'Tis the Season

With the St. Patty's Day Meltdown over here in Fort Collins it must be disc golf season by now! After winning the intermediate division at the Huckin' For Hearts tournament I suffered from a hip injury that kept me off the course until today! It's always amazing to me how much my putting suffers after even just two and a half weeks.

But with the season comes the need to practice, so as soon as the sun comes up tomorrow, I'll be out there throwin' putts (hopefully the forecast is wrong and there wont be 50 mph gusts). I've got more to practice than just my game, though, so here's my latest dye: a Star Valkyrie for the tournament director of Huckin' for Hearts and local thrower, Greg H.

Dyes and Catchin' Up

So I've got some new dyes thrown up at the end of this post, first some local updates that are a bit over due:

I'd like to start with a huge congratulations to local thrower turned awesome tournament director Greg Haag. He was able to put together Huckin' For Hearts which entailed turning our Centennial Park into a full 18 holes, providing an awesome players pack to all players, 5 divisions (Pro, Advanced, Intermediate, Rec and Women's!) so that everyone had a comfortable place to play and awesome prizes for the winners of each division. All this and he raised a ton of money for charity! Once again, way to go Greg!

I had a great round and won the intermediate division by two strokes!

Myself, along with the team and Play it Again Sports Longmont will be hosting a learn to play day of disc golf coming up in late May or early June. Ryan, Jimmie and a few other top Colorado players will be out in the field teaching the secrets of the game! Stay tuned for more news *hopefully* next week!

Last thing before the dyes, I am still working on the events page! There are a lot of awesome tournaments at a lot of awesome courses in Colorado every month, check out the links page for Noco and Mile High Disc Golf's websites, don't miss out on the fun!

Two news dyes this time, both Latitude 64 for my bag, a Gold Fury and a Moonshine Havoc. I got in a rush on the Moonshine Havoc and didn't get my remask down all the way resulting in some unfortunate, but minor, blue lines in the red and yellow. Regardless, it came out great and that plastic takes dye fantastically and the colors show up nice and vibrant. I have one more of these to dye and you can bet that I'll be taking my time and really doing something special with that one!

As always, let me know if there's a custom dye you'd like to have in your bag!

2014 - Let's Get it Started!

It's been almost two whole months! It's been too long and there's now almost too much to tell, so I'll attempt to keep it short...

First, new dyes! The owl was done for a local golfer's wife for her birthday earlier this month. The Striker and the Stiletto are two prototype dyes I did experimenting with a new method of dyeing discs. I'm extremely excited to improve on this new technique and am currently working on something pretty exciting... pictures coming soon!

 

Second, if you haven't already heard Play it Again Sports Longmont is now working hand in hand with the Longs Peak Disc Golf Club to grow the sport of Disc Golf locally like never before! LPDGC Memberships ($20.00) now include access to exclusive discounts on new and used discs, bags and anything else your disc golf game needs. Even if you've never played league, but still buy a lot of discs, get a membership! Your money will help the LPDGC continue to provide a great disc golf experience by way of league play and tournaments, and with the purchase of just 8-10 discs the membership pays for itself! Please email me at lefthanddiscs@gmail.com or call Play it Again Sports at 303-774-9912 if you have any questions!

Next, equally exciting, is our 2014 tournament schedule! Coming up February 22nd we've got Hucking for Hearts, a charity disc golf tournament held in Longmont. I'll post more information here as soon as I get it, but info and registration are available now at Play it Again Sports, just call or stop in! Several more tournaments have been planned, and I'll get them up here on the brand new "Events" page I promised back in November.

The last thing before I get back to improving my new dye technique, a double whammy. Over the break I joined the PDGA (#62042) and have signed up for my first major tournament, Dynamic Disc's PDGA A-Tier Glass Blown Open held in Emporia, Kansas (check it out here)! Only a few months to practice... get outta here snow!

As always, contact me if you'd like to add some spice to your bag and keep a look out for the new "Events" page!

School's Out For...Winter!

With the semester done I've got plenty of extra time to get those custom dyes done before Christmas, shoot me an email at LeftHandDiscs@Gmail.com and we can make the arrangements!

Play It Again Sports in Longmont is also getting their new orders in starting early next week! Innova's new disc the Nova, Westside's World and Vibrams O-Lace should all be in before Christmas as well, shoot me an email or stop by the store if there's something you'd like to reserve or be contacted about when it arrives!

Happy December!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I was lucky to spend it with family and friends in sunny Jacksonville, Florida. As the luck just kept on rolling we even found our way out to Ed Austin Memorial Park to play the Fore Palms Disc Golf Course. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful park and a fantastic course. Should anyone ever find there way out to Jacksonville, this is the course to play!

