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Frisbee Has Flown Into The 21st Century.
chron.com — "The basics are so basic,"... "Once you know them, you can play." The Frisbee has been essentially unchanged since 1964, when Wham-O executive Ed Headrick made some modifications in an attempt to shift it from a novelty toy to a sports disc, adding a series of concentric rings to increase lift and adding weight to the outside rim for stability.
petsheep- 592 diggs
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- petsheep, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8FTA: "That's right, the Frisbee is 50. The idea is considerably older. Greek athletes were tossing a bronze discus 2,500 years ago. Fredrick Morrison and Lu Nay took up the challenge in 1937, when Morrison flipped a popcorn can lid at a Thanksgiving gathering hosted by Nay's family."
I smile just thinking about throwing the frisbee- SultanTravi, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I don't know if I would want to catch a bronze frisbee.. the 150 or so gram regulation Ultimate discs are heavy enough.
(Yes, I know the difference between discus and frisbee)
- SultanTravi, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I don't know if I would want to catch a bronze frisbee.. the 150 or so gram regulation Ultimate discs are heavy enough.
- sixthplanet, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Pluto Platter!
- alexf, on 10/11/2007, -3/+22As an ultimate frisbee player myself, I see the growth of the sport at club sign-ups every season. It really is a great sport that requires a lot of athletic abilities. I just wish it didn't have the stereotype of slackers/stoners labeled to it.
- ablez3, on 10/11/2007, -11/+3i usually smoke a joint after throwing around a frisbee.
- Comatose51, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11I don't know. As a ultimate player myself the thing that I love about frisbee is how laid back it is. The absence of referees and the spirit of the game are what it is all about for me. Go out and have fun. Winning should only be a 2nd priority. Frisbee is the only team sport I play for this reason.
- otatop, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Ultimate frisbee is very athletic, but other disc related things like disc golf and just tossing a frisbee around...not so much. I don't even think it's legal to not get high while playing disc golf.
- dwoo12, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Ultimate player here as well. Its a very fun and competitive sport. Our high school team had such a good run/time that we decided to form the same team for a rec league in first year University. We are pretty good, we won the tournament in high school. So far, we are undefeated in the rec league [i think its our speed ;-)].
The best aspect of the game is that it is a very relaxed and friendly sport. Anyone can pick up the disc and play, it isn't very complex (rulewise). It is easy, but there are throws to master that will bring your game to a whole new level. One of my friend is really good; its as if he was Krillin from Dragonball Z (inside joke). - psykiv, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Google sent me a blue frisbee about a month ago as a gift :)
Too bad none of my friends really like frisbee. - SleepJunkie, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Agreed completely. The amount of people getting into this sport is crazy. My summer league actually starts tomorrow and we have over 100 people from one county in NJ alone. Can't wait for my college ultimate team to start up again too.
- cozamonkey, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Lately frisbee has become one of the most popular pasttimes in my area, and not just for stoners/slackers, although I can understand why it might be labeled that way. For me, it's probably my favorite sport.
- schnoggi, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I think Ultimate is well-named. the vibe on the field is always great (although I do remember a few years ago NYC had a team that were *complete* assholes to each other...Kaboom maybe?), the players tend to be mellower and less jerky, plus there's just so much flair you can put into a toss, there's so much finesse.
I'd love to see it in the Olympics. I'd at least love to see it on TV once in a while, so much fun to watch.
how long until it displaces soccer in the US, like soccer did most everything else? ten years? twenty? - rajulkabir, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0> although I do remember a few years ago NYC had a team that were *complete* assholes to each other
I've played ultimate all over the world (normally play here in Kuala Lumpur). I travel frequently for work, pack a disc, and google up the local pickup games on weekends. You'd be surprised where you can find one.
It's always been a great experience, except once. I joined the Saturday afternoon pickup in Prospect Park, Brooklyn (NYC) and I don't think I've ever met a bigger pack of assholes in my life. A few decent folks, but basically they were rude, aggressive, and pushy. Totally went against the spirit of the game. Perhaps the same people? - SleepJunkie, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@rajulkabir
I know exactly who you're talking about. I've played pickup with them a few times and a hat tournament.
- jamesgott, on 10/11/2007, -5/+3frisbee is the *****. i dont need to read a story to know that!
- fivestarsoul, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8What about the Wacky Whizzer from Doug? That was better than frisbee.
- raptordrew, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Oh, the fond memories you just brought back...
- TooEarly, on 10/11/2007, -4/+10i think it's funny how there is a picture of ultimate being played, but yet any ultimate player knows that wham-o's suck ass.
screw wham-o's and their frisbees - get a disc from discraft.
and ultimate rocks, went to UPA Championships. Wisconsin blew Colorado out of the water.- s7rydr, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4idk why you are getting dug down tooearly, wham-o discs are horrible! discraft ultrastars are the best for ultimate
- Jfp221, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Wham-o now does make a UPA approved Frisbee, but Discraft Ultrastar is still the one used for the Championships
- nighthawk8713, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The 175g Discraft Ultrastar is the best disc around.
- NumberFour, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I'm a big fan of the nova myself. I didn't like it at first but now playing with anything else feels off.
- clkou, on 10/11/2007, -8/+2Essentially unchanged? Uh, nice try. Ever heard of an aerobie (http://aerobie.com/)? It can travel 1/4 of a mile. Quite a change I'd say. It's called the 21st century. Why don't you jump on board?
- raptordrew, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Yes, that is a bit of a change, but keep in mind that's not truly a frisbee - it's a disc, nonetheless, but it's not the frisbee we've all come to know and love.
- VirtualCtor, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@clkou
Aerobies are *so* last century. Aerobie, Inc. was established in 1984. - purple, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Aerobie's are great, I have one myself, but they don't suit the style of Ultimate.
