From:

From: disc sports[SMTP:discsports@frodo.com]

Sent: Friday, October 16, 1998 10:13 PM

To: Recipient.List.Suppressed: ;

Subject: Disc Golf Newsletter

DISC SPORTS NEWSLETTER

Volume 1, Number 5

This is a subscription-list-only newsletter for Disc Golf enthusiasts. If you have been subscribed to this newsletter by mistake, please let us know of the error and you will be taken off the list.

Once again, this newsletter is long. It prints out as 24 pages on my printer. I would recommend printing it out now and reading through it at your leisure, rather than trying to read through this much information on your screen and getting a headache.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER

2. NEW PRODUCTS

A) INNOVA Releases new KC Pro Aviar

B) INNOVA Retools the Pirhana

C) New CHING Disc in Testing Phase

3. DISC GOLF BAGS - BUYERS GUIDE by Rick Bays.

4. THE DAY EVERYTHING CHANGED

The History of Innova Champion, part one - by Rick Bays

5. DISC GOLF COLLECTORS WANTED

6. HOW-TO ARTICLE: Running a Disc Golf League

By Will Phillips

7. MORE RAZZING

8. ACE RACE by Paul Stephens

======================================================

1. LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER ==========================

______________________________

Hey Rick,

Just wanted to thank you for the review on the Sniper. I'm glad you actually tested it for performance. We are looking forward to sending you samples of the next model(s) we release in the future.

Additionally, your newsletter is full of some great clips. The disc golf community is fortunate to have another informative source for news and commentary, and the e-mail format is phenomenally efficient.

Best wishes,

--- -- -- - <===>!!!CHING!!!

Cool Greys, Inc.

ALRIGHT, FREE DISCS!! I KNEW THIS NEWSLETTER WOULD PAY OFF : )

______________________________

Rick,

Once again, congratulations on an excellent piece of work! I really enjoyed this months issue. Especially some of the "Razzes".

In fact that's why I'm writing this note. We have something that may not qualify as a "raz", but is interesting nonetheless.

At Dabney State Park (in Troutdale, Oregon), we (the Oregon Disc Sports Association) are in the process of clearing out a 60+ acre parcel of land for Oregon's next awesome disc golf course.

Before we could begin whacking down endless fields of blackberries, we had to have the area we laid out for our course inspected by a team of biologists. As they were walking through the areas we had laid out, they discovered that part of the area is home to the somewhat rare (but not endangered) Pacific Giant Salamander.

This not-so-little critter grows to be over a foot in length and actually barks like a dog! They found not only one, but three of these beasts within about 20 feet of each other. Since these are sensitive creatures, they asked us to relocate a couple holes so that we wouldn't disturb their nesting areas, which we gladly did.

A few days later, however, working in another area of the park, one of our volunteers was busy chopping away at more berries when he thought he heard a dog barking, although he said it was a strange sounding bark, and sounded like it was coming from a miniature dog. In fact it was yet another "barking salamander"!

It's a strange world we live in...

-Bart

bart@odsa.com

http://www.odsa.com

Oregon Disc Sports Association

BART: NEXT TIME I COME TO OREGON, I'M NOT JUST BRINGING MY GOLF BAG, I'M GONNA BRING SOME MILK BONES AND MACE ALONG... AND I THOUGHT THE TURKEYS AT TUCSCON WERE THE WORST!?

______________________________

Thanks for the great step-by-step article "License to Drive." Although I've been pretty happy with my own form (which, ironically, shortened to a three-step delivery about two months ago), I showed your article to the bass player in my band, who came out and immediately added 50+ feet to his drive, with no real major loss of control. Keep sending those how-tos.

The newsletter's great, I hope to contribute something of value to it someday!

Dan Costello

dcostell@bsumail.idbsu.edu

DAN: HOPE THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU ARE LOSING THE SIDEBET MONEY TO THE

BASS PLAYER NOW.

______________________________

Hello!

I would like to send you a BIG thanks for the great newsletter!! It`s always great fun and very interesting to read it. Now I have to work a few more hours, then it´s time for disc golf!! Take care Regina (writing from Sweden)

HEY! NICE TO HEAR FROM EUROPE. NORTHERN EUROPE SEEMS TO BE ON FIRE WITH DISC GOLF. ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT CULTURE CLASH? ; )

______________________________

Take a look at http://www.kfk.org We now have a real nice chatline with frisbee, freestyle, ultimate and discgolfrooms. There is also a frisbee Postcard center where you can send frisbee postcards to your friends online.

Best regards

Joakim Reinius

webmaster@kfk.org

______________________________

EVERYBODY SHOULD REMEMBER LAST ISSUE'S STORY WITH THE RAZ'S FROM DIFFERENT COURSES. A COURSE IN LOUISIANA HAD A FAIRWAY THAT WAS HOME TO LEGIONS OF CRAWFISH, WHICH I SUGGESTED WOULD BE BEST SERVED STEAMED WITH LEMON AND BUTTER IF YOU HIT ONE WITH YOUR DRIVE...... BRYAN SALSMAN, A CAJUN NATIVE, IS NICE ENOUGH TO SEND US HIS RECIPE (I know, its not really disc golf related.... but I'm hungry!), I'M GONNA HAVE TO PUT LOUISIANA ON MY LIST OF "WANT TO GO THERE"....

Well, being a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, I feel it is my duty to tell you the best way to prepare crawfish is to throw them in a pot of boiling water, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, cayenne pepper, salt, and corn (still on the cob). Bring the water back to a boil fast! and boil for about 15 minutes.

Pull it out and put it in a sealed insulated container and cover generously with your favorite spices and let steam for about 15 minutes, then serve... It's best to have at least 3-4 lbs. of live crawfish per person....and then enough of the other fixens to go around....

Anyway if you're ever in Lafayette, LA look me up and we'll go play... Girard Park and Acadiana Park.... our local courses and if it's late or early in the year we'll have some crawfish.... but I warn you the food is good year round...hehehheh...

Bryan Salsman

OH, and by the by.... I will enjoy playing Wolf with my friends, it sounds like a fun twist on an already awesome game...great job with the newsletter really enjoying it...