Alas, the week ended too quickly and I'm back home to my regular routine. Part of my winnings from Okthrowberfest (the disc dyeing contest on Disc Golf Course Review) was an unstamped Legacy Icon Ghost that my fingers had been just itching to dye. I've grown fond of doing dyes that match the discs title, and with the Black Friday brand new video game console craze I figured I'd pay respect to video game heritage and honor some of my all time favorite ghosts. Here's the result:

This coming week is my finals week and unless something big comes up in the world of local disc golf, I probably wont be posting for a little while. After December 9th, however, my schedule will open up for winter break.

Be sure to e-mail me ASAP if there's a custom dye you want to give/receive for Christmas so I can get it done before the big day! I will take all requests on a first come first serve basis and will be sure to communicate a timeline when the request is made!

Colorado Proud!

Some awesome Colorado dyes now hanging in the office of local State Farm agent and Disc golfer Ben Parsons! Stop by his office to get an insurance quote, talk a little DG and check out the sweet dyes!

Updated/Coming Soon

Just a quick announcement-

The Local Courses page has been updated and I'm working on getting more quick links for the larger courses in the area. Along with that you'll see that the page no longer has "Events" in the title.

Look for the new standalone Events page (coming soon) that will have events listed for the full year (as they are announced) with exact dates and links.

Centennial Saturday!

This Saturday, Nov. 16th, is the Longmont stop for the disc golf tour known as Winter Warriors. The series stops at a different course each week and is done for charity! Check out the full info here and hope to see you out there!

An Adaptive Hunter

After a long time searching for a good alternative for my old love, the discontinued Discraft Reaper, I found the Latitude 64 Trident. I carry two, an Opto and a Gold for their varying stability and after the great turnout of my Opto Trident dye, I had to do something to match it. Here's the result; again with pictures again step by step (although I did miss a few pictures since I'm not in the habit of taking them as I go).

With all those legs, this thing will hunt down the chains and never let them go!

Grow an Orange

I've had some questions lately about how the dye process works. I am working on a "How To" page but it's still a long way off. In the meantime here's my latest dye step by step:


Latitude 64 Pain, nice and pearly around the borders. Great over-stable mid!

Stamp removed with acetone

Vinyl applied, first (darkest) layer already cut out for shading

First dip done, second dip cut out of the stencil ready to go

Fully grown orange, ready to throw!

The disc looks a lot darker in the picture but the original pearly-ness of the plastic still shows throw and the orange is visible through the second dip. Super simple dye but it's fun and will look great in the air. 


Holy Confusing New Layout Batman!

For anyone who plays Edora up in Fort Collins, beware! There is an entirely new layout to the course, some holes are gone and there are new holes to the east of the railroad tracks.

It's great, in my opinion, until hole 16. But I'm not going to spend anytime now writing out a long review... I've got dyes to do! So while I'm working get out there and play; see what you think of the new layout. When you get back, I should have some pictures up of my latest work.

Before heading out though, check out the Noco Disc Golf website here (also available on the links page) for info on the new layout and a map. Trust me, you'll need it.

Been a Couple Days!

Could've used more than one hour on that time change I think. Anyways, to catch up here real quick; I accidentally double booked myself the night of FCDGA's Halloween Glow Tourney. I was still able to donate my disc, help with the set up and play 9 holes before I had to take off. So I'd like to offer a congratulations to the winner of that tourney (whoever you are) and offer to re-post the congrats with a name and a picture if you happen to read this and want the credit. Just email me a picture of yourself with the disc and be sure to include your name and score if possible! Anyways, I'm glad to know that that Champion Beast has found itself a home. On another good note, I see a very bright future for the partnership of the FCDGA and Left Hand Discs!

Now as much as I hate to say it, I haven't found the time to start my next dye project due to my other obligations. The stencil is there, as well as the disc and they're both calling my name. I'm sure I'll have pictures in a few days here. Also on the subject of dyeing I will be unavailable for dyes Thanksgiving week, so if there's anything you want done, get it to me soon!!!

To wrap it up, I was recently drooling at the new release Vibram XLink Glow discs and stumbled upon Steven Dodge's thoughts on how to grow the sport of disc golf. Very interesting reading and a great look at the entire mission! Perhaps Left Hand Discs will even be able to participate some day...

Find the article here.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all from Left Hand Discs! I've now eaten way too much candy and am already looking forward to absolutely stuffing myself come Thanksgiving.

Sooner though, this Saturday, this disc will be up for grabs to the winner of the 2013 Fort Collins Disc Golf Club's Glow Tournament!

 I'll be there before promoting and even selling a couple dyes! Come check it out!

Join Me!

This Saturday, November 2 I'll be at the Cache La Poudre Middle School course for Fort Collins Disc Golf Club's Glow Tourney!

Cache La Poudre (CLP) is about as close as disc golf gets to a putt-putt course. It's an extremely fun, technical 9 hole course that plays through a cottonwood forest. None of the holes are over 300' and most are around 200'. I generally carry a mid and a putter. It is a little like the front 7 holes of Valmont Disc Golf Course, only much more fun in my opinion due to the layout taking full advantage of the obstacles and terrain.

