There is a box of Frisbee plastic in the basement that has been carried forward from the 1970's. Back then, Wham-o was the sole source of respectable disks and the cognoscenti liked to note and collect disks from certain preferred molds. I was also giving Frisbee golf a look then and played in a couple of organized events. If you are at all serious about Frisbee golf, then like traditional ball golf, you need specialized disks (clubs) for different kinds of shots: drivers, putters, disks that fade left or right, over-stable, under-stable. Throw in a couple of novelty and promotional fastbacks and it doesn't take a long time to get a boxful. Hey, even MoMA has a disk in its collection: Walter Frederick Morrison and Warren Franscioni. Frisbee. 1948.
There is an active market in vintage disks on ebay. Thinking I could perhaps have one fewer box and clear a little cash, I was checking some items there and discover that Wham-o is offering a 50th Anniversary Pluto Platter! Yes, the Pluto Platter first appeared in 1957. My first disk was a red Pluto Platter, probably a gift when I was in first grade (1959). I played it to pieces and it is long gone. An order for recently minted commemorative Platter (along with the new Morrison autobiography "Flat Flip Flies Straight") has been issued.
My forty eight years of just flat flippin' is just about double my years playing ultimate. I had seen ultimate played in the mid 70's but thought (for no good reason) that any defense would be hopelessly over matched by a patient offense. That is probably still true, but at the level I play, it is rare for a team to show that much patience.
Two individuals really got me jumped started into playing. My first team play was with Saddlebrook in 1986 in the Boston Area Corporate Ultimate League. Phil (apologies for my being unable to recall your last name) was the good club player who pulled a rag tag group of volunteers together for a couple of years.
Saddlebrook went under and I was out of ultimate for a few years. Until an amazing pick up scene started up right across from home. The Weeks fields near Newton Centre saw a lot of great play in the early nineties. That got me back into the (successor to BACUL) BUDA hat leagues. My first captain there was Gary Bernard - great spirit and very encouraging to a beginner like me. Gary is still out there mentoring and coaching a high school team on high level play and good spirit.
So here's a big thanks to Phil and Gary! Life wouldn't be the same without ultimate.
Leave a comment