~ Frisbee Dan
Select few individuals in history have ascended to the role of cultural icon, transcending time and space to create a lasting legacy in the hearts and minds of generations to come.
Plato. George Washington. Shakespeare. Mozart. Einstein.
Frisbee Dan is not one of these icons. But to the students and alumni of Texas State University and the citizens of San Marcos, Texas, he might as well be.
When I first approach Dan for an interview, he holds up his finger, sprints toward the nearby river, pulls off his shirt, and jumps in. Five minutes later, he returns as if no time has elapsed since my question.
"I've met a lot of (students)," Frisbee Dan tells me. "Once in a while they'll get a Frisbee from me and they'll come back five, eight years later and they will walk up to me and say, 'You're still here.' "
"Here" is the middle of Sewell Park, a popular hangout on the Texas State campus. It is in part popular, I surmise, because of its well known Bikini Beach, a grassy knoll where coeds gather to sunbathe. Rumor has it that the intersection directly adjacent to Bikini Beach is one of the premier locations for traffic accidents in the nation.
On this day, however, my focus is not on the bikini-clad babes, but rather the middle-aged man wearing aviator goggles and dolphin shorts that would make Richard Simmons blush. After all, you can find hot women in bikinis lots of places, but there's only one Frisbee Dan.
“Most everybody in town knows me right as I walk through the door,”
"One of the cards says, 'Buy Frisbee Dan longer shorts,' " he says, laughing.
So how does a mild mannered man with nothing but a pair of short shorts and a love for Frisbee become a local legend? His story starts way back in 1985, when Dan had an accident that would change his life forever.
“I fell out of a truck and went into what they call an active coma. The lights were flickering, but I didn’t know what was going on. I lost complete peripheral vision on the right side of my head."
He pauses.
"But if you watch me play Frisbee, it has no bearing on my control and catching.”
Dan's head injury prompted a move to Tangram Rehabilitation Center in Texas, where he was a patient for four years. He took to the center so well, however, that he immediately transitioned from patient to staff member. For eight years, Dan worked where he had once been treated, and when he found Sewell Park, he knew he had a place that combined his two greatest loves: talking to people, and doing kickass Frisbee tricks.
Up until 1998, Dan balanced his work life with his life at Sewell Park, heading down to toss the Frisbee every chance he got. Then, after transitioning to work as a professional landscaper, he stepped up his Frisbee game. For the past ten years, Frisbee Dan has gone to Sewell Park seven days a week, "about six or seven hours a day," to share his love of Frisbee with others.
Not everyone, however, shares this love of Frisbees. Some just love a good inside joke. It is a common occurrence throughout my interview with Frisbee Dan for students to catcall or yell jokes in Dan's direction. The vast majority of these barbs come from various male students walking by, all of whom can invariably be described as the "frat type."
"Alright! Frisbee Dan TV!" one guy yells.
"Whooo!!! Go Frisbee Dan!" another adds later.
"Troublemakers!" Dan yells back, eliciting a cacophony of sarcastic "whats" and "huhs" from the group.
This causes Dan to laugh uproariousy before turning back me. "They always give me a hard time."
There is a certain lack of self awareness in Dan that some might find off-putting, or perhaps deserving of sympathy. Ultimately, however, it's hard not to like Frisbee Dan because, behind the goofy goggles and the dolphin shorts, behind the Frisbee tricks and the odd behavior, there is a man at peace with who he is and what he stands for, no matter how out of touch from reality he may be.
But, really, who am I to judge what reality is? Truth be told, a large part of me is jealous of this man whom the frat guys transparently mock.
If only I loved something, anything, with the passion that Dan has for Frisbee. Watching him toss the disc across the courtyard to a standoffish man with long gray hair, it's easy to forget you're watching two grown men. After all these years, Frisbee still holds a magic for Frisbee Dan that brings out a childish joy I can't help but envy.
As he tosses the Frisbee behind his back, or contorts his body while rotating clockwise for effect, or throws a particularly impressive spiral, he inevitably yells out in joy, looking around the park to acknowledge his (real or perceived) admirers.
One toss sails over the fence sixty yards away, but is caught by a man walking by, prompting Dan to squeal in joy and reenact the moment to anyone and everyone who will listen with a smile stretching the length of Bikini Beach.
It's a refreshing sense of innocence that has brought nothing but charm to the city of San Marcos. Which is great. But seriously...
"What's the deal with the short shorts?"
“Basically, with the long shorts, there’s no way I could jump up and do those 360s or you’d hear a loud rip. Because you saw the jumping technique. I need complete leg movement.”
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Plato. George Washington. Shakespeare. Mozart. Einstein.
Frisbee Dan is not one of these icons. But to the students and alumni of Texas State University and the citizens of San Marcos, Texas, he might as well be.When I first approach Dan for an interview, he holds up his finger, sprints toward the nearby river, pulls off his shirt, and jumps in. Five minutes later, he returns as if no time has elapsed since my question.
