominates conversations, volleyball fills arenas, and football continues to grow, while Ultimate often remains misunderstood as little more than a recreational pastime.

Chronos wants to change that.

Through the Chronos Ultimate Fest and Anime Battlefront, the homegrown sports apparel brand is doing more than organizing another tournament. Together with co-organizer Dog Pound Ultimate, Chronos is creating a space where athletes can compete, newcomers can discover the sport, and the Ultimate community can celebrate the culture that has kept it growing for years.

For Chronos founder Lloyd, that mission didn’t begin with a tournament.

It started with a simple idea.

From a Vision to the Ultimate Community

“I started Chronos without a factory or a big team—just a vision,” he recalled. Today, that vision has grown into a company with more than 120 employees serving hundreds of schools, clubs, companies, and sports organizations across the country. Since launching in 2018, Chronos has produced nearly five million shirts, a journey built through constant problem-solving rather than overnight success.

The company’s growth eventually led it into different sports, but Ultimate quickly became one of the communities that left the deepest impression.

“What I wanted was for more people to know that Frisbee is actually a sport,” Lloyd said. “Some people think it’s just throwing a disc around, but it’s really competitive. I came from football, and when I tried Ultimate, I realized it could even be more physically demanding.”

That realization turned into genuine investment.

Long before organizing tournaments, Lloyd wanted Chronos to become part of the Ultimate community. One of his earliest goals was for the brand to partner with the Philippine national team—a dream that became reality in 2022 when Chronos began producing jerseys for the country’s Ultimate squads. Since then, Lloyd has traveled to support the national team abroad while continuing to sponsor local tournaments and community events.

For him, Ultimate stopped being another market.

It became a community worth building alongside.

Building the Chronos Ultimate Fest

That same philosophy inspired the creation of Chronos Ultimate Fest.

Initially, Lloyd considered celebrating his birthday with a fashion event that would showcase the company’s apparel. Instead, he realized there was a better way to celebrate.

“I thought about throwing a birthday party or a fashion event,” he shared. “But I realized I’d rather celebrate by giving something back to the community that helped build Chronos. Now, instead of celebrating alone, I get to celebrate with hundreds of athletes every year, and that makes it more meaningful.”

What began as a birthday celebration has grown into an annual gathering that players now eagerly anticipate.

According to the organizers, athletes were already asking just weeks after the inaugural tournament when the next Chronos event would be held. The enthusiasm convinced them that the event had become something the community genuinely looked forward to, not simply another stop on the calendar.

Helping bring that vision to life is Dog Pound Ultimate, which co-organizes the event and ensures that the tournament reflects the values of the Ultimate community itself.

While Chronos elevates the event through customized team kits, production, partnerships, and branding, Dog Pound Ultimate contributes the perspective of players who understand the culture from within. Together, they have built an event that feels less like a traditional tournament and more like a celebration of everything that makes Ultimate unique.

That vision extends beyond what happens on the field.

Every participating team receives customized Chronos jerseys, giving athletes the feeling of competing in a professionally produced event. Around the tournament are partner booths, activities, sponsor exhibits, and Anime Battlefront, transforming the weekend into something that appeals to both players and spectators.

The goal isn’t simply to crown champions.

It’s to create an experience people want to return to every year.

That approach also reflects what Chronos wants its name to represent.

The brand itself draws inspiration from Chronos, the Greek god of time. Lloyd chose the name after noticing that many iconic sports brands also borrowed from Greek mythology. Ironically, he admits that he used to struggle with always being late.

Naming the company Chronos became a personal reminder that if he wanted to build something meaningful, there was no better time to start than now.

That reminder eventually evolved into the company’s philosophy.

Time is Now.

For Lloyd, it means taking action, creating opportunities, supporting athletes, and building relationships that extend far beyond selling jerseys.

“We don’t just make apparel,” he explained. “We create experiences, support athletes, and build relationships that last.”

What Makes Ultimate Different

Ultimate proved to be the perfect sport to embody that philosophy.

Unlike most team sports, Ultimate is built around the Spirit of the Game, a principle that places honesty, respect, and integrity at the center of competition.

There are no referees making every call.

Instead, players resolve disputes themselves, discussing fouls and contested plays before agreeing on how the game should continue. Even at the highest levels of competition, athletes are expected to balance fierce competition with mutual respect.

That culture continues after the final point.

At the end of every match, opposing teams gather in a Spirit Circle, where they congratulate one another, discuss moments from the game, and even offer feedback that could help both teams improve. Many tournaments also recognize a Most Spirited Team, honoring sportsmanship alongside athletic performance.

It is a tradition that perfectly captures what makes Ultimate different.

Players compete intensely.

Then they celebrate together.

The community itself also breaks many of the stereotypes people have about organized sports.

Mixed divisions allow men and women to compete together. New players are welcomed regardless of experience. Athletes frequently move between teams in different tournaments, making it easier for newcomers to improve without feeling excluded.

As one organizer explained, Ultimate may have many clubs, but it still feels like one family.

That openness has also helped Chronos grow.

Many Ultimate players are working professionals who introduced the brand to their companies and workplaces. Others participate in multiple sports—from pickleball to badminton—allowing Chronos to naturally expand into new communities through relationships built on the Ultimate field.

Supporting Ultimate, Lloyd says, ultimately became a way of giving back to the people who helped the company grow.

For those discovering the sport for the first time, Ultimate offers far more strategy than many expect.

Played seven-on-seven, the objective is to move the disc into the opposing end zone. Unlike football or basketball, however, players cannot run while holding the disc. Every possession becomes a puzzle requiring movement, timing, communication, and quick decision-making.

Throwers must anticipate where teammates will be.

Cutters must create space.

Everyone must keep moving.

The result is a fast-paced, physically demanding game where athleticism is matched by constant problem-solving.

More Than a Tournament

Perhaps that’s why Chronos Ultimate Fest has resonated so strongly.

The event showcases the intensity of Ultimate while preserving the welcoming culture that has defined the sport from the beginning.

It celebrates competition without sacrificing community.

It highlights athletic excellence while reminding players that respect remains just as important as victory.

In many ways, that mirrors Chronos itself.

The company may have built its reputation by making jerseys, but through its partnership with Dog Pound Ultimate, it is now helping create something far more lasting than apparel.

It’s helping build a tradition.

One where athletes gather not only to compete, but to reconnect.

One where newcomers discover that Frisbee isn’t simply a game in the park.

And one where the Ultimate community continues to prove that sometimes, the strongest victories aren’t measured by the scoreboard—they’re measured by the people who keep coming back year after year.