The Kootenay Up and Down, Cranbrook’s latest PDGA B-tier disc golf tournament has come and gone this past weekend. The event was well executed by director Serge Gosselin and assistant director Kristy Shields and was bolstered by the support of a multitude of Kootenay-based sponsors. Each division’s top players received either cash or prizes and some seriously tantalizing items were dished out in the post-tournament raffle.
Players were put to the test throughout this tournament, with a round at both the Wycliffe and Cranbrook courses on Saturday before one final round at the lengthy and technically demanding beast that is the Wycliffe DGC on Sunday.
In the end, two locals showed off the hometown advantage with Casey Hanemayer claiming first and Ben Loggains taking a close second. Rossland’s Julian Zimmer was hot on their heels and claimed third.
For this reporter/wildly mediocre, yet hopelessly addicted disc golfer, it was my first ever tournament. I signed up for the Recreational division and finished in second last, so certainly no cries of “sandbagger” were directed my way, and if there was a division lower than rec, perhaps I’d stand a chance of a podium finish.
However, my goal was not to win in my division. Rather, I set out to give tournament play, with the added pressure and need for strategy a try, test the abilities I’ve gained over the first real year at the game, and use my results as a basis for comparison next year. If I can shave some strokes off my scores in future tournaments I will feel I’ve accomplished something.
Most importantly, however, my main objective was to support the great disc golf community here by simply signing up and paying the registration fee. Though I didn’t place well, the tournament itself made for an insanely fun weekend. The disc golf community is just packed with friendly, hilarious and accomodating people.
I met a lot of nice folks and got to observe some really high-quality gameplay. The courses were challenging, but the camaraderie on and off the course was infectious throughout.
Next year I plan to sign up for at least two of these events, to continue to develop my game and to stay involved with this growing sport and surrounding community. And, no matter your skill level, I’d highly recommend you consider registering up yourself.