The feeling of seeing Freestyle Frisbee for the First Time, unless you’re a 10 year old version of Jake.
I remember the first time I saw Freestyle Frisbee. I was 10. It was school assembly day. No class, yes! Why are we outside? Oh, so these guys can show us some frisbee tricks. What are those things on their nails? I’ll never be caught dead with those on.
Though I didn’t instantly connect with it, from then on I knew what Freestyle Frisbee was. The next time I saw it, nearly 10 years later, I had context for what was going on, which made it seem approachable.
It’s impossible to become a Freestyle Frisbee player without being introduced to it in some way. So, let’s find out what has been the most effective method of introduction so far.
How were you first introduced to Freestyle Frisbee?
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Please share your stories in the comments below.
Walking to class in the early 80s at the University of Vermont…
Saw three students out in one of the common areas throwing a disc…
One guy “caught” a soft throw directly into a delay and then proceeded to hold that delay as he took the disc down low, behind his back (almost between his legs) and then tapped the disc through his legs and back into the air (disc now in front of him again). He then regained control of the disc by putting it into another delay…finally catching it and immediately making a beautiful throw to the next guy in the threesome. End of story. I was hooked! 🙂
Casually went to Paganello 2010
As a freshman in college at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, there were a bunch of us who regularly played catch outside our dorms. Back then, in their disc packages Wham-O included a brochure that invited people to write Wham-O for information about starting a club. Our friend Jeff did, and the information that we got back described some of the events and suggested that we form a club. We formed the UWM Frisbee Club, which gave us access to gym time in the winter, and to a van to travel to tournaments. We structured our time together inside by freestyling (at the beginning we were just doing under the leg, or BTB catches, and a handful of throws) for a third of the time, transitioning to Guts for another third of the session, and then finishing up with a game of Ultimate. That was, ahem … 40 years ago, and I am looking forward to jamming at least twice this weekend!
I love the idea of a Freestyle Frisbee Club. I’ve been part of freestyle groups but we never thought of ourselves as a club. Do you think being a club vs just being a bunch of jammers changed the experience?
I helped invent the sport.
I saw the nike freestyle commercial that was part of the nike freestyle tour 2003.
Heaving outside the Student Union Field at the University of Iowa in 1979 with my roommate, then a random dude joined us, and immediately it was clear this was no longer a game of throw and catch. He threw very well, and the only catch I remember was a deflect — he caught by pinching it between his thigh and leg.
The only other thing I remember is he was a little on the heavy side, and was California. He made quite an impression on me.