That's How We Work Our Magic
When did you start playing frisbee?
I started playing at around 10. I began competing at 15.

Who taught you tricks? I learned by watching players who were much better than me. I tried to copy their moves. And I tried to make up my own.

Where were the 1995 World Championships? In Jacksonville, Florida.

Is frisbee an Olympic Sport? Not yet, but I expect it will be someday. I'll be too old to compete, but you may get to play frisbee in the Olympics.

 

Q: Which is you favourite frisbee? A: The one that's in my hand.

Q: What's your hardest trick? A: Putting the frisbee down and not picking it up again. It's impossible and that makes it the hardest.

Q: Are you the best in the world? A: No.

Q: Do you have a dog?
A: No, do you?

Q: Why don't you have a dog to catch your frisbees?
A: Because I have students to catch my frisbees. And I believe in fitness and activity for people.

Q: Are you old? A: Yes, are you? Q: No, I'm young. A: Me too.

Q: Will you come to my birthday party?
A: Tell your Mom to invite me.

Q: Will you come back to my school?
A: Tell your Principal to invite me.

Q: Do you still compete?
A: Not really. Each year I try to go to 1 or 2 events to see friends and show my stuff. In 2000 I went to Puerto Rico and competed at the Extreme Games (they had 2 frisbee events there! Freestyle and Ultimate). It was fun but the best was teaching about 10 local kids some tricks and signing autographs for them. They stayed to watch me and my partner compete and then they left.

In 2001 I went to Italy for a competition called 'paganello'. That's 1500 beach-ultimate players from 21 countries and 50 freestylers from 10 countries. We played at midnight in a Discoteque for hundreds of people. That was cool! But the best for me was getting other people involved and teaching the audience some silly stuff -my stuff.

Q: Will you go back to paganello? A: Yes, I already promised that I'll keep going back until I'm 75! I'm trying to learn some Italian so next year I can visit some schools in Italy.

Q: Where else do you want to go to teach frisbee?
A: Everywhere. Tell someone to invite me! I'd love to visit other countries and maybe go to the Bahamas in winter. Or Alaska. Or back to Fredericton!

 

Stay in touch. Ask me questions.

 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did the name "Spinning Bees" come from?
"Bee" is what we like to call the plastic toy we play with. It's short for Frisbee, a registered trademark, and since we use the Wham-O frisbee, we wanted to simplify the issue. Many players refer to the "Bee" as a "flying disc" or "golf disc" or "Ultimate disc" and we feel that could lead to confusion with the "discs" of the computer and music world — or your spinal column.

As for "Spinning" — that's how we work our magic. The greater the rotational spin or "zees" around the axis of our extended fingernail, the more control we have. We can change point of contact with the "Bee" from its centre to its rim in order to change the angle of rotation. We can even increase the "zees" in the middle of a combination of moves by "brushing" with hands or feet. (There is quite a difference between an "airbrush" and a "psycho-bash.")

What was your training like?
It took Brian and Gary years and years of dedication and commitment to become World Champions. Gary: My discipline and perseverance to become the best freestyler I could be really helped me throughout high school. I always did my homework early so I could practice until it was too dark. Through the winter I'd practice in gymnasiums at lunch, after school, and even on weekends. I could and often did practice alone...sometimes in dance studios or on wrestling mats.

Being my own coach I developed the self-discipline needed to excel. I used to take aerobic classes before practicing (when I was young) or play some basketball to get a full warm-up. Sometimes I'd work on familiar moves and without even trying I'd catch it somewhere new...always I invented a new move of the day! It takes about 15-20 minutes of "jamming" to really get the mind and muscles loose to freestyle. A "jam session" can go all day with short breaks or less than an hour can be sufficient.

I always had time for part-time jobs and part and full-time girlfriends. In fact my first pair of legwarmers ( a vital part of fashionable jammers of the early '80s!) were knit by a young woman who had to share me with my frisbee. I added to my own fashion statement by designing frisbees and T-shirts.

I used to do professional frisbee shows at company picnics, amusement parks, university and college games and activity days, and tour across Canada to select competitors for the World Junior Championships.

How did you get into dance?
In 1984, at 17, I was finishing high school and going to my first big tournament--the Mazda U.S. Open in La Mirada, California. I really wanted to make an impression so I started to take some dance classes--spin faster, legs higher, etc. As with freestyle, I loved the movement. I soon realized how much there was to learn and became fascinated thinking of how to bring my frisbee into the dance studio and my ballet technique into my freestyle. In the next 6 years of dancing I never met another who began in order to be a better frisbee player. As I took my dance career more seriously, I left my frisbees hanging on my walls in New York, Germany, Connecticut, and Venezuela.

At the peak of my dancing career I was enlightened! I can quit now! I know where this path leads! Not for me! That frisbee that I threw way out of my life came soaring back in a big, new way. Instead of returning to freestyle, I took up the game of Ultimate Frisbee. Wow! It wasn't like I remembered. So, I had to learn from scratch and since I missed 5 years not playing, I committed the next 5 to playing!

When did you begin playing Ultimate?
My Ultimate career began in South America. Was I ever thrilled to find a whole gang of friends playing a version of the game I knew. We dreamed of going to the World Championships being held in Toronto in July, 1991. That dream came true with 17 players representing Venezuela--the first team ever from Latin America. I always tell the story of how I picked them up at the airport with 3 limos---and they all stayed at my house! Well, the "Yanomami" made many friends, won one game, and gave new meaning to the "Spirit of the Game" award.