Get to Know Our Friends at VC Ultimate

In September, Quidditch Canada announced an apparel partnership with VC Ultimate. We’re excited to introduce you to Jess, our contact at VC Ultimate. Jess is a bilingual sales and customer experience representative at VC Ultimate, and is an athlete herself! We asked her some questions about the company, and to share how our two organizations are aligned:

What is VC Ultimate and when was the company founded?

VC was created by ultimate players in Montreal, Canada in 1998 to fill a void in the market for ultimate (Frisbee) apparel. Now headquartered in Toronto, our mission has remained the same: to produce team uniforms and apparel of the highest quality, while living up to our reputation for innovation, great customer service, and active community involvement.

How did you yourself first get involved with the company?

I was a customer first! I was in charge of ordering the uniforms for the 4 ultimate women’s teams in Montreal. Working with VC was just a blessing. All the employees were so nice and we loved the gear and overall service they provided us. Every time I was emailing Adriana (VC’s CEO) she was like, “Hi from Vancouver!” or “Hi from San Diego!”… and I said, “Darn, I want your job!”. Adriana asked what I was doing for a living. That’s how it all started and a few weeks later I was starting at VC! 

How did VC Ultimate first come across quidditch? And what were your initial impressions of the sport?

We started working with Jessalynn Tsang from the Quidditch Canada National Team last year. Their sister is a 6ixers player which is Toronto’s elite women’s ultimate touring team so they knew the gear. I was especially happy to learn how quidditch was a sport creating athletic spaces that are both inclusive and supportive of all gender identities. The quidditch values of fair play, collaboration, leadership, accessibility, tenacity, growth and community are perfectly aligned with what we stand for at VC! 

VC Ultimate, like Quidditch Canada, takes pride in its diversity and inclusivity. What has VC Ultimate done and what will they continue to do to continue to abide by those values?

The fight for social justice is a marathon, not a sprint. We’ve been training for this marathon for years at VC, but it’s time that we get into the race. We recently committed to reinvest at least 10% of our annual revenue into ultimate organizations and initiatives, support BIPOC organizations with cash, contribute a portion of every sale of any product that has any roots in a fight for equality, build a diverse board of directors and invest in and amplify BIPOC community members’ voices and initiatives. You can read more details about our commitment here: https://ca.vcultimate.com/blogs/news/commitment-to-fight-for-social-justice

VC Ultimate started with its focus on ultimate frisbee teams. Do you believe that taking on Quidditch Canada is a good next step for the brand?

After many years focusing solely on ultimate, we are now expanding to other sports. This involves developing styles often requested by our customers for their “offseason” non-ultimate teams. We want to provide #onlythebest support year-round to our customers. We are proud to have partnered with Quidditch Canada to offer custom sublimated uniforms to our nation’s best elite players.

We’re excited to get to know the sport, and your community members, better!

If you yourself were to play quidditch what position would you play? (Beater, Chaser, Keeper or Seeker)

Oh my god I would LOVE to try! I think I would be a Chaser as I’m a thrower and love to do lots of passes!

Shop Quidditch Canada at VC Ultimate by visiting https://ca.vcultimate.com/collections/quidditch-canada