BRYAN... I GOT YER NUMBER AND YOU ARE ON MY LIST (I HAVE A CATAHOULA, SO MY WIFE - ERRR, EXCUSE ME, THE MISSUS - HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO TAKE A FETCH DOWN YONDER SO WE COULD WALK AROUND BAREFOOT AND GET TO KNOW Y'ALL. hmmmm.... when is hurricane season anyway?

OH BRYAN, I ALMOST FORGOT... IN LOUISIANA ARE THEY CRAWFISH OR CRAWDADDYS? (and before everyone in Australia yells at me - I know, they are really called "yabbies" - wanna go there too).

______________________________

Rick,

I just started receiving your newsletter a few days ago, and I've already started to play disc golf and intend on continuing to for quite a while. I had never played the game before; I was primarily a fan of plain old "catch." Disc golf is new to me and much more challenging.

Thanks for the pointers and technique tips, they're much appreciated.

- Max Joshua

UH-OH... SOMEBODY ELSE HOOKED FOR LIFE. KEEP HAVING FUN, MAX.

______________________________

Hi Rick, I enjoyed reading about WOLF. I have a few questions. 1. I assume no money is put "into the pot" in advance? You really won't know how many skins are being played for until the round is over. (Since skin amounts may be doubled on a given hole when a "wolf" hole has been won.... or when 3 players win skins rather than 2 on a given hole).

Do you calculate the total # of skins earned by all players after the round, then divide by 5 to see how much each player's actual ante is? Then re-distribute that $ to each player based on the # of skins they won? 2. You say that after the drives are concluded that the players on each "team" (i.e. the teams established on that given hole) each "putt" from the chosen best lie. Does each team only get a drive & a putt and that's it?

Or is the hole played out, even if that means winning the hole with your team's bogey over the other team's double-bogey. In other words, is the hole fully played out in "best disc" format (on a given team, they take their best drive and each throw from that lie.... then they take their preferred approach shot result and both throw from that lie..... If they miss their putts, they choose their preferred "missed putt lie" and both throw from there.... and so on until they complete the hole (or concede to the other team if they've already completed the hole with fewer strokes).

???

Thanks, Gordy Adell

gordy@cybertours.com

GORDY.... YOU'RE RIGHT, WOLF IS PLAYED IN A TRUE "BEST LIE" FORMAT.. SO IF A TEAM MISSES THE PUTT, OR NEEDS TO MAKE UPSHOTS INSTEAD OF PUTTS, THEY CONTINUE PLAYING UNTIL THE HOLE IS COMPLETE. HOWEVER, IF THE OPPOSING TEAM HAS ALREADY HIT A SHOT THAT FINISHES THE HOLE FOR THEM IN FEWER THROWS THAN THE OTHER TEAM CAN POSSIBLY BEAT, THEN THEY SHOULD NOT "PUTT OUT." THEY SHOULD JUST PICK UP THEIR DISCS AND MOVE TO THE NEXT TEE PAD. (ACTUALLY, ANY EXTRA SHOTS WHEN YOU ARE ALREADY BEATEN ON A HOLE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED "PRACTICE THROWS" AND COUNTED AS A PENALTY.)

REGARDING PAY OUT: NO, NO MONEY STARTS IN THE POT IN ADVANCE. AT THE END, IT CAN BE VERY TRICKY TO FIGURE OUT WHO OWES WHAT TO WHOM. WE ALWAYS START WITH THE PERSON WITH THE MOST SKINS. IF PLAYER 1 HAS 12 SKINS, AND PLAYER 2 AS 10, AND PLAYER 3 HAS 10, AND PLAYER 4 HAS 6, AND PLAYER 5 HAS 2.... THEN PLAYER 2 OWES PLAYER 1 TWO SKIN VALUES, PLAYER 3 OWES PLAYER 1 TWO SKIN VALUES, PLAYER 4 OWES PLAYER 1 SIX SKIN VALUES AND PLAYER 5 OWES PLAYER 1 TEN SKIN VALUES. (PLAYER 1 DOESN'T OWE ANYBODY ANYTHING.) NEXT WE COUNT WINNINGS FOR PLAYER WITH NEXT HIGHEST AMOUNT.... PLAYER 3 OWES PLAYER 2 ZERO SKIN VALUES, PLAYER 4 OWES PLAYER 2 FOUR SKIN VALUES, PLAYER 5 OWES PLAYER 2 EIGHT SKIN VALUES. AND SO ON. MAKE SENSE?

______________________________

Hey Rick...

Another great issue... how do you find time to do all this writing? You work full time and have a new family and play golf regularly. You must live in a world that has 25 hours in it. Anyway, keep up the good work... your articles are insightful and interesting.

Snapper Pierson, San Diego, CA

WOW, THE HALL OF FAMERS ARE COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK. THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENTS SNAP, NOW JUST TEACH ME TO HAVE YOUR FOCUS ON THE COURSE. (Hey... there's a good idea for an article... mental focus will be a how-to article in the future.)

______________________________

THE FOLLOWING IS CONTINUED CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO DR DISC'S REVIEW OF VICTOR MALAFRONTE'S "THE COMPLETE FRISBEE BOOK." YOU MAY REMEMBER LAST MONTH THAT CLIFF TOWNE, DISC GOLF PLAYER AND PROMOTER FROM LOS ANGELES, WROTE A LETTER TO ME SUGGESTING THAT THE BOOK MAY HAVE BEEN BETTER IF DAN "STORK" RODDICK HAD BEEN MORE PROMINENTLY MENTIONED.

Dear Rick,

Your response to my letter last issue about the author of "THE COMPLETE FRISBEE BOOK" overlooking Stork's contributions to the sport stated the following: "IN VICTOR'S DEFENSE, HE DID HAVE TO DRAW THE LINE SOMEWHERE. THERE IS NO WAY TO DO JUSTICE TO EVERYBODY WHO HAS NURTURED DISC SPORTS IN ITS INFANCY."

Good point about having to "draw the line somewhere". My point is that hey...the book is entitled "The Complete Book of Frisbee: The History of the Sport". The line could have been drawn in such a way as to include something (more than just the group mention on page 218) about Stork's many contributions to disc sports. Maybe in the second edition??