"I've met a lot of (students)," Frisbee Dan tells me. "Once in a while they'll get a Frisbee from me and they'll come back five, eight years later and they will walk up to me and say, 'You're still here.' "
"Here" is the middle of Sewell Park, a popular hangout on the Texas State campus. It is in part popular, I surmise, because of its well known Bikini Beach, a grassy knoll where coeds gather to sunbathe. Rumor has it that the intersection directly adjacent to Bikini Beach is one of the premier locations for traffic accidents in the nation.
On this day, however, my focus is not on the bikini-clad babes, but rather the middle-aged man wearing aviator goggles and dolphin shorts that would make Richard Simmons blush. After all, you can find hot women in bikinis lots of places, but there's only one Frisbee Dan.
“Most everybody in town knows me right as I walk through the door,”
"One of the cards says, 'Buy Frisbee Dan longer shorts,' " he says, laughing.So how does a mild mannered man with nothing but a pair of short shorts and a love for Frisbee become a local legend? His story starts way back in 1985, when Dan had an accident that would change his life forever.
“I fell out of a truck and went into what they call an active coma. The lights were flickering, but I didn’t know what was going on. I lost complete peripheral vision on the right side of my head."
He pauses.
"But if you watch me play Frisbee, it has no bearing on my control and catching.”
Dan's head injury prompted a move to Tangram Rehabilitation Center in Texas, where he was a patient for four years. He took to the center so well, however, that he immediately transitioned from patient to staff member. For eight years, Dan worked where he had once been treated, and when he found Sewell Park, he knew he had a place that combined his two greatest loves: talking to people, and doing kickass Frisbee tricks.
Up until 1998, Dan balanced his work life with his life at Sewell Park, heading down to toss the Frisbee every chance he got. Then, after transitioning to work as a professional landscaper, he stepped up his Frisbee game. For the past ten years, Frisbee Dan has gone to Sewell Park seven days a week, "about six or seven hours a day," to share his love of Frisbee with others.
Not everyone, however, shares this love of Frisbees. Some just love a good inside joke. It is a common occurrence throughout my interview with Frisbee Dan for students to catcall or yell jokes in Dan's direction. The vast majority of these barbs come from various male students walking by, all of whom can invariably be described as the "frat type.""Alright! Frisbee Dan TV!" one guy yells.
"Whooo!!! Go Frisbee Dan!" another adds later.
"Troublemakers!" Dan yells back, eliciting a cacophony of sarcastic "whats" and "huhs" from the group.
This causes Dan to laugh uproariousy before turning back me. "They always give me a hard time."
There is a certain lack of self awareness in Dan that some might find off-putting, or perhaps deserving of sympathy. Ultimately, however, it's hard not to like Frisbee Dan because, behind the goofy goggles and the dolphin shorts, behind the Frisbee tricks and the odd behavior, there is a man at peace with who he is and what he stands for, no matter how out of touch from reality he may be.
But, really, who am I to judge what reality is? Truth be told, a large part of me is jealous of this man whom the frat guys transparently mock.
If only I loved something, anything, with the passion that Dan has for Frisbee. Watching him toss the disc across the courtyard to a standoffish man with long gray hair, it's easy to forget you're watching two grown men. After all these years, Frisbee still holds a magic for Frisbee Dan that brings out a childish joy I can't help but envy.
As he tosses the Frisbee behind his back, or contorts his body while rotating clockwise for effect, or throws a particularly impressive spiral, he inevitably yells out in joy, looking around the park to acknowledge his (real or perceived) admirers.One toss sails over the fence sixty yards away, but is caught by a man walking by, prompting Dan to squeal in joy and reenact the moment to anyone and everyone who will listen with a smile stretching the length of Bikini Beach.
It's a refreshing sense of innocence that has brought nothing but charm to the city of San Marcos. Which is great. But seriously...
"What's the deal with the short shorts?"
“Basically, with the long shorts, there’s no way I could jump up and do those 360s or you’d hear a loud rip. Because you saw the jumping technique. I need complete leg movement.”
I couldn't have said it better myself.
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5 comments:
You sound more interested in mocking the "frat" type than discussing frisbee Dan.
But I suppose no "frat" type would even care to read about this so what's the point?
Casey - sensitive much?
I learned a lot about Frisbee Dan in this article, including that there are a group of pricks (frat bros or otherwise) who feel the need to mock a dude just livin' life and having a great time doing it.
Word count analysis:
02 frat
05 bikini
13 frisbee
(Not counted: "frisbee" when found in phrase "Frisbee Dan.")
Good interview.
Frisbee Dan makes my day. I've had the luxury to encounter him a few times, and it's always a good time.
Dan is real down to earth. He'll tell any one who wants to listen his story. If you decide to throw with him... be warned, he's going to take it seriously.
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