Troy's annual disc golf tournament
Timberbeast disc golf tournament 2017. (Elka Wood/The Western News)
Mike Wallis, caretaker of the disc golf course in Troy, plays catch during the Timberbeast 2017 awards ceremony. (Elka Wood/The Western News)
A boy waits to collect the discs that almost made it across the Kootenai. (Elka Wood/The Western News)
Discs across the Kootenai contestants, Timberbeast 2017. (Elka Wood/The Western News)
The disc golfers who attended Troy’s 12th annual Timberbeast tournament on June 23-24 had stamina, “folfing” from early morning until 10:30 p.m. when deep dusk settled over the a crowd of 130 participants, who came from as far away as Calgary, British Columbia. Many were returning players.
The final event of the day is the “disc across the Kootenai,” when flying discs soar across the river with an average of about six out of about 25 making it to the shore, said a participant from Spokane, Washington. Participants pay a fee to participate in the fun finale to the tournament, with the thrower of the flying disc that goes the farthest winning the cash.
During the awards ceremony prior to the disc across the Kootenai on Saturday, June 24, awardees spoke and several said that the Troy tournament is their favorite of the year.
“People love coming here for this,” said emcee Brian Bjortomt of Missoula.
Started 12 years ago by Troy local Ralph Stever, the tournament was originally intended to give youth a focus and get them outside, said Bjortomt in his introduction. Although youth participation has not been very high, Bjortomt said that there were six youth participants this year, and the number is growing every year.
One of the youth, Logan McLaughlin, 16, from Spokane, has been flying a disc successfully across the Kootenai every year since he was 13, and hoped to do so again this year.