We Uncover A Wealth Of Disc Golf Knowledge By Learning More About DD Team Member Jonathan Ray

Take one look at Jonathan Ray and you can instantly tell that this is a man who knows the ins and outs of the disc golf world. He’s been on tour for years and has over 100 career events under his belt, but that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, when he was first introduced to the sport, he had no idea that he wasn’t playing actual golf!

“I got tricked,” he explained. “I thought I was going to play golf with some friends. I showed up in khaki shorts and a collared shirt with my golf clubs in a park that didn’t have a golf course. Turned out we were playing disc golf. I got my butt kicked and my competitive nature made me learn the game to heal my wounded pride. Turns out the sport has become my passion and my livelihood.”

This story truly marked the beginning of something special, as JRay is now a major part of the Dynamic Discs team. Let’s learn more about him and uncover some tips and tricks he has for those who love the game just as much as he does!

Recognizing A Need

So how exactly did JRay go from khakis on the course to playing professionally? His love for disc golf opened his eyes to the areas in which he could make a difference locally, and that slowly grew into something more and more impactful over time:

“Shortly after I started playing disc golf I discovered a need for structure and leadership in my local disc golf community. I jumped in headfirst and met Jeremy Rusco and Jeremy Kindy a few months later at Bowling Green Ams. We developed a great bond. I competed at Am Worlds in Emporia a few months later and was offered a sponsorship. Those relationships have continued to be cultivated for the last 7 years and brought me where I am today.”

Not only does JRay get the chance to travel the nation and play some of his favorite events - he notes that Beaver State Fling is at the top of his list - but he also gets to represent Dynamic Discs in a truly meaningful way. “Dynamic Discs is my family. Not in the cliché way that gets thrown around - truly family. I believe in them. I trust them. I work my ass off for them because we share a vision. I believe attitude reflects leadership and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

It’s Only Getting Better

JRay mentioned that this year he’s been focusing on his mental game and composure, and aside from bringing home three A tier wins in 2019, this dedication really paid off during his final round at US Masters with a 1082-rated performance on Maple Hill’s Gold course. Thankfully, he shared with us a few of his secrets for finding success on the course and on the road.

First and foremost, his staple discs are key. He relies on the Judge, Verdict, and Getaway to execute the shots he wants with consistency. Curious about some of his lesser-known secrets? “If you want to be a touring player don’t commit to one travel partner for the year. Life has its ups and downs and spending a relentless amount of time with one person is hard. Mix it up and travel with someone for a month at a time. Also, invest in baby wipes. Hobo showers are a real thing.”

Getting the chance to play a round with JRay would show anyone what it means to be a true professional who is dedicated to the sport and to growing the community of disc golf as a whole. We’re thrilled that he’s a part of our family and can’t wait to see what next year has in store for him!

Meet Our New DyeMax Technician: Guthrie Briggeman

We have an exciting staff change to announce today. Guthrie Briggeman is the new DyeMax Technician at Dynamic Discs! Guthrie began working at Dynamic Discs two years ago as a warehouse floor employee, but his work ethic stood out, and he was asked to assist during busy seasons at DyeMax after only a short time. If you have met Guthrie or interacted with him, you know that he has an incredibly positive attitude and cares about making customers and employees feel right at home. "I'm excited to move forward with this Dynamic Discs in the DyeMax department. Looking forward to bringing my work ethic and energy to DyeMax and to continue the excellence our customers expect," Briggeman said.

Guthrie is one of many employees at Dynamic Discs who started at an entry-level position and has worked his way up to a new position. Matt Sedgwick began at Dynamic Discs as a hotstamp technician, and he now manages all of Dynamic Discs’ custom stamping and DyeMax orders. Kris Edson started at DD as a DyeMax Technician and was moved up to Product Manager where he has driven the production of many Dynamic Discs items that our fans know and love. Brian Shintaku moved to Emporia to work at Dynamic Discs, began as a warehouse floor employee, and now serves as the Team Manager for Latitude 64 and Westside Discs. If you’re interested in working in disc golf and moving up the ladder in a company, Dynamic Discs might be a perfect fit for you!

