Ken Westerfield
Encyclopedia
Ken Westerfield is a pioneering Frisbee
player.
Westerfield and Childhood friend Jim Kenner started playing Frisbee
in High School, impressing the other students with a variety of controlled throws and trick catches. Graduating High School Class of "65" and leaning towards the counterculture
, they spent their days on the beach and at music festivals honing their skills. One day, spotting a little Ad in a local alternative newspaper, they took their Frisbees and a VW Bug and went to a concert near Bethel, NY, called Woodstock which later became the music event of the century. While at the concert they would throw the Frisbee
over the crowd. Westerfield later stated “it was an interesting crowd to play for”.
, setting up their headquarters in Queens Park. Playing Frisbee Freestyle and Object Disc Golf
became a daily event at the park. In 1971 with $100 each and hitch hiking, they set out to cross Canada, stopping to do Frisbee
street performance at such events as the Klondike Days in Edmonton, Calgary Stampede
and Vancouver's historic Gastown
area, in front a railroad car turn restaurant, oddly enough called Frisby's. They decided to try to collect money like street musicians. It was a success, and they embarked on a new career. Returning to Toronto they lived in Rochdale College
while performing nightly in the Yonge Street
Mall. Night after night, thousands of tourists and Torontonians would enjoy nightly displays of their Frisbee expertise. Wanting to advance their professional legitimacy, they approached Irwin Toy
, the distributor of Frisbee's in Canada, and proposed their show to promote the Frisbee. Their first professional show was a Basketball half-time show at Jarvis Collegiate in Toronto. The students loved it; Westerfield and Kenner were paid twenty dollars each for the show, but more importantly they had proven that their show would be beneficial to help promote the Frisbee
. In 1972 they were retained by Irwin Toy
to perform at Special Community and Sporting Events across Canada, Making Westerfield and Kenner full-time Professional Frisbee Players.
, to produce the Canadian Frisbee Championships. It was at this Tournament that Ken and Jim introduced an event called Frisbee Freestyle and won it.
An excerpt from 'The Decades Awards 1970-75 Ken Westerfield/Jim Kenner Top Routine'
This was the first Frisbee Freestyle Competitionever. This event is now accepted as one of the premier events in Flying Disc Tournaments worldwide.
That same year Ken and Jim approached Molson Breweries with the Idea of performing at Basketball Half-times in Canadian universities as the Molson Frisbee Team. Always looking for unique ways to get into the University market, they accepted their proposal and were more than impressed with the results. The next year, Molson's up the promotional fee and used their show exclusively to introduce a new brand of beer called Molson Diamond.
In 1975 Ken and Jim, with Molson's sponsorship, moved the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships from the Canadian National Exhibition
to Toronto Center Island. Molson's would remain sponsors of Westerfield and Kenner for several years, helping to successfully promote their product, as well as offering Ken and Jim the ability to promote their new sport everywhere.
(Disc) Tournaments were beginning to attract excellent disc competitors from everywhere. What was once a top selling toy from Wham-O, was becoming a serious competitive sport. In 1975, at the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships in Toronto, Westerfield set the MTA (maximum time aloft) World Record at 15 seconds,
with a Super Pro Model Frisbee, crushing the old record of 11 seconds. Also in 1975 Westerfield invented a Freestyle move called the Body Roll, then introduced it at a National Tournament in Rochester NY called The AFDO(American Flying Disc Open). The hottest move of the day was called the Canadian Mind Blower. Westerfield would roll the Frisbee
across out stretched arms and chest, to out stretched arms across the back (front to back roll). Today the Body Roll is an intrical part of every Freestyle routine.
In 1976 Wham-O
sponsored the National Series Frisbee Championships across the US and Canada, to qualify players for the World Championships held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California. In 1976-7 Westerfield won an average of two to three events per Tournament
At a National Series Frisbee
Tournament in Dallas Texas, Westerfield became a member of the 400 club by winning the distance event with a throw of 444 feet, using a 119-gram World Class Model Frisbee
.Only a handfull of competitors had ever thrown over 400 feet in competition with a 119-gram Frisbee (Light weight disc by todays standard). 1977, in Boulder, Colorado, while doing a distance throwing demonstration at a National Series Event, Westerfield threw a 119-gram World Class Model Frisbee 552 feet, the longest known throw at that time.
