GoPro Mountain Games 2015 – Vail Colorado – Part One

The 2015 GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado took place over June 4 through June 7. Thousands of athletes, spectators, and volunteers descended on the small mountain town to witness some amazing events. Slacklining, kayaking, mountain biking, stand-up paddle boarding, bouldering, and K-9 activities took place throughout the Vail Village, but mountain games would not be complete without disc golf.

Vibram played a big role throughout the GoPro Mountain Games, especially with the Vibram Five Finger shoes, K-9 accessories, and disc golf. Steve Dodge invited some of the Team Vibram players to join him at the GoPro Games, in order to introduce spectators to disc golf, and have a chance at competing in the first annual mountain games disc golf competition. Team members Chris Deitzel, Sean Jack, Vinnie Miller, and I made the trip. It was a lot of fun, and a great experience.

My favorite part was getting to know the other members of the team. This was my first event as a representative of Team Vibram disc golf, so I was not quite sure what to expect. Vinnie and Chris have been on the team since it’s inception, and Sean is a multi-year veteran. It was a little intimidating to say the least when I showed up at the airport in Denver looking them. They quickly eased my concerns, and we all ended up getting along really well through out the weekend.

From a disc golf stand point, my favorite memory was participating in a quick $1 round during a lull between spectators. Thursday and Friday of the four day event involved a “disc golf experience” where newbies and experienced disc golfers alike could come out and play a temporary 6 hole course that was set up on the property. The experience allowed Team Vibram players to escort the various groups through the course, while teaching basic disc golf form, etiquette, and techniques, while giving the participants a chance to ask questions and enjoy a quick round. Following the 6 hole course, the participants were then taken to a booth where they could throw the disc as hard as they could, while tracking the MPH of the disc at the same time. One of the players even demonstrated her patent pending, “Pancake Putt.”

While waiting around for a few spectators to show up, a challenge went up for the best score on the 6 hole course, with a $1 buy in to play. A few locals were hanging out with us at the time, so they decided to participate. After the challenge was issued, a group of spectators arrived, and Steve Dodge decided to take them around himself, and to get the round started. A few minutes later, he proudly announced his -4 on the 6 hole course. He then dismissed the 6 of us to go play the course so that he could man the booth when others wanted to participate in the disc golf experience.

Holes one and two were easy birdies, but I left hole three short on my 25′ birdie attempt, bouncing off of the basket. I settled for par. Hole four was a 340′ uphill shot, and since we were all playing with putters, I took another par. Hole five was about 250′ downhill, but the disc hyzered out more than I was expecting, leaving me with a 35′ putt, with OB right behind it. Knowing that -4 was the score to beat, I ran the basket and nailed the birdie putt. Going into hole six, I was sitting at -3, and knew I needed to birdie. Luckily, hole six was only about 100′ and I figured I could birdie it pretty well, causing a tie with Steve. Rather than driving like normal, I lined up for a jump putt. The disc left my hand, and gently descended the 100′ to the basket, smashing the chains for an ace. Final score, Chase with a -5, and $7 richer. It was a really fun experience, and everyone was there to watch it. As a memento, everyone signed the disc for me. It was a great memory.

More exciting stories, and interviews from Team Vibram disc golf at the 2015 GoPro Mountain Games in future posts…

To see all of my pictures from the event, check out the gallery: