If you asked North Vancouver's Cole Keffer a couple of years ago what sport he would win his first world championship in, he likely would have given you an incorrect answer.
And just to be clear — it would not have been a ridiculous question. Keffer, who graduated from Sutherland secondary this year, is one of the most versatile multi-sport athletes the North Shore has ever seen.
First and foremost he's an elite rugby player. This summer he suited up for Canada's U19 national team in a rugby league tournament held in Glasgow just prior to the start of the Commonwealth Games. He's also starred in international tournaments for the provincial rugby sevens team and is an elite rugby union player for Capilano Rugby Club and the provincial team.
In soccer he played for the zone team at a B.C. Summer Games in 2008 and last fall he captained Sutherland to a provincial AAA title, driving the team from his centre midfield position. He's no slouch on the basketball court either, having just captained Sutherland to a win in the Howe Sound Championships while handling heavy offensive and defensive duties as the point guard.
And then there's inline hockey. He doesn't play it anymore — he's a little too busy, it seems — but when he did back in Grade 8, he was on a team that won an age-group national championship.
That is a lot of high-level, high-octane sport. So did Keffer ever imagine that a pastime more commonly associated with drum circles and lazy days on the beach would turn into his greatest triumph? No, he did not.
"I never would have imagined that I would have won my biggest tournament in ultimate," Keffer said last week after returning home from Lecco, Italy where he helped Canada score a thrilling 17-16 win over the four-time defending champs from the United States to win gold at the World Junior Ultimate Championships.
"Rugby is my main sport right now, I play more rugby than anything, so I was expecting something from rugby more than ultimate," said Keffer, adding that he doesn't think there are many athletes in the world who combine rugby and ultimate.
"There aren't too many of us," he said with a laugh while admitting that rugby is still his favourite sport. "(I love) the physicality of it. I've never played a full contact sport other than rugby. I just fell in love with every aspect of the game right away."
But that physicality is basically polar opposite of how the non-contact sport of ultimate is played. So does Keffer ever have the urge to just drill someone in ultimate if the disc isn't flying the way he wants it?
"Yup," he said. "Sometimes I get frustrated but I'm pretty good at controlling myself."
Anyone who has seen Keffer play any of his various sports knows what a talent he is — short, powerful and ultra-competitive, he also sticks out due to the shock of wavy blond hair that is always flowing behind him. Yet Keffer said he was still shocked to get an invite to join team Canada for his first international ultimate tournament this summer. He and a group of friends have been playing ultimate since Grade 2 and they've had many successes, including a win for Sutherland at the high school championships this spring. With the victories piling up, Keffer decided to take a shot at making the national team.
"I didn't think I would make it," he said. "It was just an amazing feeling being invited to play."
Things got even more amazing once the tournament started. Canada shone throughout the event, earning a place in the final against the four-time champs. Though underdogs, the Canadians felt a sense of confidence, said Keffer.
"I was nervous but I was confident with our team," he said. "We had a great tournament and we really came together." Once the final started, Canada took a slim lead and held it throughout the contest. The Americans, however, never let the gap get too big. They eventually tied the contest 16-16 forcing universe point (that's ultimate's exciting way of saying next point wins).
Canada had the advantage because they would control the disc first.
"We all felt confident that we would win the point because we were starting on offence, that if we didn't turn it over we would win the game," said Keffer. And then, just like that, it was over — one quick throw and then a long bomb to Canada's Darren Wu who soared above two U.S. defenders to grab the winning point.
"You could hear the crowd go crazy over his catch, everyone was rushing to him as he was running away celebrating," said Keffer. "It's kind of surreal. The moment that we won was one of the best moments of my life. And then after, thinking about it, it's a surreal feeling — we're the best team in that age group in the world."
This fall Keffer will put rugby back in focus as he begins a university career with the UBC Thunderbirds. His ultimate summer, however, isn't quite over — this week he's in Waterloo, Ont. for the Canadian Junior Ultimate Championships with the North Shore Bonfire, a local team that defeated the B.C. provincial team to earn the No. 1 seed heading into the tournament. The event wraps up today and the team is hoping to come away with gold.
"I have high expectations that we will win," said Keffer. "There are lots of other great teams in it so I don't know what to expect."
Not that Keffer seems to need any extra motivation when he suits up for any sport, but he is playing this week with added fire following the death of his grandfather Laurie Craddock. Craddock made it long enough to learn the news of the world championship win and now Keffer wants to win again in his honour.
"My biggest fan," said Keffer. "At nationals I'm really going to play for him, thinking of him."
