Submitted
For the second time in the history of the State of Kansas, The Kansas Flying Disc Association (KFDA) will induct a new class into its Hall of Fame. The event, scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 14th at the Champions Landing golf course and country club, will be held in conjunction with the PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) Masters Disc Golf World Championships in Emporia, Kansas.
Kansas has a storied history of flying disc (frisbee) sports dating back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. Players from every corner of the state organized clubs, produced newsletters and held tournaments throughout the region at that time. These early pioneers set the foundation for the sport to flourish and grow statewide to what it is today.
Mirroring the explosive national growth of disc golf, there are currently over 250 disc golf courses in Kansas, and Emporia is widely known as the “Disc Golf Capital of the World.” Per capita, Kansas is in the top five states nationally for rounds of disc golf played. Fools Fest, an annual ultimate Frisbee tournament held at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., is the 13th oldest frisbee competition in the world.
As flying disc sports have matured over the decades to the national and world stages, flying disc athletes and teams from Kansas have made their mark, both in competition and in creating and supporting a structure to expand the sport.
“We have an amazing history here in the State of Kansas that needs to be celebrated and told,” said Rich Smith, KFDA’s president and president-emeritus at Henderson Engineers. “The individuals in our second Hall of Fame class have not only achieved great results on the playing field, but they have also dedicated their time and talent to impact many others to help grow the sport here in the Sunflower State.”
The seven members of the second class of the Kansas Flying Disc Hall of Fame include:
1. Harvey Barger: A longtime resident of Winfield, Kan., Harvey started playing Frisbee in 1978. He initially played all sports including ultimate and helped form the Lost Planet Airmen, a successful Ultimate team. He then switched to disc golf and formed the Walnut Valley Disc Golf Association and was a co-founding member of the Kansas Disc Golf Association (KDGA). As a player, Harvey qualified for the Amateur National Disc Golf Championships in 1989. As a tournament director, his claim to fame is the 35-year-running, world famous "OctoberFriz" disc sports festival in Winfield. Harvey also ran the first PDGA Amateur World Championships with an assist from Ed Headrick, the father of disc golf.
2. Robert “Bob” Decker: A lifelong Kansan from Wichita, Bob’s first exposure to flying discs was in the 60s with the "professional" Frisbee. From there he went on to play most organized sports, including guts, but settled on disc golf. In addition to being a KDGA state champion and nine-time PDGA winner in disc golf, he is a committed volunteer serving on many boards such as the PDGA Board for 16 years, including a two-year stint as President.
3. Bruce Hudson: From Lawrence, Bruce was introduced to flying disc sports in 1978 while in college at Missouri State University. Bruce played all flying disc sports and was a standout ultimate player until devoting more time to disc golf in the 1980s. While living in Topeka, Kan., he formed the Dawn to Dusk Disc golf club and served as President and tournament director for years. He also spearheaded efforts to develop the Lake Shawnee Disc Golf Course. As a competitor, he qualified for the 1983 Disc Golf World Championships among many other accomplishments. He presently serves on the Board of the Kansas Disc Sports Scholarship Foundation.
4. Jeremy Rusco: An Emporia resident and a scholarship athlete at both Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., and Emporia State University, Jeremy was introduced to disc golf in 2002 as a student at the former. It was in Emporia, though, where his entrepreneurial drive took over and he founded Dynamic Discs, one of the world’s largest disc golf retailers. Dynamic Discs’ status as a globally renowned brand put the City of Emporia and the State of Kansas on the map. As a player, Jeremy was a fierce competitor who won the 3rd Glass Blown Open in the Intermediate Division. He also was the tournament director/assistant tournament director for 171 PDGA tournaments. Jeremy recently purchased the Emporia Country Club and transformed it into Champions Landing, creating an active lifestyle destination locally. He is an Eagle Member of the PDGA.
5. Chris “Smitty” Smith: Chris is a lifelong Kansan who currently lives in Wichita. He was introduced to flying disc sports as student at Fort Hays State University, where he saw people playing at Frontier Park. He and his friends went to Walmart to purchase discs and the rest is history. He has won the Kansas Disc Golf Championships multiple times and recently won the 2023 MP50 World Championships. He has volunteered with the KDGA, the PDGA and Wichita’s Air Capital Disc Golf Club (ACDGC) and has run many tournaments and leagues. He has also helped design and develop or redevelop over seven disc golf courses in the State of Kansas.
6. Rich Smith: From Topeka and currently residing in Overland Park, Rich began playing Frisbee in the late 1970s. He is considered one of the top freestylers from the State of Kansas, competing nationally in the Freestyle Players Association (FPA), but he was also an overall, ultimate and guts player. Over the years, he has performed dozens of demonstrations, halftime shows and lectures about flying disc sports. Rich was a Kansas State Champion and placed nationally in freestyle, discathon, disc golf and overall competitions. In 2022, he placed second in his age group in the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) Overall World Championships. Rich is founder and president of KFDA and is the retired President/CEO of Henderson Engineers in Lenexa, Kan. He is an Eagle Member of the PDGA.
7. Kansas State University Aerial Wizards: In 1975, a group of frisbee enthusiasts got together at Kansas State University (KSU) in Manhattan, Kan., and began playing ultimate. They additionally set up a disc golf course on campus in 1978. The group settled upon the name Aerial Wizards for their team and began competing throughout the Midwest, holding tournaments, and making a name for themselves. For 49 years, the Aerial Wizards (currently shortened to The Wizards) have been introducing students to flying disc sports and instilling a passion for Frisbee throughout KSU’s campus. Countless members have moved across the country spreading the good word of frisbee that they were introduced to while in Manhattan. The greatest achievement of the Aerial Wizards is bringing together a multitude of like-minded frisbee enthusiasts who not only have continued to play throughout all these years, but have formed incredible bonds of friendship that have lasted the test of time all due to a simple piece of plastic in a small town on the prairie.