The Story
According to legend, the Frisbee originated in the 1920s when Yale students threw pie pans—made by the Frisbie Pie Co. in Bridgeport, Connecticut—for fun, yelling “Frisbie!” in the same way golfers yell “Fore!” to warn of oncoming projectiles.
Decades later, in 1948, William Morrison carved a plastic disk that resembled the Frisbie pie tin. He called his invention “Lil’ Abner” and sold them at county fairs throughout the fifties. Enter Spud Melin and Rich Knerr in 1957, the dynamic duo of Wham-O slingshot and Hula Hoop fame, who licensed Morrison’s invention, renaed it, and then launched the legendary “Pluto Platter,” an instant sensation. A year later the name was changed to “Frisbee,” after the pie company that started it all.
In 1964, Ed Headrick, general manager and vice president of Wham-O, introduced the Professional Model. Wanting to stabilize its flight, he developed and patented flight rings, now called Lines of Headrick. The Pro did it: the Frisbee was a toy no more! Headrick has often been called “The Father of Frisbee and Disc Golf.” He was nicknamed Steady Ed for his calm composure, and uncanny accuracy while making difficult throws.
Our Frisbie design, developed from the actual patents, is a tribute to the original inspiration of the Frisbie pie tin.
