Sun Shines on 2009 Ice Bowl at Ashe County Park

By Joel Frady

The tournament motto of "No Whimps, No Whiners" didn't seem very applicable during the third annual Ice

Bowl at Ashe County Park on Saturday, Feb. 21. There was very little ice or snow to be found as players enjoyed plenty of sunlight and mild temperatures during the round of competition that began at 10 a.m.

The only weather-related hazard facing players was the wind, which changed direction frequently and remained strong for most of the morning. Many players watched shots that appeared to be well thrown sail into the pond or a tree once a gust of wind caught their discs.

Even without the wintry conditions that many had hoped for, 46 golfers divided into four divisions (amateur, intermediate, advanced and women's) participated in the tournament, down from the 70 players the tournament saw in 2008 but still better than the 35 golfers the event attracted in 2007.

"It went really good," said Daniel Quin, athletic director for Ashe County Parks and Recreation. "We had a good turnout player-wise, and there was awesome weather. All in all, I think everyone had a good time and enjoyed themselves aside from some high golf scores that were thrown."

Quin noted that he was "a little bit" disappointed that icy weather didn't accompany the Ice Bowl.

"I would have liked to see some snow, maybe, but I'm not going to complain," he said. "We were hoping we wouldn't have bad winds, and the day did start with a little ice on the pond so it wasn't totally ice-free."

Despite the drop in attendance, Quin said that it might have improved in one key area.

"I feel like we had more local support this year than we have in previous years," he said, "so it was awesome to see the community come out and play."

The winners of the tournament were: Todd Lion in the advanced division, followed by Todd Patoprsty and Tyler Sugg; Harry Scott in the intermediate division, followed by Matt Green and John Hill; Anthony Hamilton in the Amateur division, followed by Adam Korebec and Dennis Davis; and Wendy Patoprsty in the Women's division, followed by Chrysanthi Mitchel and Brooke Crossley.

The disc golf course at Ashe County Park is open year-round during regular park hours. It is free to play, and discs can be purchased from the Hobby Barn in West Jefferson and occasionally at the park. To find out more, contact Ashe County Parks and Recreation at (3360 982-6185.

To find out more about the High Country Disc Golf club or upcoming events at the disc golf course, click to www.highcountrydiscgolf.com.