In 1978, Kenner moved to London, Ontario, and there created a disc manufacturing company called Discraft
. Westerfield moved to Santa Cruz, California
, teaming up with Tom Schot, to help produce Frisbee events in Northern California, including the Santa Cruz World Flying Disc Championships. Ken also created a Frisbee Show called Goodtimes Professional Frisbee Show that featured Freestyle Champion Mary Kathron, and later World Freestyle Champion Brian McElwain. This touring team performed shows at universities,fairs and professional sporting events throughout the US and Canada. Returning to Toronto in 1979, Ken and Mary continued to do cross country touring shows with Corporate sponsors, Labatt Brewing Company
, Air Canada
, Lee Jeans and Orange Crush
.
This is a passage taken from the Hall of Fame presentation:
Ken Westerfield now lives in Bisbee, Arizona
.
Horowitz, Judy, and Bloom, Billy; Frisbee: More Than A Game of Catch, Leisure Press, Champagne, Illinois (1984); ISBN 978-0880111058
Norton, Gary; The Official Frisbee Handbook, Bantam Books, Toronto/New York/London (July, 1972); no ISBN
Danna, Mark, and Poynter, Dan; Frisbee Players' Handbook, Parachuting Publications, Santa Barbara, California (1978); ISBN 0-915516-19-5
Tips, Charles, and Roddick, Dan; Frisbee Sports & Games, Celestial Arts, Millbrae, California (March 1979); ISBN 978-0-89087-233-8
Tips, Charles; Frisbee by the Masters, Celestial Arts, Millbrae, California (March 1977); ISBN 978-0-89087-142-3
Morrison, Fred & Kennedy, Phil; Flat Flip Flies Straight! True Origins of the Frisbee, Wormhole Publishers, Wethersfield, CT (January 2006); ISBN 0-9774517-4-7
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
player.
Westerfield and Childhood friend Jim Kenner started playing Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
in High School, impressing the other students with a variety of controlled throws and trick catches. Graduating High School Class of "65" and leaning towards the counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
, they spent their days on the beach and at music festivals honing their skills. One day, spotting a little Ad in a local alternative newspaper, they took their Frisbees and a VW Bug and went to a concert near Bethel, NY, called Woodstock which later became the music event of the century. While at the concert they would throw the Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
over the crowd. Westerfield later stated “it was an interesting crowd to play for”.
Early Years in Canada
1970 Westerfield and Kenner move to TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, setting up their headquarters in Queens Park. Playing Frisbee Freestyle and Object Disc Golf
Disc golf
Disc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...
became a daily event at the park. In 1971 with $100 each and hitch hiking, they set out to cross Canada, stopping to do Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
street performance at such events as the Klondike Days in Edmonton, Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...
and Vancouver's historic Gastown
Gastown
Gastown is a national historic site in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the northeast end of Downtown adjacent to the Downtown Eastside. Its historical boundaries were the waterfront , Columbia Street, Hastings Street, and Cambie Street, which were the borders of the 1870 townsite survey, the proper...
area, in front a railroad car turn restaurant, oddly enough called Frisby's. They decided to try to collect money like street musicians. It was a success, and they embarked on a new career. Returning to Toronto they lived in Rochdale College
Rochdale College
Opened in 1968, Rochdale College was an experiment in student-run alternative education and co-operative living in Toronto, Canada. It provided space for 840 residents in a co-operative living space. It was also a free university where students and teachers would live together and share knowledge...
while performing nightly in the Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
Mall. Night after night, thousands of tourists and Torontonians would enjoy nightly displays of their Frisbee expertise. Wanting to advance their professional legitimacy, they approached Irwin Toy
Irwin Toy
Irwin Toy Limited was a Canadian distributor and manufacturer of toys. It was Canada's oldest toy company and remained independent and family owned.- History :...
