Most typically associated with the booze scented front yards of frat rows across the country, frisbee is a sport with as rich a history as any of its contemporaries. First enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who played with a five pound disc made of bronze and iron, frisbee was played in the first recorded olympics. Thankfully, nowadays you don’t have to injure yourself by throwing a weighted piece of metal to enjoy frisbee. With a steady interest in the sport since its beginning, frisbee has lasted long enough to benefit from a slew of technological improvements and physics. These updates have transformed the once clunky piece of metal into a plastic disc easily thrown by those willing to learn. With this modernization, it is only natural that fans of the sport have tried their hand in earning the title of longest frisbee throw. Below, we’ll be breaking down some seriously strong backhands as we go through some of the most important distance throws recorded!
David Wiggins Jr.
In the sport of disc golf, a player’s drive is one of the most important throws he or she can master. Your drive sets the tone for the entire hole; the closer you get to your target, the better chance you have to par, birdie, or even capture the elusive hole-in-one! Few have taken the science of driving in disc golf as seriously as David Wiggins Jr. In 2016, professional disc golfer Wiggins Jr took to Primm, Nevada in an attempt to set a record for the longest disc throw. Equipped with a 154 gram Innova R-Pro Boss Distance Driver, Wiggins Jr launched the disc a mind-boggling 1,108.9 feet, almost a quarter mile! The Innova Boss was the perfect choice for Wiggins Jr as it is a disc with exceptional glide, little curve, and a stellar fade. While no less impressive, Wiggins Jr also benefited from ideal climate and winds in order to smash the previous record of 903 feet held by pro disc golfer Simon Lizotte. With recorded high winds of 38 to 42 miles per hour, Wiggins Jr was able to slice through the Nevada climate as he launched his boss into aggressive winds. Ideal climate or not, what is clear is that David Wiggins Jr is an outstanding thrower of the disc with a world record to boot.
Brodie Smith
The objective of ultimate frisbee is to throw the disc between teammates, trying to advance the disc as far as possible until the end zone is reached. One of the most impressive throws in the sport is a long distance laser directly into the hands of a teammate in the end zone. Not many players of the sport have reached the level of fame or mastery for the long distance ultimate throw as world record holder Brodie Smith. One fateful day on October 11th, 2017, Smith set out to combine power and accuracy by accomplishing a world record target throw. Not quite as aerodynamic as the smaller and heavier disc golf discs, the Ultrastar that Smith fired in 2017 is meant for much smaller throws and falls into a completely separate category from the throws of David Wiggins Jr. Showing both poise and strength, Brodie Smith was able to hit his target from an incredible 150 feet away. In Ultimate Frisbee, throwing 150 feet in and of itself is no laughing matter, but to hit a target from such a distance was a cause of awe and admiration in the frisbee community.
Avery Jenkins
Considered by many as an architect of disc golf, Avery Jenkins is one of the first throwers to eclipse 300 ft in an officiated disc golf tournament. At the 2013 World Frisbee Championship in Yucca Valley, Jenkins completed a drive officially marked as 308.75 feet, causing a tidal wave of excitement for fans of the sport. While no longer considered an earth shattering throw by the sports current standards, the throw was special because nobody had officially thrown for over 300 ft in a tournament until Jenkins came along. To break this barrier, Jenkins utilized an Innova Destroyer, a fast, stable power driver with substantial glide. A seasoned veteran in the sport, Jenkins stands as a pivotal player in the development of disc golf as a sport. As the game of disc golf continues to evolve and grow, players like Jenkins are necessary to take the game forward as new methods are invented and new barriers are shattered.
Whoever you are, wherever you’re reading this from, we challenge you to make history and break the boundaries set by Brodie Smith and David Wiggins Jr. With a little bit of practice and some ambition, who knows how far you can take it? When you step up to the disc and feel it in your hand, remember that anything’s possible – maybe even record-breaking accuracy and distance. It could be your turn to make history with the longest frisbee throw! Don’t be afraid to reach for great heights – we believe in you! Have fun with it and work hard – with some determination perhaps one day we will hear about you breaking records. Thank you for taking a brief tour into the world of ultimate frisbee throwing excellence – go ahead and give it a try yourself now!
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