I'll have a few dyes that I'll be selling and am also working on a custom dye as a prize that'll be donated to the winner! $10 to get in and there's a costume contest as well as a jack-o-lantern contest. The jack-o-lanterns will light the way after they're placed on the top of all the baskets! Going to be nothing but a great time!

Full tourney details here
CLP Course here

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That was supposed to be a ghost sound. With today being Halloween eve's eve I figured I'd break off from the studying and create a talisman that would protect me from the coming evil. I mean, not really any of that, but I did finish the dye on my first Legacy disc!

As this is my first time dying Legacy Pinnacle plastic, I came into it thinking that it would dye similar to Champion from Innova. I couldn't have been more wrong. As it turns out this plastic takes dye a lot easier than Champion, almost better than Opto (almost). The amount of detail that can be seen in the form of brushstrokes was completely unintentional but signifies a promising future!

The entire disc is hand painted on the underside of the flight plate because the first run stamp on this disc is too awesome to remove. It's the normal Legacy first run stamp with a holographic ghost behind it, which is kind of visible in the picture of the front.

Front

Back

This one is in the bag, now onto the Trident!

One test down, one to go

I'm almost there... free time sure does come at a premium these days. Good thing there's Youtube for my daily disc golf distractions!

...Should hopefully have my Ghost done tomorrow! I'm really going to try and go for it not only because I started it a while ago but also to get it out of the way to start my Trident. My bag is almost complete...

Even More Studying

Soon these tests will be behind me, and I'm actually starting to feel prepared. As a reward I got out to Edora today and threw 18. Course wasn't crowded and the weather was perfect, I couldn't have asked for more (although a few more birdies would've been nice)!

I've started my next dye on my first run Legacy Pinnacle Ghost which is still in its early stages but looking awesome. I should be done and have some pictures of it this Wednesday or Thursday, so look out for that. I'll also be starting the dye on the Lat64 Gold Line Trident I just added to my bag. It's going to have to be epic to match my current Opto Trident (check it out on the past dyes page) and I have just the stencil in mind.

There's been some talk about preparing for winter golf and I know a lot of players like to throw black discs both so the plastic warms and for visibility. If you have some extra plastic/old discs lying around that you'd like to use for winter (instead of buying black discs) right now I'll dye the flight plate of your disc completely black for $2.00 or half black (looks awesome in the air!) for $3.00. Especially in the case of star plastic, or comparable, these are much better than pure black discs because the underside of the disc is still full color! I'll post pics as soon as I have my own winter bag ready!

Now, before I get back to the books here's my daily disc golf distraction video: here

Disc Golf Study Time

Got a couple of tests coming up this week, and as of right now I find myself very unprepared. So I've been spending a lot of time in front of the computer, book and pen in hand. Gettin' after it. But I'm not a machine and I think it's important to take breaks from studying every 30 seconds or so. I've found a way to still be productive, though, and have been taking full advantage.

Here's a couple of clinics done by Dave Feldberg, a professional disc golfer who also happens to have a masters in teaching. I've found his advice extremely helpful both in improving my game and in distracting me from my studies. Productive right?

Putting Clinic here
Technique Clinic here
Driving Clinic here

AAAAAAAaaaaannnnnndddd just because I can't be all work and no play...check out Feldberg on the Conan O'Brien Show (I know, right?!) here!

Going Live!

If you're reading this then Left Hand Discs has officially gone live to the public! I definitely need to thank all of you who previewed the site and gave me some great feedback, you know who you are! It's also an exciting day because the Team Left Hand dyes are now in the hands of Ryan and Jimmie and in the field. The ball is rolling!

 

I almost forgot to mention, the Vibram Xlink Soft order arrived at Play it Again Sports today! There's XLink soft available in every mold except the UnLace (but there's medium and firm UnLaces!). The supply is pretty limited though, so if you want one get there quick!

Trial, Error and Success!

Tonight I just completed Left Hand Discs three first official Team dyes! I'm still trying new things with plastic, and will continue to do so until I stop dying (no end in sight!). This is why my Team dye looks so different from the others. I would never try any first on someone else's disc and here's why:

I had intended on my disc being the inverse (in terms of the sun burst) but wanted to try layering yellow on blue the way I do with red. Turns out, it doesn't work. Unless, I suppose, the color you're looking for is somewhere between a navy blue and jungle green. I also mistakenly dyed my signature too dark of a blue too, so it kind of disappeared. I'm hoping that in time, the sun will lighten the dye. Still, I had to have the blue to include all of the Colorado flag colors!

These two came out better than I was hoping. The blue is stenciled and dip, but the rest of the discs are completely hand painted. Simply cannot wait to see them in the field!