Frolf While the Frolfing's Good
By Andrew Zwicker
As you walk up to the eleventh hole at the Thin Air Frolf Club, the trail ducks down into the woods, leading you to the rock-lined tee box. A first timer to the course might ask the logical question, ‘Where’s the basket?’.
This deceptive hole merely requires an accurate throw through an open patch in the forest, followed by a steep turn to the right, down and over a bank, and into the waiting chains of the basket a mere 200 plus yards away. Playing one of the more difficult holes at the nine basket, eighteen tee course, Ross from Cafe Books scored a huge hole in one on number eleven this past Sunday, helping to lead his team to a second place in the second annual Best Disc Tournament.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural tournament, this year thirty five people competed for the crown. The best disc format involves teams of three playing from the best thrown disc, with each player required to use at least five of their own drives.
Winning the second annual event on a perfect sunny and crisp fall day was the team of Kevin Johnson, Scott Healy and Michelle d’Entremont with a score of eight under par.
“We had some really good prizes donated from The Flying Steamshovel, and we also had cash prizes that were taken out of the entrance fees. It was a blast.” explained organizer Blaine Benner. “This is the second time we’ve done this. Both were very successful. The reason why this one was so anticipated was because of the success of the first one. Everyone comes out, there’s beer, lots of fun.”
Prior to the season-ending tournament, a work day was held to prepare and improve the course. A dozen local Frolfers came out to show some love to the holes, adding a couple of new tee decks. The course, which was officially opened on the Blackjack Cross Country park in the summer of ’07, has been improving ever since and is starting to get some recognition from top level players, explained Benner.
“You should see it now, dude, while we’ve got a couple of weeks left in the season. We built a couple of new tee decks. They’re not marked but there are really good trails leading to them and they are just freaking phenomenal. It’s taken the course to a whole different level. I played with the Washington state champion this year. He came up to mountain bike with me actually and I took him out to the course once I found out he was into disc golf. He said it was the best nine basket course he’s ever played.”
With the season coming to a close as the snow approaches, thoughts have been turning to what the future may hold for Rossland’s Frolfing scene. With the popularity of the Thin Air course growing, the once-underground sport may be looking to grow by taking a step back into its renegade ways.
Benner pondered the future, explaining, “Probably we’ll do a secret nine sometime soon. Only the locals and people that play with the locals will be privy to it. I’m happy that you want to do a story on it, but it’s not something we’re seeking. It’s a beautiful thing that we have it there. It’s for Rossland; it’s for the community of Rossland. It is one of the best courses in BC by a lot of accounts but it’s not like we’re eagerly anticipating more people. We don’t want to have someone sitting in the kiosk up there taking money. It’s a skate park, it’s a ball diamond: it’s that kind of thing.”
For a chance to peer into the underbelly of the Rossland Frolfing world in what may possibly be the world’s first Frolfumentary, check out the Rossland Mountain Film Fest on feature night, when the local homespun flick will be making its world premiere.