Any time that you email dyemax@dynamicdiscs.com, Guthrie will be responding and ensuring that your DyeMax discs meet our standards and yours. Please join us in welcoming Guthrie to his new position!

New Marketing Director at Dynamic Discs

As you all have heard time and time again, at Dynamic Discs, we are always working on something! Today, that “something” is a shift in personnel and roles. Since the beginning of Dynamic Discs, we have largely handled our marketing by committee - multiple people have completed marketing pieces while simultaneously completing their full-time assigned job responsibilities. I have felt the need to consolidate Dynamic Discs’ marketing efforts for some time so that all employees are able to focus more of their time on their specific roles - Bobby can focus on media, Clay can focus on technology, Kris can focus on product development, Jamie can focus on sales… the list goes on and on. I’m happy to say that Dynamic Discs will be filling this role today.

Moving forward, Robert McCall will be transitioning to a brand new role for Dynamic Discs as the Marketing Director. Robert has loved serving as Team Manager and Team Director for the last two-and-a-half years, but he is thrilled to take on these new responsibilities and new challenges! This new role also gives Robert new availability for media responsibilities such as live and post-produced commentary and some potential new projects.

As Robert moves away from his team role, I am also thrilled to announce a change in Team Management for the sponsored teams of Dynamic Discs, Latitude 64, and Westside Discs along with an exciting new structure. Brian Shintaku will continue in his role as Team Manager, but he will now manage Team Latitude 64 and Team Westside. Brian has worked with the three teams for the last 18 months, and if you know Tako, you know that we’re excited for him to continue with a new focus on Latitude 64 and Westside!

Team Dynamic Discs’ new Team Manager is a familiar face and knows the history of Dynamic Discs as well or better than anyone: Eric McCabe. Eric has been with Dynamic Discs since the beginning and has worked in several different capacities at Dynamic Discs, most recently as World Champion Course Designer. Eric is excited to assist Dynamic Discs’ sponsored players and has firsthand experience performing the tasks and achieving the goals of every level of sponsorship, including the highest level of competition. He is looking forward to working more closely with the team while continuing to install championship-level courses all over the world!

After a brief time away from team-related responsibilities, I’m also excited to welcome Denise Cameron back as Team Support Specialist. Denise has previously worked as Latitude 64’s Team Manager, so she is extremely familiar with team processes and needs. While Eric, Brian, and Denise will have some team-specific responsibilities, we are confident that any of these three will be able to take care of any team member’s needs at any time, regardless of the team they represent.

Dynamic Discs is looking forward to the future of these new roles for our employees. Please join us in welcoming them to their new positions!

Have You Met Tako? We'll Introduce You To DD Employee Brian Shintaku

Anyone who goes by the nickname of Tako likely has a pretty great personality, but his awesome sense of humor is just a fraction of what makes Brian Shintaku such a great addition to the DD company team. We’re continuing to learn about each of the people who help to spread the disc golf love under the DD roof, so let’s find out more about Brian!

Starting Off On The Right Foot

Brian has lived in several places across the United States, but in 2018 he made the trek from California to Emporia and started working for Dynamic Discs that January. As the Team Manager for DD/Latitude 64/Westside, he’s got his hands full with a variety of tasks each and every day, but finds that the atmosphere and people he’s around is really what sets Dynamic Discs apart from other jobs he’s had:

“The best thing about working for DD is working in and around the sport and activity I love most, disc golf! I initially applied to DD to try to be a part of a exciting, booming, trustworthy company that is at the top of the market in disc golf.”

Tako has been playing disc golf since his teens, so for him, getting to be a part of the industry is a pretty amazing thing.

