My year in review: 2022
It’s amazing how as we get older, time really starts to seem to move way too fast. It seems like just yesterday I was approached by the Gatekeeper Media team to head up this weekly blog, and now almost 12 months later, I’m here, writing my, uh, I don’t know, millionth blog (it seems). I’ve always enjoyed writing, and I thought, “A blog a week? Sure, that will be easy!” But it’s been much more challenging than I thought. I want to write about things you, the reader, will read, as well as shed light on players, courses, and news. It’s been a wild ride, and here are my thoughts as I look back on this year.
First, I’m lucky enough to have a wife that is equally as passionate about disc golf as I am. That means we can plan just about all our vacations and travel plans around this sport. We are incredibly privileged to have the ability to travel as much as we do, and I will never take that for granted. This year was interesting though, because in April, I had to travel to Dehli, India without my wife, for a non-disc golf business trip. It was eleven days of awe and culture shock, coupled with yearning and loathing because my wife was not with me. Yes, we are joined at the hip, no we don’t mind it, and yes, it was only just over a week but still, it felt like an eternity. I only wish that you can find this kind of love in your lifetime, she’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Anyway, I only mention this trip because as soon as I got back, it was disc golf all the way.
Less than two weeks after returning from the subcontinent, we were off to the 2022 Dynamic Discs Open in Emporia, KS. This had been on our bucket list for quite some time, and we were lucky enough to register under the new guidelines. For many, they were upset that the AM field was cut down so much, but for us, we were just happy to be able to experience this event. We stayed the entire week and played so much fun and VERY windy disc golf. We met so many awesome people, including disc golf celebrities like Jeremy Rusco, Jonathan Fastborg, Eric Oakley, Kristen Tattar, and many more. We played golf in consistent 40 mph winds, and learned first-hand why so many people in Emporia throw such overstable discs. At the DD factory we got to stamp our very own DD Culprit, the beefiest approach disc I’ve ever seen! Now it is a staple in my bag and a must have for every player. Go get one. We were also able to meet with fellow Wicked Aces teammate Leah Tsinajinnie, who we seem to run into just about everywhere we go. There is so many memories to include here, but I’ll finish this with a shoutout to Radius Brewing Co. Not only did they have the best food and beer in town, but they also had awesome custom stamped discs, and the metal flake Trespass I got from there has changed my distance game for the better.
As summer approached, we kept things local, as I chose to play more leagues this year. I participated in the Birdbrain Sanctioned Sundays, ParKings 2022 Summer League, Discontinuum Thursday Morning Summer Leagues, and the ParKings Friday Summer League. These were, for the most part, all close to home, and worked with my schedule, especially the morning league. To all the disc golf event promoters out there, we need more morning leagues! I didn’t qualify for any playoffs this year, but I enjoyed playing with local friends and having the ability to log sanctioned rounds to help with my ever ebbing and flowing rating. Will I ever break 900? Maybe 2023 is my year.
I do need to spend a paragraph about the long overdue IOS #100 Forest City Frenzy presented by Discraft, held on June 4 & 5, 2022 in Rockford, IL. This event was scheduled way back in 2020, but because of a certain virus, was canceled until this year. It marked the historic 100th Illinois Open Series event, ran by state coordinator extraordinaire Mike Krupicka and his team. Anna Page park has three glorious courses on one property and set the stage for one of the biggest events in IL history. There were 271 players over two days competing in 16 divisions. The event was perfect, Mike ran a great event, and everybody had a wonderful time. We are lucky to have Mike as our state coordinator, and I look forward to IOS #200 someday soon.
But enough about me, let’s talk about the amazing slate of women’s events held this year. Women’s only events have exploded in popularity across the county, and in the Midwest, here were several notable tournaments. The big one this year was the USWDGC held in Madison, WI. A record breaking 318 women played this event, with one of the largest FPO fields to date (89). I was able to volunteer and caddy for this one, and it was an amazing experience. This event proved to the world that women’s disc golf is just as good as the boys, and it’s here to stay. For Alyssa, it was a reunion of friends she has met from around the country over the years, as well as an opportunity to meet new ones. She has already committed us to next year’s event in South Carolina.
Jenny San Filippo and Amy Laskowski are both pillars in the disc golf community, and they throw some of the biggest women’s events each year. First, from Jenny, there was Wisco Disco in Wisconsin in late June which also broke attendance records in 2022. It was a week before the USWDGC, so that helped. And then there is the local favorite, the Sparkle Open held in October each year. Costumes and mayhem are encouraged, and each year this event continues to grow and get better. For Amy, she runs the largest women’s event in IL each year, and this year the Feather Frenzy was also a WGE event. It’s an amazing event, held at the number one course in IL, and always runs smooth. Thank you both for all your contributions, you rock!
Ok, I’m getting a little long in the tooth over here, so I’ll finish up with something that has been on our bucket list for a few years. We were able to host our own event! The ParQueens event was part of the Illinois Women’s Open Series and was held with the cooperation of the ParKings Disc Golf Club. We hosted the event at our local course, Fel-Pro RRR, and we had 27 ladies show up, many of them playing in their first event. We had a massive players pack thanks to many generous sponsors, and the event went off without a hitch. It was a ton of hard work, and we enjoyed the months of planning and execution. We applaud all those who tirelessly run events multiple times a year. You are the true heart of disc golf, and we salute you.
There was much more that happened that just these few paragraphs, but this outlines the disc golf highlights for us. Tell me in the comments below at least one of your highlights from 2022! I’d love to hear from you. Thank you all for reading this weekly blog, thank you to Derek and Gatekeeper Media for allowing me to babble each week, and I look forward to more of the same in 2023. Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and Cheers!
