Frisbone {was: RE: dodgeball (was: [thechat] Jan 18 peace march)}

[Luther, Ron]

deke noted:

>>It wouldn't be pre-Frisbee, though, because Wham-o didn't start making
>>Pluto Platters until 1955. Frisbee opened his bakery in 1871.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanks Deke!!

Hmmm ... Time to do a little research ....   ;-)

Okay, looks like William Frisbie (spelling difference noted) opened his
bakery in 1871.

Sounds like Walter Morrison got the design down in 1951 ... and sold the
rights to the two guys that started Whammo. Production started in January
1957. Apparently the original was very brittle due to the plastic blend! (1)
{Maybe you had a VERY early one if yours got brittle!}

It sounds like early 'sets' were sold with two discs and a pair of sticks
-- along with instructions for a game similar to horseshoes.  [This fits
pretty well with my {limited} recollection.  The kid who gave me the one
I have had two, (a red and a blue), that he did get as a set.  He gave me
the red one I think in the summer of 1963 - and they were probably new
at that time. So I may not have one of the really old brittle ones.]

I can't get a definitive answer on the timeframe ... but it looks like the
ring of planets gave way to the grooves around the edge sometime around 1967
when Whammo got the patent for those grooves.  It sounds like the 'Pluto
Platter' name went away shortly after that.

Alledgedly 'disc golf' started in 1976 ... but I know I played it earlier
than that. We didn't have those fancy baskets to aim at -- we'd just pick
out a certain tree and see how many shots it took to hit the tree.  Ah -
counterpoint: the Innova (famous disc golf equipment maker) website claims
there were disc golf tournaments in California in 1964! Hmmm - another claim!
The Univ of Wisconsin says the first "international Frisbee Tournament" was
held in Michigan in 1958!!  {Yeah - I'm like totally sure they had a lot of
"international" entries in Michigan in '58!} Oh! But this site notes that
the PDGA (2)was founded in 1976 - which must be where that date comes from
and is when the chain-style golf target was invented.

Whew!  Too much Frisbee junk!

RonL.

(1)from a 1975 book "Frisbee, A Practitioner's Manual and Definitive Treatise"

(2) Professional Disc Golf Association