Hey...The book is entertaining and useful (I am cc:ing Victor and his editor Dave Johnson on this. I got their e-mail addresses from the back of the book!). I had the good fortune to buy a copy of the book at the Save The Children Auction at the 1998 Frisbee World Masters that was signed by some Frisbies (family members of the Pie Co. founder) at the festival in Bridgeport,CT this year.

Thanks, Cliff Towne

NOTE: CLIFF WANTED TO BE SURE HIS POINT WAS UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY - AS IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE LETTER AS PUBLISHED IN MY NEWSLETTER DIDN'T CORRECTLY PORTRAY HIS APPRECIATION FOR THE BOOK AND FOR VICTOR (it did portray his gratitude to Stork) - SO CLIFF DID SEND A COPY OF THE ABOVE LETTER TO VICTOR. VICTOR THEN OFFERED THE FOLLOWING:

Cliff, What a fine mess ya'll got me into boy! Holy cow mate, we've only one slice of pie!

If you made the final photo cut for the book, you were luckier than an 11 year kid trying to play frisbee golf with his dad. The book took me five years and everything I own. (I can't drive my car on the freeway!!) When insanity set in, I self published. Dave Johnson called his contribution, "a labor of love". It was. And he did a very nice job on the entire book. All the material and decisions were my responsibility.

I would like for you to know that there was a cut off time for frisbee history. Plus I only had 288 pages to work with. (100 collectible frisbees had to be cut). I decided to highlight Steady Ed of course. Ed saw a lot talent and capability in Stork. And, he certainly hired the right person.

We are all grateful for what Stork has done for the game. Because of this, I decided to at least include a photo of Stork in the book. In fact, that was one of the first photos I requested from Wham-O. Sure I could have given him more copy, but Stork was not overlooked in my book. He is mentioned 5 times or more.

I am sure that in the future, someone will be compelled to include his resume in a frisbee book, as I have done for Steady Ed.

Take Care, Victor 002

======================================================

2. NEW PRODUCTS ====================================

1) INNOVA Releases New KC Pro Aviar

Innova Champion has released the second run of the new re-tooled Aviar. This new run has been produced in the same plastic as the popular KC Pro Roc, and is logically named the KC Pro Aviar. The new tooling of the Aviar mold, combined with this new plastic makes for a disc that is a little more overstable in its flight. A slightly thinner flight plate makes for a friendlier grip, and this disc will take a serious beating without losing its stable flight characteristics.

2) INNOVA Retools the Pirhana

Those of us who like the thumb trac grip on the Pirhana, but thought the disc was too overstable to be a useful putter should be happy. The mold has been retooled to lose some of the disc's overstable tendencies. The new Pirhana should be available now.

3) New CHING Disc in Testing Phases

Those of you who enjoy the new Ching Sniper, get ready for another disc from Ching to be coming out soon. Rumor has it that an over stable driver and upshot disc is in the testing phases and could be ready for release soon.

======================================================

3. DISC GOLF BAG BUYERS GUIDE, by Rick Bays =============

I purchased my first disc golf bag in 1984. Well, truthfully, you couldn't call it a real disc golf bag. It is some sort of green camoflauge carrying pack that I got for six or seven bucks at an Army Surplus store. I got to the point in my disc golf skill level that I carried more than one or two discs with me, and I wanted to carry a towel, so I needed something to put all this junk into. I still have that pack and loan it out to friends (with a couple discs in it) that I am introducing to the game. Today, my tastes and my needs are a little more refined.

As near as I can tell (and I'm pretty sure that I am missing information on this subject) there are eight manufacturers making and selling disc golf bags for the retail market. This article will endeavor to list who they are, what bags they sell (with a description of the bag), what the price ranges are and where to find these bags. I know there are other companies making bags that have not contacted me to get their product line into this article. I also know there are other companies who are reselling bags that were not necessarily designed to be disc golf bags, but work well in that capacity anyway. I hope these companies will contact me so I can include them in future articles, and I hope that you readers will help by e-mailing me with whatever information you know that I have not included.

Thanks to a suggestion by subscriber Gordy Adell, we are going to attack this information in the following way. We will start with this article that will list and describe as many golf bags as I can find out about. You readers will follow up by e-mailing back to me any information you have about bags that I do not include. Also e-mail back whatever feedback and reviews you have about specific bags, so we can all hear what the pros and cons to purchasing certain bags are. By the time we are finished, we should have a comprehensive buyers guide that will help all of us to make decisions on purchasing bags in the future. To start the ball rolling, I will tell you what bags I own and how they have worked for me at the end of this article.

Disc Golf Bag Manufacturers:

1. Flight Bag

2. Flying Eye

3. Gateway Disc Sports (GDS)

4. In Flight

5. Lightning Discs

6. Revolution

7. Sky South

8. Wall City

(I've heard rumor of bags called "Wallaby" and "Joey" that fit onto a cart, but haven't seen them nor do I know who the manufacturer is. I have also seen pictures of a bag that straps to your leg and you wear your discs kind of like a gunslinger wears a pistol. I don't know who the manufacturer for this is either.)

FLIGHT BAG:

The flight bag is a large capacity golf bag with an internal frame to hold discs straight and give the bag support. There is storage space under the frame for extra clothes, discs, whatever. It sports an umbrella holder and space enough for 25 discs. The bag is made from 1000 denier cordura material and has heavy duty zippers. It has a padded and adjustable shoulder strap, big side pocket for more discs, wallet, keys, etc, and comes in 24 different colors.

The bag retails for $60.00. For more information contact shooties@aol.com, or see www.flightbag.com, or call 205-322-5235.

FLYING EYE:

Flying Eye's product in the marketplace is aptly named the Cadillac Bag. This bag is extremely durable (owners claim the bag can be tilted sideways on its end and used as a stool to sit on during long rounds) and is at the top of the food chain for the golfer who wants the best. The bag is constructed of a coroplast frame and then covered in 1000 dernier making it pretty much weather proof to all conditions. The bag has an adjustable and padded shoulder strap, score card and pencil slot, a large storage compartment, a mini marker pocket, an umbrella holder and two expandable drink holders (expandable drink holders is a nice touch). Flying Eye claims the bag will comfortably hold 15 discs, but it would probably hold more if you start jamming discs into its side pockets. The aspect of the Cadillac Bag that I like best is the adjustable and removable velcro slots inside the bag that allow you to customize the inside storage however you want.