Making A Difference

One thing that’s so powerful about the employees at Dynamic Discs is that their passion for the sport extends beyond a 40-hour workweek. Shintaku is active throughout Emporia and loves to teach others about the sport:

“When outside of work, I try to grow the sport by volunteering at events to explain basic principles of disc golf. One example would be reaching out to local schools to give presentations during a PE period; during these events, each person/student gets a chance to throw a disc and make a putt in the basket.

The difference I try to make to disc golfers everywhere is to be a positive supporter, teaching others about ways to get involved with their community, helping with social media posts to show what programs and equipment are available, and being a good ambassador for disc golf. Hopefully leading by example is contagious and others will follow suit.”

A Family Event

Tako is clearly immersed within the disc golf world, but how does the rest of his family feel about it? He shared with us a pretty awesome story that goes to show just how amazing it is when the disc golf love extends to others:

“About five years ago my family (me, my wife Carly, and daughter Hayleigh) lived in Colorado. During a ladies' league with five other ladies at Ghostown DGC, I decided to film all the ladies’ drives on the ninth hole. After the first five ladies threw, it was then Carly’s turn and she threw a drive 235’ directly into the basket and it was filmed! On the drive back down the mountain, Carly felt dizzy and uneasy.

She sometimes gets altitude sickness so we thought nothing of it, but the symptoms continued after we arrived home that afternoon. She decided to take a pregnancy test and sure enough, baby number two was in her belly! So on the same day, we had twice the amount of joy for Carly’s second ace and child number two.”

Brian is a true part of the DD family and we couldn’t imagine working without him!

We All Know His Face, But Let's Learn More About The Real Robert McCall

Over the past few years, we've had such a great time getting to know members of the Dynamic Discs team. From casual players who have a true love of the sport to some of the more well-known touring pros, you’ve gotten a peek behind the scenes to learn how these competitors tick. Now, we’re about to dive deep into one of the more notable people within our family.

Whether you’ve seen his face across social media or you’ve gotten to play a round with him in Emporia, there’s not a disc golfer out there who doesn’t know Robert McCall. Today, we’re going to uncover a bit more about Robert and understand his background with disc golf. Buckle up - it’s going to be a fun ride!

Motivation To Win

Like many other people who enjoy disc golfing, Robert is a very competitive person, and if it wasn’t for this aspect of his personality, he may never have become as obsessed with the sport as he is today. He shared his story with us:

“I played a couple of times in high school with some friends but didn’t care for disc golf much at the time. When I was in college, a friend invited me out to play, and I, being the intensely competitive person I am, told him I was going to crush him. Instead, I lost by 20 or so.

At that point, I didn’t really care about disc golf, but I hated losing, so I told that friend I wouldn’t stop playing until I beat him. Over time, I began to enjoy myself and finally beat that friend (several grueling months later). By then, I was hooked.”

McCall never gave up and quite frankly he wouldn’t be where he is today if it wasn’t for his persistence. After being added to the DD team in 2014, Robert’s luck ended up taking a turn for the worse. An injury sidelined him for nearly two years, and with the family attitude that so many people often refer to, the Dynamic Discs crew kept him on the team regardless.

All About DD

Several months after 2016 Worlds, he received an unexpected phone call that would change the trajectory of his life. “A few months later, Rusco called me out of the blue and asked if I’d be interested in taking a job in Emporia at Dynamic Discs,” Robert explained. “I wasn’t even aware that a position was open, and my wife and I weren’t necessarily looking to move, but we decided to check it out. After much discussion and struggle, we decided to give Emporia a try, and the rest is history. Working at Dynamic Discs has been so great!”

Not only has McCall enjoyed the work environment here, but he also has a firsthand look at every single disc we make, allowing him to fine-tune his bag like no one else. This year, he’s throwing the Warden (#teamwarden), the Explorer, and the Raider. Robert plans on playing USDGC this year and has been working on improving his confidence over the course of the year:

“The more confident you are as a player, the better you’re going to play across the board. I notice confidence most when I’m putting. If I’m feeling good and believing in myself, I feel like I can’t miss, and it allows me to be aggressive and fully follow through on every shot.”

