Dissociated Thoughts

History of Flying Disc Sports, Now Known as Frisbee Sports

This particular prompt has been a challenge. I was all set to create a bobble head museum and found to my chagrin that there already is one in existence. I wanted my exhibit to be unique, so I thought harder on what I would really like my museum exhibit to be about. What I decided on can be read below.

November 2nd PROMPT:
You are curator of a museum. This museum has an area of interest to you. Take us on a guided tour of your latest exhibition.

Did you have a frisbee when you were a kid? Did you ever wonder where they came up with the idea? Were you aware there are multiple flying disc sports played in the world today? My museum exhibition takes you through the history of the flying disc and the sports that have blossomed around it.

Our first display takes us back to the year 1926, when in Bladworth, Saskatchewan, Canada a group of bored elementary school kids began tossing metal lids into circles drawn in the dirt. Back then they called the game "Tin Lid Golf." This fun pastime spread...

** Next Display ** Then in the 1940's a guy by the name of Walter Frederick Morrison became so infatuated by tossing tin lids, he invented and produced the world's very first plastic flying saucers. (indicates a glass case containing one of the rare original plastic saucers for people to view)

** Next Display ** By the 1950's, flying discs were all the craze, as they captured a person's dreams and fascination for flight. "In the beginning, playing with the Frisbee in the 1950s and 60s wasn’t about competition, it was about playing with a Frisbee disc that flies." - The History of Frisbee and Disc Sports. The basics of throwing flying discs began during this time and continued to develop through the 1960's. And in 1958, the first International Frisbee Tournament was held in Eagle Harbor, Michigan. - (photos and discs from this era on display)

** Next Display ** The 1960's saw a rise in the popularity of the flying disc as a sport. It is in this decade that Wham-o designed and released the first “Official Pro Model” to introduce the Frisbee as a flying disc to be used as a sport. Disc sport's first skilled athletes began showing up on the scene and the world saw the birth of Freestyle, followed by sports such as Ultimate, Guts, and an early form of disc golf - which were all conceived from Freestyle play. It makes sense that it was also during this time that the two main manufacturers of flying discs, Wham-o and Irwin Toy, would begin throwing tournaments and tours to promote these sports, giving rise to organized disc sports. The first of the Frisbee clubs showed up on the scene at the end of this decade as well. - (glass cases would have original flyers from tours and tournaments from the late 60's, photos of disc athletes in action, and the discs of that time)

** Next Display ** The 1970's could be considered the Decade of Disc Sports. Building on the popularity of disc sports seen in the later years of the 60's, disc sports reached new heights. The first multi-event disc tournaments and tours were held across the US and in parts of Canada. Events such as the World Frisbee Championships, Indoor Frisbee Festival, International Frisbee Tournament, and both the Vancouver Open and Canadian Open Frisbee Championships were first held. These events presented all of the different disc sports which had been created to date including guts, freestyle, disc golf, ultimate, double disc court (DDC) and several Frisbee individual events like accuracy, distance, maximum time aloft, and the discathon. Frisbee sport publications appeared designed to help promote disc sports and the tours and tournaments held for them. Frisbee clubs became more widespread. Tournaments for single events like disc golf or ultimate began to appear, some with prizes like vehicles for the winners. Organizations like the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) and the Ultimate Players Association (UPA) were created. - (glass cases hold photos and clips of events, discs, flyers, examples of the Frisbee publications of the time, examples of the tone poles, original disc golf basket displayed)

** Next Display ** During the 1980's the disc sport ride sped on. Tours and tournaments continued. Canada get's its first 18 hole disc golf course on Toronto Island, and the PDGA becomes a player-run organization, formalizing the rules of play for disc golf. The World Flying Disc Federation made their debut as well. Players create new throws and make adjustments to old throws in order to throw farther, do harder tricks, and increase their accuracy. Innova, a new disc manufacturer appears, making their name with a new design for the flying disc, one with a beveled edge rim, that changes the way disc sports are played, especially disc golf. Discs begin to be made specifically for the different disc sports and new disc sports are created. Disc golf targets continue to evolve to allow for better catch etc. and courses began popping up in parks all over the place. - (cases include flyers, photos from tournaments and clubs, a first run Innova disc, some of the other new disc designs created in the 80's, common disc golf basket of the 80's)

** Next Display ** 1990's through present - The 1990's through 2020 showed a slow-down in the overall growth of disc sports but not a disappearance. New manufacturers of golf discs came on the scene and along with Innova, have made modifications to discs, using new molds and plastic blends to help with the weight, flight, and durability of the discs. As of 2021, there are now about twenty actively producing golf disc manufacturers and another fourteen who no longer produce/actively produce them. Better disc golf baskets have also been designed and continue to be upgraded. As far as regular flying discs, the number of companies manufacturing those are countless, as they are still produced as toys for children.
Halls of Fame were created for Ultimate in both the US and Canada, and the PDGA Hall of Fame was created in Georgia. Soccer fields were and are used for Ultimate and Freestyle. More disc golf were installed and more continue to be installed. Disc sports continued progressing and growing, even when the popularity of the sports waned.
When Covid-19 hit, disc sports like disc golf saw a resurgence in interest. Here was a set of sports that were social-distancing friendly that people could play outside rather than having to remain in their homes bored.

And for many of us, disc sports aren't just sports, they've become a way of life.

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