The Frisbee

Flying pie tins

Students at colleges in New England in the early 1900s tossed empty tins from the Frisbie Pie Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, shouting Frisbie to warn others. The name and the game stayed alive on campuses for decades.

Plastic saucers

In 1948 Fred Morrison and Warren Franscioni made a plastic flying disc called the Flyin-Saucer, riding the craze for space stories. Morrison later designed the Pluto Platter, and in 1957 the toy company Wham-O bought the rights. In 1958 Wham-O renamed it the Frisbee, after the pie tin tradition.

Better flight

Wham-O designer Ed Headrick improved the disc with raised ridges that helped it fly more steadily, patented in the 1960s. Headrick also championed disc golf, where players throw discs into chain baskets, and he is often called its father.

Sports from a toy

Ultimate, a team sport combining elements of football and netball with flying disc passes, was invented in 1968 by students in Maplewood, New Jersey. It is played around the world and is famous for self-refereeing and its spirit of the game rules. Disc golf courses now exist in thousands of parks.

How it changed everyday life

The flying disc became a symbol of easygoing outdoor fun, from beaches and college lawns to parks with dogs leaping for catches. Disc dog competitions grew from that last trick, with dogs and handlers performing routines. Ultimate grew into an international sport with world championships, and disc golf courses spread through public parks because they are cheap to build and free to play. A simple toy turned into several sports and a lifelong hobby for many people.

Did you know?

Frisbee is a Wham-O trademark; the general term is flying disc, which is what official sports bodies use.

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