We love the energy and enthusiasm that Robert brings to the Dynamic Discs family and couldn’t be happier to have him here!

When Passion Turns Into A Job - Getting To Know DD's Art Director Jacob Torkelson

When was the last time that you got paid for something that was truly a hobby? We’re not talking about disc golf here, but something that you enjoy doing for fun that you would likely never think could turn into a career. For Jacob Torkelson, this scenario became a reality for him back in 2014. He works as the Art Director here at Dynamic Discs and is the guy behind many of our marketing efforts. If you’ve ever seen our YouTube videos or even checked out the sweet wrap on 2018 Worlds Champion Paige Bjerkaas’ van, you’ve seen Jacob’s work.

How exactly did his talent make its way to DD? Funny enough, there’s a bit of a story there that we’d like to share. Let’s take a few minutes to get to know Jacob, find out what he loves most about working at DD, and hear about how he helps to #growthesport.

A Twist Of Fate

In 2014, Jacob had no idea that he would be working for Dynamic Discs, much less had ever even heard of disc golf at all. At the time, the sophomore at Emporia State University had heard about an opening for a graphic design internship from his Marketing teacher. “Photoshop and graphics was something I always did in my free time. Whether that be creating wallpapers or superimposing my friend's heads on the body of Britney Spears for a few laughs, it's what I liked to do and I had gotten pretty good at it,” Torkelson explained.

Armed with experience and a go-getter attitude, he applied for the internship without having so much as heard of the company offering it. You guessed it, it was Dynamic Discs! After passing a hands-on Photoshop test, he started the following week and ended up getting hired on afterward. He’s since finished his degree and now works to create marketing campaigns and brand identities for DD.

Disc Golf Love

You hear it all of the time, but we’ll say it just once more - working at Dynamic Discs is truly like being with family. “I have had plenty of other jobs where you go to work and put up with other employees for 4-8 hours,” Jacob said. “Inside these doors is completely different. You come inside and are greeted by your literal best friends. Most people get off work and try to get as far away from coworkers as possible. Here, we are calling and texting each other to hang out after hours almost every day.”

Despite making some of his best friends here, Jacob still had one piece of the puzzle left - to actually start playing disc golf! He ended up grabbing a Blend Judge, a Fuzion Truth, and a Cadet bag and would throw at trees initially to better his aim. Forehands were practiced by throwing into his couch, and before long, Jacob was a full-fledged disc golfer. “I carry this brand with me everywhere I go. It's on my car, my shirts, my accessories. If I find a way to work it into a casual conversation, I will. I also donate a lot of discs in the form of losing them on the course to tall grass, bushes, and ponds,” he said with a laugh.

Jacob’s story goes to show you that taking a leap of faith is sometimes the very thing that gives you some of life’s greatest gifts. Now in love with the game and working at a company that’s both fun and challenging, he couldn’t be happier with his decision to apply for that internship.

Behind The Scenes Of Sponsorship - Let's Meet DD's Very Own Derek Savory

As the years go by, disc golf is becoming a sport that’s more and more reliant on financial partnerships. Whether it takes money to get trophies made for a tournament or it’s a professional touring player who could benefit from help with entry fees or gas money, there’s no denying that having the support of others can go a long way. While it doesn’t have to be scary or difficult to ask for sponsorship, there’s certainly a process that’s involved to make sure all factors are considered.

When it comes to partnering with Dynamic Discs, there’s a good chance that you’ve chatted with our Sponsorship Coordinator Derek Savory. He’s been a part of our team for a little over two years and works hard to make sure that disc golfers locally and nationwide have the support they need. Let’s take some time to learn a little more about him!

Why DD?

