Fourth year best year for 'Tales'

The Tale of Two Cities disc golf event this past weekend in Encampment and Riverside had 52 contestants this year. This was the largest amount of competitors in the Mother Mountain Anglers (MMA) event that is in its fourth year.

The MMA club was founded with this concept in mind;. MMA is a non-profit that started out as a fishing club, but disc golf has taken over.

"Disc Golf has definitely grown in our valley in the last four years!," said Shannon Fagan-Craig.

Craig, a founder of MMA, said. "All of us in the club has thrown discs somewhere sometime in our life. When we got together here, we were throwing at objects. Now the parks have baskets. Since the arrival of baskets, a community of disc golfers opened up."

Disc golf uses smaller discs than a frisbee people may know from days in school and the beach. The baskets are not little, and the smaller disks make the chances of hitting a "hole in one" better.

The two town courses are well laid out in the parks with some baskets having a distance of 600 feet.

Craig believes the courses have drawn people to the towns' parks and to the towns.

"Disc Golfers will seek out courses when they travel to play somewhere new. Since the arrival of baskets in the parks we have had more visitors in our parks, in our restaurants, in our hotels and retail stores, which is incredibly important for our towns," Craig said. "In the last four years, disc golf has grown locally from eight players to at least 20 locally that play and now there is a course in Medicine Bow as well."

Craig said this year adjustments were made due to the downturn in business for many regular sponsors.

"COVID-19 has had an impact on everyone in some aspect or another," Craig said. "For us, it hit our businesses that we would always give patronage too. So this year when we asked for flag sponsorships, it was only if you could. But even if you couldn't, we still wanted to advertise for those businesses in flying their flags on the baskets on the back of tournament shirts and Facebook blasts on the event page. We talked about each sponsor at the tournament and about what kind of business they have. Events are fun but they are nothing without the sponsors and the community support behind them."

The support was there by the communities and visitors. Craig was happy with how the event went this year during what many would call trying times for events that relied on visitors.

"I had several players come to me and say 'everyone has been so warm and inviting to us'. That statement brought such joy to my heart," Craig exclaimed. "The disc golf community is a peaceful, fun loving, encouraging group of people. This weekend I witnessed pros giving amateurs pointers on throwing techniques that might be better for their stature. During a competitive tournament, how great is that?"

Craig sees a positive future for disc golf in Carbon County.

"I feel the sport of disc golf is definitely growing in popularity and making a come back; lately I have had conversations with a few people stating how they have dug out their discs from the early 2000's now there are baskets and people playing again," Craig observed. "Every year there are new people in our community picking up the sport, its a great opportunity to get outside and the other great thing is that you play in a park so it's a perfect activity for families. Sunday I saw a family with a six year old and an 11 year old playing with their parents and had really great shots. Even if the kids aren't completely into playing, they can play on the swings and merry go rounds that are in the park."

Craig could not be happier with the outcome of the weekend's turnout.

"This year Mother Mountain Anglers two day event of the Tale of Two Cities Disc Golf Tournament was the biggest yet, which we were not expecting with everything going on in the world," Craig said. "On the other hand our tournament has been growing every year, which is super exciting. This is an important fundraiser to Mother Mountain Anglers. All proceeds goes towards help keeping fishing clinics free, community relief and scholarships."

Craig was touched by words from a player at the event.

"It was gratifying when they told me, 'This is a really special place you have here; thank you Mother Mountain Anglers for hosting this tournament', we will keep it dear to our hearts and will definitely make it every year coming", Craig said.