, the distributor of Frisbee's in Canada, and proposed their show to promote the Frisbee. Their first professional show was a Basketball half-time show at Jarvis Collegiate in Toronto. The students loved it; Westerfield and Kenner were paid twenty dollars each for the show, but more importantly they had proven that their show would be beneficial to help promote the Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
. In 1972 they were retained by Irwin Toy
Irwin Toy
Irwin Toy Limited was a Canadian distributor and manufacturer of toys. It was Canada's oldest toy company and remained independent and family owned.- History :...
to perform at Special Community and Sporting Events across Canada, Making Westerfield and Kenner full-time Professional Frisbee Players.
First Frisbee Pairs Freestyle Tournament 1974
In 1974, Westerfield and Kenner teamed up with Jeff Ottis, event coordinator for the Canadian National ExhibitionCanadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
, to produce the Canadian Frisbee Championships. It was at this Tournament that Ken and Jim introduced an event called Frisbee Freestyle and won it.
An excerpt from 'The Decades Awards 1970-75 Ken Westerfield/Jim Kenner Top Routine'
Considered the greatest speedflow game of all time. Ken and Jim put on a clinic to cap off a blistering hot final by all of the teams. They featured a rhythmic and dynamic style with concise catch and throw combinations. These two gentlemen are credited with creating formal freestyle competition. The 1973 Canadian Open did not have freestyle as an event. They were able to finally convince the tournament director to go forward with their plan. The end result made history.
This was the first Frisbee Freestyle Competitionever. This event is now accepted as one of the premier events in Flying Disc Tournaments worldwide.
That same year Ken and Jim approached Molson Breweries with the Idea of performing at Basketball Half-times in Canadian universities as the Molson Frisbee Team. Always looking for unique ways to get into the University market, they accepted their proposal and were more than impressed with the results. The next year, Molson's up the promotional fee and used their show exclusively to introduce a new brand of beer called Molson Diamond.
In 1975 Ken and Jim, with Molson's sponsorship, moved the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships from the Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
to Toronto Center Island. Molson's would remain sponsors of Westerfield and Kenner for several years, helping to successfully promote their product, as well as offering Ken and Jim the ability to promote their new sport everywhere.
Competitive Years 1974-78
FrisbeeFrisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
(Disc) Tournaments were beginning to attract excellent disc competitors from everywhere. What was once a top selling toy from Wham-O, was becoming a serious competitive sport. In 1975, at the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships in Toronto, Westerfield set the MTA (maximum time aloft) World Record at 15 seconds,
with a Super Pro Model Frisbee, crushing the old record of 11 seconds. Also in 1975 Westerfield invented a Freestyle move called the Body Roll, then introduced it at a National Tournament in Rochester NY called The AFDO(American Flying Disc Open). The hottest move of the day was called the Canadian Mind Blower. Westerfield would roll the Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
across out stretched arms and chest, to out stretched arms across the back (front to back roll). Today the Body Roll is an intrical part of every Freestyle routine.
In 1976 Wham-O
Wham-O
Wham-O Inc. is a toy company currently located in California, USA. They are known for marketing many popular toys in the past 50 years, including the Hula Hoop, the Frisbee, Slip 'N Slide, Super Ball, Trac-Ball, Silly String, Hacky Sack and the Boogie board....
sponsored the National Series Frisbee Championships across the US and Canada, to qualify players for the World Championships held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California. In 1976-7 Westerfield won an average of two to three events per Tournament
At a National Series Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
Tournament in Dallas Texas, Westerfield became a member of the 400 club by winning the distance event with a throw of 444 feet, using a 119-gram World Class Model Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
.Only a handfull of competitors had ever thrown over 400 feet in competition with a 119-gram Frisbee (Light weight disc by todays standard). 1977, in Boulder, Colorado, while doing a distance throwing demonstration at a National Series Event, Westerfield threw a 119-gram World Class Model Frisbee 552 feet, the longest known throw at that time.
In 1978, Kenner moved to London, Ontario, and there created a disc manufacturing company called Discraft
Discraft
Discraft is a company founded by Jim Kenner and located in Wixom, Michigan. They are a manufacturer of flying discs for the sports of Ultimate, Disc Golf and Freestyle frisbee...