You can arrange the slots so each disc has its own individual garage inside your bag, or you can separate drivers from putters and make another space for clothes, or you can take them all out for maximum space. A very nice idea. I'm not sure about retail price for the Caddy Bag, but I believe it is somewhere around 80 or 100 bucks. It does have a money back guarantee and IS endorsed by Ken Climo. Call Flying Eye at 800-438-0701 (I had trouble getting through to that number, you can write them at 4021 Biscayne Drive, Winter Springs, FL 32708.

GATEWAY DISC SPORTS (GDS):

Gateway offers four models of disc golf bags. Their Tour Bag is the most popular bag on the Professional Tour at this time.

Weekend Bag. The Weekend Bag holds 9-11 discs, has a water bottle holder and outside pockets for extra discs or whatever. The bag comes with an adjustable, padded shoulder strap, heavy duty buckles, D-Rings, and zippers and comes with a reinforced bottom (in fact, all the GDS bags have reinforced bottom which is a well thought of idea).

Weekend Deluxe Bag. This is similar design to the weekend bag, but comes with a little more internal space (it holds up to 14 discs). It also has two adjustable dividers to keep your discs straight and organized inside the bag.

Player Bag: The Player bag is a rectangular design and holds 10 to 16 discs. It has storage space in its wide end pockets for extra clothes, towels, more discs, whatever you want to throw in there...these pockets are big. It has an internal frame that you assemble when you get the bag. The frame is PVC and urethane and does a very good job of keeping the bag sturdy and shapely (as well as protecting your discs). It comes with dividers that assemble into the frame to help keep your discs organized.

The bottom of the bag is reinforced for durability and sturdiness. The bag is constructed of 600 dernier, has a padded, adjustable shoulder strap, heavy duty zippers, buckles, and D-Rings. It has extra pockets on all sides, including pockets that velcro closed and zipper closed that will fit score cards, minis, pencils and whatever you drag along with you for a round of golf.

Tour Bag: The Tour Bag is exactly the same as the Player Bag, but the mid section where your discs are stored is longer. This bag will hold 16 to 24 discs, plus all the amenities discussed above about the Player Bag.

Contact GDS at 314-298-7642 for pricing information and a retailer close to you.

IN FLIGHT:

In Flight offers two bags, which are basically the same design but in two different sizes: medium and large. They have a solid bottom, two solid sides for absolute stability, a beverage holder, a pencil and scorecard holder, a mini and putter pocket, a zippered pouch for valuables, a padded adjustable strap, and are made of water repellent cordura nylon. Colors are available in black, navy, and green. The Medium version holds 10 to 12 discs and retails for $38.00 (extra $8 for zippered top). The Large version holds 19 to 20 discs and retails for $48.00. Check out www.inflightsports.com for more info.

LIGHTNING DISCS:

Lightning currently produces two disc golf bags that I know of. The Lightning bag is basically a deep square box, with pockets on the inside and outside, a zippered closing top, and a shoulder strap. It is deep enough that you can fold up a sweatshirt and place it on top of your discs and zipper the top of the bag closed with ease. Lightning claims the bag will hold up to 15 discs and I believe this because the round zippered pockets stitched onto the sides of the bags will hold 3 discs each without too much problem. It has a place for a water bottle, a pouch for your minis and is built pretty durable. At a suggested retail price of $19.95 it is a nice bargain and a good, functional bag. Lightning also offers a Deluxe version of the bag with a suggested retail of $24.95. (Rumor has it that Lightning is on the verge of introducing a relatively inexpensive bag patterned after the popular GDS Tour Model. We will wait and see.)

REVOLUTION:

The Pro Bag is made by Revolution Disc Golf. The Pro Bag has a main compartment with two velcro dividers that holds 16-20 discs. There is an open putter pocket that holds two discs and an oversized storage compartment to carry a portable phone, minis, extra clothes, food, whatever. There's even a mini/scorecard pocket and inside zip pocket for your wallet and keys.

The Pro Bag has a big rain flap, padded shoulder strap, and an insulated water bottle holder. It is made from two layers of 1000 Denier Cordura. It is made in the U.S.A. and comes in about 10 different colors.

Standard price for the Pro Bag is $65.00 U.S. + $8.00 for U.S. shipping. Revolution can also customize your Pro Bag to meet your specific needs. If you want an extra water bottle holder or extra pocket for your favorite roller? No problem, Revolution will customize for you (for an added fee, but the flexibility is nice). Two color bags are also a possibility. For more information and some pictures of the Pro Bag from Revolution Disc Golf visit their website at http://www.discgolfer.com/revolution.htm or send e-mail to dave@discgolfer.com.

SKY SOUTH:

Sky South offers three sizes of bags.

The small version of the Sky South Bag holds 8 to 10 discs. It has a velcro closing top, is water proof and will not mildew. It has a padded and adjustable shoulder strap, an inside security pocket, a score card holder, a pencil holder, an extra pocket for your putter, and a bottle holder. Suggested retail is $20.00.

The medium version of the Sky South Bag holds 12 to 14 discs. It has a zippered closing top, is water proof and will not mildew. It has a padded and adjustable shoulder strap, a large zippered pocket on the outside, an inside security pocket, a score card holder, a pencil holder, an extra pocket for your putter, and a bottle holder. Suggested retail is $32.00.

The large version of the Sky South Bag holds 18 to 20 discs. It has a zippered closing top, is water proof and will not mildew. It has a padded and adjustable shoulder strap, a large zippered pocket on the outside, an inside security pocket, a score card holder, a pencil holder, an extra pocket for your putter, and a bottle holder. Suggested retail is $40.00.

Call Sky South at 334-478-0379 for next day shipping.

WALL CITY:

I'm guessing about this, but I believe Wall City offers the most popular line of disc golf bags (measured in number of bags sold).

The Disc Golf Pal. The Pal bag is Wall City's entry level bag. It is made of Duraflex material with heavy duty zippers. It holds up to 12 discs, has a water bottle holder, an adjustable shoulder strap, a score card pocket, and zippered pocket on the back, and mesh pockets to hold your putter of miscellaneous stuff on the front and back of the bag. Suggested retail price is $24.95.