While it’s the dream job of many, working at Dynamic Discs isn’t a given for all disc golfers. For Derek, it makes sense that he would join our team as he explained, “If you're a disc golfer that just moved 1200 miles halfway across the country from Upstate NY to Emporia, KS, is there really any other place you'd rather work?” Savory’s job is multifaceted, and while he has touched the lives of many, he has a humble attitude toward his work.

Like most of us here, he sees his position as one that allows him to interact with the greater disc golf family across the nation. Thanks to Derek, events from coast to coast are run in a more professional manner and players are able to fulfill their dreams of attending events that otherwise may have been out of reach.

Behind The Scenes

Savory doesn’t just grow the sport 40 hours per week, as he’s actively involved in the disc golf scenes of Emporia and back home in New York. He clued us into just a few ways that he and DD work toward hosting awesome events nationwide:

“I stay pretty busy hosting numerous events each year. Hops N Hyzers is a doubles league held during the offseason that teams up with our local brewpub, Radius Brewing Company, to keep people playing in the winter months. Lyme Warrior Open is an event that we're able to bring a little awareness to Lyme Disease in disc golf and play the infamous Jones Gold. Shenanigans at Shorewinds is an event my wife and I host in NY each summer that gives us an excuse to visit family and friends.”

Despite the cold weather that Derek often sees in both locations, he doesn’t let it stop him from getting out there and playing with friends for fun or in a tournament setting. He notes that his coldest round was during a -13 degree day, proving that he has a true love for the sport! The next time you’re curious to see how Dynamic Discs can potentially turn your disc golf dreams into reality, reach out to Derek to learn more about how we can help.

Is She DD's Friendliest Face? Touching Base With Jackie Morris

Most occupations require a ton of work behind the scenes that many people don’t see, but for Jackie Morris, her job is pretty much a dream come true. One of the Customer Service Specialists (UPDATE: Jackie is now the Emporia store Manager) at Dynamic Discs, Jackie’s been a staple in Emporia for nearly four years. Without her dedication, willingness to help out, and her awesome personality, we don’t know what we’d do!

In this second installment of our DD employee series, we’re going to take a closer look at how Jackie ended up working in disc golf, what she does on a daily basis, and learn about what some might call a secret disc golf weapon that she relies on.

An Unusual Path

It’s a fair assumption that most employees at Dynamic Discs were super obsessed with the sport before they got hired on with us, but for Morris, it was actually the opposite. DD graphic designer Jacob Torkelson has been friends with Jackie for years and texted her when there was a job opening. Jackie explains:

“I knew nothing about disc golf when I started working at DD and I was eager to learn! I'm kind of a nerd and love learning. Anyway, the other graphic designer Kevin, who is also one of my best friends, took me out to Jones West and had me throw a disc off the first tee pad. He said he was surprised with how well I threw. Spoiler, he asked me to throw again and the second shot was so much worse - your typical newbie shot. I continued playing with Kevin and Jacob through the summer, and even got the courage to go out by myself!”

As is common with most new players, Jackie quickly fell in love with disc golf and now plays casually and competitively in Emporia. She’s an active member of the Emporia Ladies League and often gets to exercise her incredible skill set. Remember the secret weapon we mentioned earlier? Morris is ambidextrous and can often be seen switching up her throwing arm throughout the course of a round.

How Can She Help?

If you’ve ordered items from us in the past, there’s a good chance that you’ve communicated with Jackie before. She makes it her goal to answer any customer question, no matter how big or small, because she knows that she’s truly making a difference. “I get to be a customer service rep for a disc golf company and, because I have this position, I'd like to think I make a positive impact in the lives of disc golf players around the world,” she said.

Jackie is a true team player and does so much more at DD than you’d imagine: “Every day is filled with emails, phone calls, and live chats from our customers and I have the opportunity to help them find solutions. On top of customer service, I handle our warranty claims and coordinate volunteers for events such as the GBO.” Noting that working at Dynamic Discs is just like being a part of a family, she loves that she has the opportunity to make a true impact in the sport.

Thank you for being a part of the DD team Jackie!