The Dancing Hippopotamus

My grandpa showed me how to throw a Frisbee when I was a wee one, and I remember kind of sucking at it, but over the years, the parks, the concert parking lots, and the recent front yard throwing sessions, I've gotten quite good at the ol' game. I can do the fabled under-the-leg catch, and I can even catch it behind my back. I'm pretty amazing. Ha!

So it should come as no surprise that I - and Travis - have become addicted to disc golf. We played last year a few times at Solitude with our friend Cass, and that was all it took. This year, we drove up the canyon and played our first game on the first day of Solitude's summer season, and went back again yesterday, with Cass and pal Katie, and new discs. We've been playing on Solitude's rented mid-range discs, but I trekked out to Play It Again Sports in Salt Lake on Saturday and got Trav and me some used distance drivers, and Cass a birthday disc, the pink TeeRex, that's been dubbed Pinky Lee and the Dancing Hippopotamus. Our new discs kick ass. My favorite is the TeeBird, a beat-up white beast that the previous owner drew someone flipping the bird on. Trav's favorite is the yellow Valkyrie that we named Old Yeller. We also got a tie-dyed disc that I haven't used yet, and a blue Orc that repeatedly got lost among Solitude's tall brush and wildflowers. I love the Orc (Old Blue) but I think I'll use it in cut-grass parks and places it can't get lost.

There's so much about disc golf that we don't know or really even care about, and doubt we ever will. There are a lot of pros out there and people who really go for the competition, but the point of our game is to get outside and have fun. Our little group spends more time sitting at each tee talking and laughing than we do actually playing disc golf, but what's more fun that hanging out with your friends and having a great time?