Frisbees are one of the world's best-selling toys but they started life as simple pie dishes!
The Frisbie Baking Company (1871-1958) of Bridgeport, Connecticut, made pies that were sold to many New England colleges. Hungry college students soon discovered that the empty pie tins could be tossed and caught, They could make the round metal dishes spin and soar further than they could throw a ball - all it took was the right technique and a flick of the wrist - providing endless hours of games and sport.
The words 'Frisbie's Pies' were embossed in all the original pie tins and from these words 'Frisbie' was coined the common name for the toy.
In 1948, a Los Angeles building inspector named Walter Frederick Morrison and his partner Warren Franscioni invented a plastic version of the Frisbie that could fly further and with better accuracy than a tin pie plate.
Sales soared for the toy, due to the clever marketing of Frisbee playing as a new sport. In 1964, the first professional model went on sale.
The Frisbee world championships were first held in Sweden in 1983 and the farthest a Frisbee has been thrown is 250 metres.
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Just came across this history of the humble frisbee and it has inspired me to take a couple along when we next go to the park....if it ever stops raining.....