The Round Bag. The Round Bag is the classic golf bag and it seems pretty much everybody owns one. It holds up to 15 discs, has heavy duty zippers, water bottled holder, adjustable shoulder strap, zippered pockets on the side, extra pockets for discs outside the bag and a velcro pocket for minis, keys, loose change, etc. One thing I like about the classic round bag that many bags lack today is the small velcro pocket on the inside of the bag to securely store wallets, money or keys. The downside to this bag is the round shape. Although a seemingly neat idea when the bag first came out (make the bag round, since the discs are round) it is actually kind of a negative, in my opinion. If you set the bag down on a slope it will roll. Suggested retail is $34.95.

The Cube. The Cube is the next size up in Wall City's line, sized with large capacity for the serious disc golfer. It holds up to 18 discs, has heavy duty zippers, extra pockets on the outside of the bag to hold discs or other items, has outside pockets for pens or pencils, a score card pocket, a pocket for a mini, a water bottle holder and an adjustable shoulder strap. Suggested retail is $39.95.

The Mega Cube. The Mega Cube is like the Cube bag on steroids. It holds up to 18 discs and is padded almost everywhere. It has adjustable and removable dividers to keep your discs straight and organized. The top rolls up and velcro closed in place to store umbrellas or other gear. It has many extra pockets around the outside of the bag, including a mesh pocket, a pen or pencil pocket, mini marker pocket, score card pocket, heavy duty zippers, water bottle holder and an adjustable padded shoulder strap. Suggested retail is $49.95.

You can check out the entire Wall City line up at www.wallcity.com.

WHAT DO I CARRY?

I own 7 or 8 disc golf bags. I own the army surplus pack I spoke of earlier, a Wall City round bag, a no-frills bag sold by Discovering the World (no pockets or pouches, just a basic duffle bag) that they call "Maximum Tonnage," I use this bag when traveling as it will easily hole 20 or 30 discs and fits all my discs for a tournament nicely into the carry-on luggage space on airplanes. I own a bag designed as a camera case that is super heavy duty and works wonderfully as a golf bag, fitting 12-15 golf discs plus extra pockets for towels and wallet and keys, and has a very tough bottom that holds up well. I own a custom-made square bag (which was, I am told, the design influence for the Lightning Bag) that was part of the players package for a Southwestern Team Disc Golf Invitational and is embroidered with "La Mirada Disc Golf Team."

My current choice that sits at the front of my collection is a matching color set of Gateway Disc Sports' Tour Bag and Player Bag. The Tour Bag is actually a little too big for my taste to carry around every day, but works great for carrying discs for travel. So I also bought a Player Bag. The Player Bag is awesome and I love it and use it as my bag for every round I play. I like the internal frame to hold my discs straight. The side pockets are HUGE and hold extra towels, sweatshirt, glasses, wallet, scorecard, minis, etc. I carry 10-12 discs depending on my mood. They fit easily into the center section and the bag still has plenty of room for the extra junk I like to carry, even my hacky sack. The only thing I don't like, which is typical for almost any bag you buy, is the placement of the carrier for a water bottle. If you put a full bottle of water in the pocket built for it on the end, the weight of the water throws off the balance of the bag and makes it a little awkward to carry on your shoulder. This is easily overcome by placing your hand on the top of the bag while you walk until your water is sufficiently drunk, a minor point that somebody will design around someday (actually, the $19.95 Lightning bag has a pocket for water bottles that does not throw off the balance of the bag, and the Caddy Bag placement is nice, too). But, then again, the water bottle pocket on my GDS bag is insulated to keep my drink cold, which is good. It is a great bag, and I love my matching set.

Another hint: buy a can of Scotch Guard to protect your bags. You will be able to brush the dirt and dust off of them when they inevitably become dirty.

=====================================================

4. THE DAY EVERYTHING CHANGED, Innova Champion History part 1 =

by Rick Bays

The History of Innova Champion

Part 1, The Day Everything Changed

"The first time I ever saw an original Eagle/Aero was at La Mirada in 1983. Some guy in my casual group was holding one of these things and I thought..."Awwww, What a cute little pink toy!" Completely of the mind that it was just another novelty disc.

Then he threw it! At first I couldn't believe the angle of his release. I fully expected it to turn over and roll. Instead it only leveled a bit and flew a very long way. My next thought, which was involuntarily spoken aloud, "where did you get that thing?"

I bought two "Orbitor's Odyssey" Eagles at the La Mirada pro shop. When I got them to the Florida State Championships at the old Rockledge course, the current record was 9 under par. I was the defending champion in 1983 and my first round was a 12 under par. I broke the old record by 3 strokes. Jeff Watson (1983 PDGA World Champion) shot the same score with an Aero the next day and won the tourney. I've never played a serious round of Disc Golf since without an Innova Champion disc in my bag," recalls 1987 PDGA World Champion Gregg Hosfeld.

Within every industry there are companies that are the vanguard. Companies that push the envelope of technology, they drag the rest of the field along in the vacuum of their wake. Aerospace has such giants as Lockheed Martin, Douglas & Boeing to name a few. The computer industry has too many to try and weed through at this point: Adobe, Intel, Motorola, Xerox, on and on (don't argue with me about Microsoft, they are not at the vanguard).

At the heart of these companies are interesting individuals. People who are visionary in their thinking, people with crazy ideas, dreams. These people drive their industry with their ideas. More often than not, nobody will listen to these dreams until success has taken shape, the risk seems too high at first, the idea too crazy. Walt Disney, for example, approached somewhere near 400 different banks before anybody would listen to his ideas about building an amusement park in the farmland of Orange County, CA. Today, we ALL want stock in his dream.

During the stone age of disc golf, we were all constrained to throwing plastic that was basically a modified version of the "play catch and invent games" beach disc. The disc had remained essentially the same for decades. Then, one day everything changed.