Simply put, they fly too far, and too fast, that the game would either be 1 throw to the endzone, or a mile run.
Not that great for beginners.
- DroogInPhoenix, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2I think I hate Holidays, business was slow and this made front page with 37 diggs and 4 comments.
- Barbarino, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1Use to play frisbee golf all the time in college...
Then we use to smoke joints and find a big open field with play with an AEROBIE. - awoeonip, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1Frisbee : Disc :: Band-Aid : Bandage
on a side note, Frisbees suck. If you're playing college or club ultimate, you're most likely using Discraft Ultrastars. - doubledoh, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2I love Frisbees. I don't know why they're not more popular.
- acidbath123, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0"Have you wasted a whole day playing flight wheel? Now there's T'ird! T'ird combines the flight of a bird with the crawling of a turtle to create the only flight wheel that slowly comes back. First, throw your T'ird. Watch it soar up to a half-mile away! When it lands, its turtle legs will extend and T'ird will begin his long trek home..."
- rbdig, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5For anyone is in NYC, we have a "Frisbee 2.0" game going every Saturday at 4pm in Central Park:
http://groups.google.com/group/frisbee2point0/ - CayoHuesoDude, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1They still make Frisbees?
That's almost as quaint as the Constitution and the Bill Of Rights!
Remember kids.....
Use 'em before ya lose 'em.- aminom, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0You're buried because I am sick of people derailing comments with unrelated political crap.
- MalTheObscure, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1You know: for kids!
- trippinlikegod, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1A few of my friends and myself were just playing Frisbee drunk in the road at 3am the other night. Everyone else at the bars thought we were a bit strange but quite a few people wanted to join in. It's catchy (no pun intended), the police didn't think so but hey we all made it home free of steel bracelets.
- HappyScrappy, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Adding weight to the edge? Two edges?
Like an Aerobie you mean. - karamba_kid, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3http://nataliedee.com/051807/everyone-loves-ultimate-frisbee-though.jpg
- 1337pino, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Too bad Ultimate teams mainly use Discraft brand flying discs rather than th Wham-o brand that this article kept talking about. I know Wham-o makes the regulation 175 gram Ultimate Frisbee discs, too, but everywhere that I've played (and I play both college and recreational league...not to mention tournaments), they prefer the slight difference in the feel of the Discraft discs.
It's a a huge shame that Wham-o has copyrighted the name "Frisbee" as pretty much everyone calls a flying disc by that name.- tjex, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The Wham-o discs aren't as comfortable to use, the rim seems a little too big and too stiff. Give me a Discraft any day!
- Crash33, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0I used to love frisbee, I had one that my brother picked up for me down in Florida, It was black and had a green led on one side and a red on the other, it took a 9 Volt battery underneath and the on/of switch was on the top in the middle. It looked like a UFO at night, I can't think what the name of them was called, If anyone else knows the name of it let me know please.
- rajulkabir, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0There's one called the Flashlight you can find all over the place for around $20 (Target, etc.). It's not quite how you describe, though. White disc, LEDs throughout, uses a little button battery.
- devinmurphy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1You know you're a true "Ultimate" lover, when you're reading this story, and getting excited about the next time you're gonna play. Ultimate truly is a great game. Who's ready for "Major League Ultimate" ????
- Seatback, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Frolf, frisbee golf, Jerry. Golf with a frisbee.
- ahoy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Disc Golf at Elver Park in Madison, WI tomorrow... doubles anyone?
- decompyler, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Frisbee! Far out!....
What was the meaning of that?
I don't know. It was right in front of him. - Rkstar, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Hey... since people are posting frisbee games/groups here... for those in the Schenectady/Albany NY area, we play every Sunday at 4:30pm :)
http://www.myspace.com/scdydisc - spiffyfitz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Aerobie is the best frisbee, hands down. It flies forever (well... for a quarter mile)
http://aerobie.com/- RustedGod, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0I'll have to second that. Nothing beats an Aerobie for just throwing around. It'd be interesting to see how well it could replace the frisbee in Ultimate.
- HeyBob, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The best league around: http://TUC.org (Toronto)
- antjenkins, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Has anyone but me noticed that in the text of the story, it says there are "...more than 1,650 [disc golf] courses in the United States", but in the bullet points ("Frisbee Numbers"), it says "• 700 : Number of Frisbee Disc Golf courses in the United States."
I think the editor needs to be reprimanded. - j37hr0, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I threw my Aerobie too far and couldn't find it. I've never played Ultimate, do play quite a bit of disc golf. And yes the stoners are at the disc golf park all the time.
- radio1mike, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Growing up in the 70's and 80's, the Frisbee was staple at my house.
My favorite Frisbee was the Moonglo(w)- the glow in the dark Frisbee..! Awesome, until I lost in the ocean off of Matunuck. Damn. Great memories.
Where can you even buy a Frisbee now? The only thing I ever see, are generic flying discs, the Areobie or those flexi-flier thingys... - jallen2299, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Stoners now have another hallowed name to put beside the likes of Garcia and Marley. The inventor of the Frisbee, Fredrick Morrison.
- Etab, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Ultimate has seen substantial growth in the past few years; I'm a player myself. It's a really fun game that involves lots of teamwork, and is different from a lot of other sports in the sense that the game is played for the "love of the game."
I do have to admit, through my years of Frisbee-playing, I've never heard the term "Pluto Platter." - devonharlan, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0I love ultimate Frisbee and I'm not just saying that. I've noticed an interest in ultimate Frisbee growing in my school a lot lately. I would like to see it turn into a league in high school so you can play at a competitive level.
- Hubbell, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Frisbeetarianism: When you die your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.
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