In October 2019, I played a one day event at Rogers Lakewood Park in Valparaiso, IN. Though a person who chugged more cans of Coors Light than he has discs in his bag beat me by a shot, I managed to finish in the last cash spot and was talked into getting a 139g Blizzard Katana.
Blizzard plastic is lighter than other ones used and as a pro tested in a video, a player can throw it faster. I had purchased one before but it was so over stable, I could not throw it so was skeptical but figured I would give it a shot. On my way back to the car threw it and took off but went right into a couple of pine trees. It took five minutes in the fading light to find it.
I tried it after with mixed results including putting it way right into the dog park at 50 Acre on the alt hole towards the practice basket and it was the disc used for my two black aces on 1 at Fairfield Park in Round Lakes that December.
The following summer it was the disc I lost way right on 10 at Highland past 16 fairway that was eventually found by another player which I had to make a trip to Lockport to get out of the shed at Trinity.
In spite of that, that disc when thrown correctly can go 20-25 feet farther than anything else I can throw downwind. Last Sunday, doing so on #2 at Lemon Lake White got me in a position where I was able to throw a full Leopard to get a birdie.
The week before that was at Foxdale Park in Addison where the first three holes are bordered by the wall blocking noise from the connection between Interstate 355N and Interstate 290E. After a drive with my Leopard on 3 from the path as the tee was muddy, took out my Katana and launched it over the wall.
I skipped 4&5 and when done, stopped along the expressway and among weeds one which cut my knee badly, found that disc.
One of the reasons I went to retrieve that disc is that I have purchased a couple other Blizzard plastic discs since to get a back up but unfortunately they fly like the first one I got and not that Katana which has almost become irreplaceable.
The following day, went to Madison Meadows. While getting my equipment, braces, and shoes, another car pulls up and two adults walk out to #1 carrying between them three discs. Since I had to work later that day, figured I could eventually pass them.
On #2 saw the left handed player throw a disc that as expected finished to the right and had an idea what was going to happen on #3 where the disc barely skipped into the pond that is on the right.
Knowing where it went in, hurried to the spot, removed my handle from by cart, and laid on the ground trying to retrieve the disc while one player was watching me.
Then I hear in a voice that sounded off, "Can I use this disc?" which the person next to me said would be fine.
I look back and filled with rage that made the time earlier this year when a dog took the only dry towel out of my bag seem calm, announced in a tone people could hear a block away, " THAT'S MY DISC!". I literally had to rip it out of his hands before putting it back into the bag he was standing next to before marching off to play #4.
Yes, it was the same Katana which is kept by itself in the side of the bag. It did not fall out. While I was helping the person retrieve his disc, he helped himself to one of mine. Thinking about it later, the two people were a father and adult son and the son appeared to be not fully aware of what he was doing and it is possible his father thought the disc was found and not taken from the bag. At least I hope that was the case as opposed to him thinking since I have a full bag of them, I could spare one.
I do carry backups in my car and have given some to other players to keep and in this case would have definitely offered one of them so they could keep playing.
Anyway when I was on #12 was asked how I am doing and stated lousy since someone tried to steal a disc from my bag while I was trying to help him retrieve a lost one. That was followed by a conversation explaining the difference between discs including showing the police officer the Katana with a slightly faded SHERLOCK 33461 written on the back side in black marker.
