For the love of the sport. A place for DG enthusiasts to share their thoughts.

A New Year’s Revolution

Posted by mleefry


As we’ve all heard by now, a big change for the world of disc golf will be announced on New Year’s Day.  Many of the most well known pros have dropped major sponsors and have dropped hints of a revolution happening at the start of 2013.  Players including two-time U.S. Champion Will Schusterick, 2011 World Champion Paige Pierce, 2006 Amateur World Champion Paul Ulibarri, and 2011 Junior World Champion Ricky Wysocki have all made announcements via social media this month.  The online disc golf community has been asking for more than a week:  what’s the hype about?

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The answer?  No one seems to know.  The signs from the pros seem to point in different directions, which has caused a handful of theories to emerge.

The most conspiracy-like idea is that a new super company is about to emerge.  Most references call it Prodigy Disc Golf.  A person or group with a large base of financial support supposedly backs the new company.  The sponsored players would have a larger salary than they get with currently existing sponsors, like Dynamic Discs.  Prodigy is assumed to be a disc manufacturer, because the majority of the pros have dropped Innova, Discraft, and/or Dynamic Discs (who recently released a line of discs manufactured through Latitude 64).  That’s why 2010 World Champion Eric McCabe announced yesterday that he would no longer be sponsored by Discraft, so he could join Team Dynamic Discs.  This would also explain why some of the pros have picked up new retailor sponsors—like Will Schusterick and Paige Pierce joining the Journey Post team, based out of Branson, Mo.

Another line of theories all point in the direction of existing corporations breaking into the disc golf market.  As can be expected, Nike has been mentioned by many because of its large financial base and role as a sponsor in most major sports in the United States.  Keen’s name has also been thrown in the hat; they already sponsor a few players, like Avery Jenkins, and have produced footwear with Vibram, who has also manufactured discs.

Regardless of whether a new company is forming, or an existing company is growing, the guys at Furthering the Disc are definitely stirring the social media .  Will Schusterick, who dropped Innova and Discmania on December 16, is a key player in their social media movement to revitalize disc golf.  Both Will and FTD have been promoting the hashtag #discopalypse13 on Twitter.

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Until Tuesday, when the pros are set to make their big announcement, all we can do is try to put the pieces together and hope that they add up to something that will advance the sport we all love.  Share your thoughts on what’s going on by commenting, or tweeting @DoglegDiscGolf.  Do you think that everyone is moving in the same direction?  Is a new company forming, or is disc golf just getting more commercialized?  Is this ordeal going to help the sport grow in 2013?  What do you want to see the pros doing next year?

2 Responses

  1. Good research. We know to today that the “Prodigy Disc Golf” Theory was the correct one. Crazy.

    The way they went about and got those pros is something else. Prodigy will be an immediate player in disc sales for 2013.

    The question is, how will the change to new untested discs effect the plays of the Prodegy pros?

    January 1, 2013 at 2:57 pm

  2. MLeeFry

    Thanks! The Prodigy gossip started right around the time I started winter break, so I spent more time on disc golf forums than was probably healthy! Looks like the “research” was right on track though.

    It seems like Prodigy was able to snatch up so many top pros for many possible reasons. The term “vested interest” in the company keeps getting thrown around, which seems to mean that the pros have some company ownership and/or helped to develop the new discs. I haven’t seen any numbers, but I think it is safe to infer that they are making more money than they did with past sponsors (which is pretty important, if you compare the costs of touring to the payouts of most tournaments). It also seems like the pros have a lot of influence on the direction that Prodigy will be going in…which sounds like it will be very progressive! Nikko Locastro and Will Schusterick especially have posted a lot about different groups they are bringing together to grow the sport on their Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and blog sites.

    January 13, 2013 at 10:18 pm

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