Learning the history of Guts Frisbee

Frisbee enthusiasts learned the history of Guts Frisbee in the Upper Peninsula during a presentation put on by the Marquette Regional History Center.

The audience heard stories of how the Frisbee was created using a pie or cookie tin and eventually evolved into a plastic disc used today.

Guts Frisbee was created in the 1950’s by two brothers who brought a disc to a family picnic in Eagle Harbor.

“There’s some controversy, actually, about the development of Guts Frisbee and where it was initiated, whether it was in the east on some college campuses [one being Dartmouth], which there was a game that was similar to Guts that was played there before the invention in 1958 in the Copper Country, so there’s a little bit of controversy around the initiation or the genesis of the game,” Steve DesJardins said, who gave the presentation.

Guts Frisbee is a game played like most sports, with a team on offense and a team on defense.  A team throws a disc to another and points are awarded for good throws, and the defense can get points for a throw that’s too wide or high.

“The offensive team basically tries to throw the disc at about 70 or 80 mph through the defensive team who are lined up touching fingertips,” DesJardins said.  “The disc has to come in at a catchable from, and it can’t be low, it can’t hit the ground before it hits the line, it can’t go above their outstretched hands, or beyond the end guys-the guys on the end of the line.”

Marquette is hosting the U.S. National Guts Frisbee Tournament this weekend.  The tournament will be at Tourist Park and it is free to attend.  Games start at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and the finals will be around 5 p.m. Sunday.

More information on Guts Frisbee can be found on the organization’s website, and more information on the U.S. National Tournament can be found here.