In the early eighties Dave Dunipace was no ordinary disc golfer. Among other titles on his resume are World Disc Golf Champion at the 1980 Santa Cruz World Championships, World Distance Record Holder in 1981, and U.S. Open Disc Golf Champion in 1983. At this time, while leaving his mark at disc golf courses and tournaments everywhere he went, Dunipace was finishing his education at U.S. International University in San Diego, CA. (sidenote: Dave holds a PhD in Psychology, I've known Mr. Dunipace for 10 years and I am SURE that I do not want him probing into my psyche). Aside from his interest in shrinking heads, Dunipace was also a closet inventor. The combination of his interests in disc golf and inventing turned out to have an impact on your life and mine.

Dunipace had this crazy idea that he could build a better flying disc. One that could fly further, more stable, and more accurate. The best of all worlds in disc flight. Dunipace spent much of his free time crafting hand-made prototypes of flying discs. He shaped, he molded, he tinkered and he tested. (As a collector, what I want to know is where are these hand-made molds today? hmmmm.....).

After three years of sculpting and testing hand-made prototypes, he had something that he thought was good. In fact, he knew it was VERY good. So he approached the movers and shakers of retail disc golf at the time looking for financial backing to produce this new hi-tech disc he had invented. One after one they said "no". (In their defense, I probably would have said "no" too, I'm sure it looked like a very risky proposition).

Dunipace was stuck with a product he thought could revolutionize the sport he loved, with no way to get his product to market. No way, that is, until he lamented about the situation to friend Harold Duvall during a round of disc golf (the people at Innova aren't saying so, but my personal belief is that it was really a side-bet situation... you know: if I win, you have to find 20,000 dollars to finance the building of a disc golf superpower company, and if I lose, I'll buy you a soda). Duvall believes the idea of a new disc design is good (or loses the side bet, we may never know the truth) and vows to find financing for the project.

Duvall takes the opportunity to call on another friend, Tim Selinske. Selinske is working for Wham-O at the time and planning to leave the company very soon. Selinske is looking for business opportunities and ripe for the idea of manufacturing and selling golf discs and jumps in with both feet (Tim, I'm glad you're not selling ice cream with your brother).

Dunipace, Selinske and Duvall spend some time together making phone calls and crunching numbers and come upon the realization that manufacturing golf discs will take a little more start up capital than they have. In steps Charlie Duvall (Harold's brother), who does have some money available. Now all the pieces are in place: a potentially revolutionary product, marketing and distribution ideas, administration talent, and the cash to put it all into action.

In early 1983, Innova Champion starts business in the plush and luxurious corporate headquarters of the Duvall parent's garage in San Marino, CA (on the underside of Innova Champion discs is an address, this address is the location of the company at the time the mold was made, not necessarily when that particular disc was molded, but when the mold was machined). In the Spring of 1983 Innova Champion introduced the first sample run of their first golf disc: the Eagle. There were approximately 200 of these first run discs molded. They were in various weights and the plastic is quite stiff. The colors molded were Magenta (hot pink), Orange, Yellow, and Clear (unpigmented). They were all blanks with no hot stamp.

The first production run of Eagles began coming off the molders shortly following the sample run. There were between 3,000 and 4,000 of these discs made in a softer, more pliable plastic, and of various weights. Colors were Magenta, Orange, Yellow, and Blue. They were hot stamped with the famous Champion Star that we all love, many of them had the words "patent pending" embossed on the underside, and many had nothing embossed there.

Player response to the Eagle was "phenomenal" according to Selinske. Reviews were unbelievable and sales were brisk. Nothing on the market worked near as well. It was obvious very quickly that if you didn't throw the Eagle, you were not going to be competitive with your buddies who did. If you were a tournament player, this new disc design could give you a decided advantage over the competition.

Disc guru Jim Palmeri remembers, "I had talked to Tim Selenske on the phone about the new golf disc that he was about to introduce. He said it would fly about 20% further than the puppy, which was the hot golf disc at the time. I got to try the Aero a short time afterward. I had high expectations, and it matched my expectations exactly. It instantly replaced the puppy as the hot new golf disc, and wasn't itself replaced until Innova's own Aviar hit the scene. The Eagle/Aero disc has to go down in history as the true breakthrough in golf disc design, and the true beginning of golf disc evolution."

This new design in golf disc revolutionized the sport. In fact, there was a minority outcry within the organized disc golf community saying that the new disc should be outlawed. They claimed that the disc worked too well and flew too far. They believed that the disc would make the disc golf courses of the day obsolete. Our sport often faces similar arguments today with discs flying further every year. In retrospect, the Eagle design probably did make many courses easier to play. Many of these courses were redesigned and our sport is better for it today. Course designers and developers are now challenged to make courses more difficult as well as longer. Golf disc evolution marches on and it IS a good thing.

It is a little known fact that the Eagle truthfully was a mistake, and is not the disc it was intended to be. The mold was not machined properly to Dunipace's specifications and the disc flew with a slightly understable tendency, not the stable flight path Dunipace had intended. (The Aero is actually the intended result of the original design). In mid-1983, immediately after the Eagle was introduced, the mold used to make the Eagle was re-tooled to the proper specifications and the Aero was born in August 1983. The first real golf disc I ever purchased was a purple Aero in the fall of '83, and a couple weeks later got my first ace with that disc on hole 12 at Huntington Beach, CA.

One of the things that has always intrigued me is the sequential events of Dunipace's designs. You know... "when did you come up with this idea Dave, when did you come up with that..." Another little known fact that attests to Dunipace's forward thinking in disc golf design is that the Eagle/Aero disc was not alone on the drafting table in the wee early days of Innova Champion. Before even molding the Eagle, in fact, at the same time he designed the Eagle, Dunipace already had the details worked out for several more high-tech discs that we in the general public were not to see until much later, such as the Phenix and the Aviar to name a couple. (I wonder what designs are floating around in his cranium today? hmmmm....)

In early 1984 Innova Champion molds and introduces its third golf disc. Arguments rage today over what disc is actually THE best all around golf disc, and whenever those arguments come up, this disc is ALWAYS talked about prominently and argued for furiously. The fact that the Aviar design is considered this good 14, almost 15, years after its introduction (and actually 16 or 18 years since it was dreamed up by Dunipace) is remarkable. It is arguably the truest flying, and most versatile disc you can throw. It has for the past 12 years in a row been the single best selling disc in the Innova Champion line. The Aviar is disc golf's version of a design that does not get improved upon with age. It is a classic that performs its function better than other designs that have come along later.

