MARIKA SBOROS: Frisbee flies high from a social game to competitive Olympics
Frisbees are not just a toy to be flung around a park, in the pool or on the beach. They have spawned a fitness phenomenon — a competitive sport known as Ultimate Flying Disc. It has world championships and a governing body, the World Flying Disc Federation. In 2015, the International Olympic Committee recognised "flying disc" games as sport. Flying Disc is an umbrella term for sports that include "disc golf". According to the federation’s website, disc golf is not unlike traditional golf. The object is to throw the disc from a tee pad to a hole (a target or basket) and to complete each hole in as few throws as possible. Ultimate Flying Disc organisers can’t call it Ultimate Frisbee because US-based toy company Wham-O owns the trademark. But it’s not unusual to hear fans call it that. Diehard fans just call it "Ultimate". Serious players commonly use the 175g Ultrastar model by Discraft. Most will "turn their noses up at anything else", says Katie Huston.Huston is a former treasurer...
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