. Westerfield moved to Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
, teaming up with Tom Schot, to help produce Frisbee events in Northern California, including the Santa Cruz World Flying Disc Championships. Ken also created a Frisbee Show called Goodtimes Professional Frisbee Show that featured Freestyle Champion Mary Kathron, and later World Freestyle Champion Brian McElwain. This touring team performed shows at universities,fairs and professional sporting events throughout the US and Canada. Returning to Toronto in 1979, Ken and Mary continued to do cross country touring shows with Corporate sponsors, Labatt Brewing Company
Labatt Brewing Company
Labatt Brewing Company Ltd. is a Canadian beer company founded by John Kinder Labatt in 1847 in London, Ontario. In 1995, it was purchased by Belgian brewer Interbrew; it is now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev...
, Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
, Lee Jeans and Orange Crush
Orange Crush
Crush is a carbonated soft drink brand, originally marketed as an orange soda, which was invented by California beverage and extract chemist Neil C. Ward. Most flavors of Crush are caffeine-free.-History:...
.
Ultimate Frisbee in Canada
Retiring from competing in National Tournaments, Westerfield organized and produced local disc events in Toronto, and because of his love of Ultimate Frisbee, in 1980 Ken, with the help of Irwin Toy's Bob Blakely, created the Toronto Ultimate League. The first year there were four teams. The Toronto Ultimate League developed into the Toronto Ultimate Club, which now has 3300 members and over 250 Teams playing year round. In 2010, Westerfield was inducted into the Toronto Ultimate Club Hall of Fame.This is a passage taken from the Hall of Fame presentation:
In the late 1970’s Ken discovered the game of Ultimate in the USA and brought it to Toronto. He introduced the game at Kew Beach to an initial core of people and from there planted the seed for Ultimate Frisbee in Toronto. Ken was larger than life to this growing core of players who craved increased knowledge and skill development. He created pickup and the establishment of the ‘Toronto Ultimate League’ (4 teams) beginning in 1980. Not only was he an architect for the origins of the TUC, but Ken’s influence as a player and a person made his reputation legendary. Simply put, he was the point man on all aspects of disc play, the "go to" guy that everyone looked up to. (TUC Hall of Fame)
Ken Westerfield now lives in Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, 82 miles southeast of Tucson. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 6,177...
.
See also
- Tom MonroeTom MonroeTom Monroe is a champion of virtually all flying disc sports, including ultimate, freestyle, field events and especially disc golf....
Kens good friend and occasional freestyle partner.
External links
- Toronto Ultimate Club Hall of Fame
- Top Mens Player 1970-75
- Candian Open The First Freestyle Tournament
- History of Freestyle
- Ultimate Frisbee History in Canada
- History of Freestyle
- Evolution of Disc History
Newspaper articles
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune - May 21, 1978
- Florence Times Daily June 6, 1976
- The Leader-Post - Jul 14, 1976
- The Calgary Herald - Aug 11, 1979
- The Leader-Post - Aug 4, 1979
Books about Frisbee
Stancil, E. D., and Johnson, M. D.; Frisbee, A Practitioner's Manual and Definitive Treatise, Workman Publishing Company, New York (July, 1975); ISBN 978-0-911104-53-0Horowitz, Judy, and Bloom, Billy; Frisbee: More Than A Game of Catch, Leisure Press, Champagne, Illinois (1984); ISBN 978-0880111058
Norton, Gary; The Official Frisbee Handbook, Bantam Books, Toronto/New York/London (July, 1972); no ISBN
Danna, Mark, and Poynter, Dan; Frisbee Players' Handbook, Parachuting Publications, Santa Barbara, California (1978); ISBN 0-915516-19-5
Tips, Charles, and Roddick, Dan; Frisbee Sports & Games, Celestial Arts, Millbrae, California (March 1979); ISBN 978-0-89087-233-8
Tips, Charles; Frisbee by the Masters, Celestial Arts, Millbrae, California (March 1977); ISBN 978-0-89087-142-3
Morrison, Fred & Kennedy, Phil; Flat Flip Flies Straight! True Origins of the Frisbee, Wormhole Publishers, Wethersfield, CT (January 2006); ISBN 0-9774517-4-7