Something that has always bugged me about this company... why the heck do they have two names? Are they Innova? Or is it Champion? According to Selinske, the corporation was originally formed under the name Champion Discs. To the dismay of the owners, they noticed that the name "Champion" was very popular. Feeling the need to distinguish themselves from other companies, they filed a DBA and adopted the name "Innova" which is short for "innovative." After all the dust settled, they decided they really liked both names and have used both as their name ever since.

Innova Champion made a tremendous impact on the disc golf scene from the moment they arrived, shaping (literally) the technological evolution of golf discs to follow. Next issue we will continue this story as we see how high-tech became higher-tech.

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5. DISC GOLF COLLECTORS WANTED ======================

Do you collect golf discs? If you are a casual or serious collector, you will want to contact Victor Malafronte quickly. Malafronte wrote and published "The Complete Book of Frisbee" a short time ago and is now working on the Disc Golf collectors book he has promised to the public.

Victor would like to know who are the disc golf collectors out there. Send him your name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, how many discs you have in your collection and also tell him if you specialize in collecting a certain type of golf disc. Victor is also interested in knowing about any disc golf collectibles (posters, pins, bags, shirts, etc) dated previous to 1980. Also of great interest will be any golf discs made from companies that were not well known. Contact Victor with any information you have at frisbee@pacbell.net.

On a side note, I am looking for somebody to help with a collector's article in this newsletter. If you are a collector and know more than you should about collectible discs, especially golf discs, then send me a note.

I would want you to write a short article about disc golf collecting every 2 or 3 or 4 months. A usual topic should be to feature a specific disc, such as Night Flyers or First Run Cobras. We would want information on when they were molded, by whom, how many were made, which ones are collectible, and normal prices they sell for today.

Included in this collector's article will be messages from subscribers who are looking for specific discs, or who want to sell specific discs. Subscribers, feel free to e-mail this information to me if you want to buy or sell, try to keep your messages less than 60 words.

I'll start off by advertising what I am looking for: I want to start a Puppy collection. This includes all versions of the Puppy mold made by Destiny, DGA, and Voit. In particular, I am mostly looking for DGA Sure Shots, which were a precursor to the Gumbputt. The discs I am looking for look like a shorter version of a puppy, and are made in an unusual plastic which resembles a pencil eraser. They came in colors of pink and orange, and several hot stamps, but most hot stamps say "Chain Chomper." If you have any of these in new or used condition, give me a shout. Discsports@frodo.com.

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6. WHAT ABOUT A DISC GOLF LEAGUE? ==================

by Will "League Czar" Phillips

A handicap disc golf league is a great way to keep things active around the course. Your regulars get to compete and new players get to make friends with the locals and learn the rules of the game.

To find out if there is enough interest in a league at your course, post a flyer and sign-up sheet. The cost will be $20 each, which will get them five weeks of play (two rounds each play day), a league T-shirt, money each week for the winning team, money each week for the individual most under handicap, an ace pool, certificate and money for the league champions. Remember, not all that sign-up will show up. If you determine there is enough interest, then it's time to do a schedule and find some sponsors.

Also you need to get some scores to determine handicaps. If you have monthly tournaments you can use those scores. Have players turn in witnessed scores if they have no tournament scores. To find sponsors, look for disc golfers with businesses, local flying disc clubs, disc manufacturers, disc sport apparel businesses, disc golf publications, and near by sports bars. You'll need three sponsors at $60.00 each, although you can get by with two if you drop the ace pool.

Let them know their artwork will be on the league T-shirt and a team will be named in their honor.

Schedule five Saturdays, avoiding conflicts with local monthly tournaments and if possible conflicts with any major tournaments at nearby courses.

Summer may not be the best time for a league because so many people go on vacation.

The best way to form the six teams of four players each, is to assign players at random to a team as they show up to check in on the first week. This avoids some teams being full and others ending up empty. If you end up with too many players, it will be first come first serve. You can offer the overflow players the option of playing as a sub in the weeks to come for $3.00 each play day. You almost always have a few players that don't show up and subs are very important.

Each of the six teams play each other twice, not on the same day. Of the four scores turned in for each team, only the best three are used. The worst score is thrown out. This helps to even things out if you have a team that only has three members show up and you didn't have a sub to fill the vacancy.

The top two teams play off a final round for the championship. If you had a sports bar as a sponsor you can have the awards ceremony there. If they have room, a putting contest is always fun.

League Paybacks

Each week the team with the lowest overall handicap score gets $12 for each team member or sub. A sub can also win the ace pool or be the individual winner for the day.

The individual with the lowest score below their handicap for the day wins $6. $12 goes into the ace pool each week. The champions of the league each get a framed certificate and $30. If a sub plays on the champion team on the final day, they split the $30 with the regular team member they played for. The certificates are put in inexpensive plastic frames. Framed certificates are also given for Most Improved, Most Consistent, Aces, and a few gag certificates such as Most Likely Not To Show Up, Most Inconsistent, Most Likely To... You get the idea.

League Budget:

24 players - $20 each = $480

sponsors - $60 each = $120 - $600

5 weekly pay outs - $66 X 5 = $330

Certificates frames - $30

Champions pay out - $30 X 4 = $120

Printing and misc. = $10

Shirts and screening = $110 + sub money

For more details and artwork samples visit my web page:

http://members.home.net/discgolfer/ and pick "Disc Golf Leagues" on the left.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, by Rick Bays:

Some subscribers have requested biography information about the people who write these articles... Nobody wants to know about me, and I know I'm safe if I pick on Will, so here is a little about him: Will Phillips is 42 years old, originally from Louisiana, and located to San Diego after after a 4 year stint with the US Navy. He began playing disc golf in 1992 and immediately became hooked. In fact, Will has adjusted his work schedule to allow him to play golf at 2pm everyday. Will's game has steadily improved and he now shoots consistently under par (and has many of my side-bet dollars to prove it - no more handicap strokes for you Wilson).

Will is known around his home course for his willingness to volunteer on almost any disc golf project, his gentle good nature, and his culinary talents (cookie deliveries at the course are normal - when are we gonna have those ribs, Will?).

