Jon “Frozone” Atkins, aka Jacob’s friend first became obsessed with the sport he’d later learn to call Ultimate at a family wedding in Amherst, Massachusetts, which featured the traditionally-Amherst pre-nuptual ceremonial game to 15. As a frisky 11-year-old without his soon-to-be trademark lank, a young Frozone quickly fell in love. Later, after his high school baseball season ended early because the outfield had a jazz band concert, Frozone took the opportunity to join and later help name Commonwealth Deep Throw, unknowingly altering the trajectory of his life After an illustrious career with Tufts University’s C-Men, captaining Juggalos Against Illuminati Leadership (JAIL) to an invite to Boston Invite and multiple honorable mentions for best Wildwood team name, Frozone took his middling frisbee talent to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Following a fascination with ethnic conflict and nationalism, a passion for geographic complexity and a desire to test his belief in inter-cultural harmony, after graduating, Frozone moved to Jerusalem as part of Solidarity of Nations – Achvat Amim. There he lived in a communal house, studied the fascinatingly complex geopolitical and cultural history of the city and region, and spent his days working for various NGOs. Those organizations included a multi-cultural school (Yad-Be-Yad) in Jerusalem, an Clean Energy Tech company based in the South Hebron Hills and, a quirky little organization that promoted multi-cultural understanding by helping kids of different backgrounds throw a round plastic disc at each other. It was through this, that an increasingly dissheveled Frozone joined the ranks of UP, through weekly spikeball sessions and hosting community shabbats. He served as a regular assistant coach in Rehovot and Beit Sahour, and joined renowned Worlds runner-up, J-City Lights and enjoyed a brief, shin-splinted stint with the Middle East’s very own Oy Vey! before finally joining his first Ultimate Peace camp in Summer 2017.
Frozone currently resides in Washington, DC, doing something startuppy with politics and data and is involved with frisbee and equity issues there through his role on the WAFC Equity committee.