Ok, just the girls.... Will is going to turn beat red for me mentioning this... but he is very eligible. He is a really nice guy with a big heart, loves to talk, it doesn't hurt your eyes when you look at him, he cleans and cooks, drives a nice car, and lives in beautiful San Diego.

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7. MORE RAZZING =====================================

I don't know if you can consider this a natural raz or not, but at Jack Brooks Park in Hitchcock, Texas, you might be subjected to a surreal playing experience. On the back nine, throughout the open-field holes sometimes there are up to 50 people dressed in medieval clothes having swordfights and casting magic spells on each other (i've seen this in Austin, too). They are a nice group of people, and generally dodge the discs, but sometimes you have to step over a magic portal on a tee box. On the holes in the woods you are sometimes playing through a paintball war, with guys in full camo springing out from behind trees and running across the fairways with no warning. As of yet, I haven't been a target, but I never know when that will change. All in all, it can make for a pretty interesting experience! - Jefe Myles

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Our Disc Golf course is located on the Ft. Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Normally it is a beautiful raz-free 18 basket course that plays over 1 mile across coulees and lake inlets; however, come summer the campers are as thick as mosquitoes, overflowing the nearby campgrounds and spilling onto the fairways! This summer, a whole clan decided to camp on #6, you couldn't even see the basket! I made my tee shot, a nice long one that just missed a tee-pee, and set about making my deuce. Shooting blind, I threw a hyzer and heard a satisfying "ka-ching!". Thrilled to death, I raced around the encampment only to discover that my disc had landed in a bar-b-que grill! Luckily I retrieved my disc before it was well-done (pass the relish!) - Ralf (sidearm) Patterson

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Natural and unnatural hazards abound in New Zealand's only officially marked and sanctioned course - Queenstown Gardens. Fantastic course, very technical, not too long and above all - stunning visuals!

There are however, a few things that give you the Gip when teeing up; The first is the Earnslaw, a Twin Screw Steamship using triple expansion steam engines to ply tourists around the lake. It was launched the same year as Titanic but has lasted a little better! It has the loudest steam whistle I've ever heard, the echoes bounce off the surrounding mountains and can be heard for 10 seconds after the blast actually stops! Invariably this cacophony will begin just as you attempt to release on Windy Way - the longest hole.

Second, New Zealand is home to the Wood Pidgeon, a native pidgeon which is, I believe, the fattest bird ever to fly. They must be yummy to eat because Maoris love them, but they are protected by law! They are so fat that in between their wing flaps their bodies drop noticeably! They also make very weird noises when flying. They're great dive bombers and have a tendency to dive on discs driven down the fairway. I've actually had a disc MACed by a pidgeon! They also will dive over your head - missing you by inches only - when you are in midswing!

Third, Wanaka is home to a collection of fighter aeroplanes which every year get an outing at the Wanaka air show. During this time, the Royal NZ Air Force send both its pilots (OK, so we have more than two! Three maybe - could even be four if the sheep don't need shearing!) down in Skyhawk A4-Es. During this time they are permitted to fly below 1000 feet AGL and generally beat up the town and the peninsula where the disc golf course is. Have you ever been driving when a fighter plane doing virtually MACH 1 screams overhead? You get no warning because the plane and the sound arrive at the same time! Also, do you know how much noise the V16 Rolls Royce Merlin Engine in a Spitfire makes! Especially at 300 feet over the tee!

Don't get me wrong however, normally it's just the Earnslaw, Helicopters, Jet boats, sails flogging on yachts in the bay and the screams of passengers spiralling in Paragliders that distract you! I thoroughly recommend a trip down here! Please give my E-mail address out freely. We organise at least two big competitions here every year. One in March and one in July.

Kind regards, Chris Davies.

ALRIGHT, I DEFINITELY NEED TO VISIT THIS COURSE... AND I'M PRETTY SURE MY WIFE WOULD BE WILLING TO TRAVEL WITH ME ON THIS ONE. - RICK

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8. ACE RACE by Paul Stephens ==============================

Looking for something to do on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. If you want to do something besides watch college football games, the following article is for you.

Two days after Thanksgiving the screams of men and women and the sound of chains rattling violently will be heard throughout the country. In what is expected to be the next American and worldwide disc event/tradition, the National Ace Race is ready to take place on November 28.

What is an Ace Race you ask? The Ace Race was invented by A3 disc golfers in Ann Arbor Michigan. They hold the Ace Race at a short course where virtually all the holes are in striking range. For a set time period, players just throw for aces. NO PUTTING, NO APPROACH SHOTS. After the race is over, players who hit aces split the pot. Others who had double dots received other prizes. The idea was stolen by the Western New York Disc Golf Club, which has successfully used the event to raise money for new baskets.

Now it's time the ace race went national. On that late November day, golfers will be asked to pay $25 entrance fee of which $5 will go towards the PDGA Basket Fund and another $2 will go a local charity, like the Boy's Club. $10 will be put directly toward the purse and each player will get his or her choice of Innova disc, including the Banshee, Gazelle, Cobra or Aviar. Tournament Directors will get $2 from each entrance fee.

Besides golfers knowing that their money is going towards a worthy cause, each player will also have the chance to win cash and subscriptions to Disc Golf Journal. The longest ace recorded for that day will receive a DISCatcher courtesy of Ace Race sponsor Innova. The longest ace at each individual course will receive a custom disc from Ching with the Ace Race logo and the name of the course they aced at.

The Ace Race will be the world's biggest shotgun start in the sport. It will start at 1 p.m. eastern time, noon central time, 11 a.m. for mountain time, and 10 a.m. on the Pacific coast. The money raised for area boy's clubs will be good public relations and will get more people to come out and play. Disc Golf Journal has already sponsored at least 10 subscriptions for the persons who hit the first ace at their local course.

For more information e-mail Paul Stephens at writer20@aol.com or call him at (716) 284-4215. People who are interested in being tds should contact Paul as soon as possible. "It would have been easy to postpone the event for a year and have more time to prepare for the event, but what good would that do for the sport?" Stephens said. "I know this year will be a little rocky and I have no idea what kind of turn out I'll get, but, hey, I'm a disc golfer and I'll take that chance."

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DiscSports Newsletter is published by Rick Bays, e mail: discsports@frodo.com