Canadian Legend - Dave Ross Interview

There are local heroes across all countries in this world for the sport of Disc Golf. I know of the ones within the United States and I wanted to broaden my horizon of the sport. Then, someone gave me the name of Canadian legend Dave Ross. Dave Ross was the team captain for the World Team Disc Golf Canadian team. He throws for Latitude 64 and is an all around great guy. Give his story a read and enjoy!

Just like many Disc Golf players, Dave’s story begins when he is younger. Dave told me that “there was a little 9 hole course nearby where we went and played every day.” He would play with his friends because “it was 1989 and we had just graduated high school.” He needed something to do right out of high school to Disc Golf filled that void. While he had fun playing with his friends, he needed something more. He told me “the first 6-8 months were just fine playing with friends was fun, but then I won my first tournament.” After that, he says, “I was hooked from that day.” So, he caught the bug and never looked back after winning his first tournament, starting off his historic career with a win.

So, after he started winning and getting better, Latitude 64 approached him and offered him a spot on the team. He told me that “Latitude was the first sponsor, they had approached a friend of mine and wanted someone from this area.” But, one of the things that people do not usually say is how they must switch over their discs once they are sponsored. This may not be a struggle for some, but for others it gets difficult. For Dave, it was a challenge, not because of the brand though. Dave says, “I had a hard time switching, I like old beat up discs.” Once you have a disc just the way you like it, it is hard to have to try something new for yourself. But, he is now crushing his beat in Latitude 64 discs like the champion that he is. Something that I was curious about that I never got the answer from, when you are on team trilogy, can you throw any type of those discs? The answer from Dave “you can, but, I throw Latitude 64 because they are my true sponsor.” Well said and now I finally had an answer to that plaguing question.

Since I get the chance to talk to all sorts of individuals who are sponsored or not, I always want to know what it is like to be on a team if you get the chance to be. When I asked Dave about this he told me “People notice when you are on a team, so I get recognized now when I play.” Which is not a bad thing, there are a lot of kind words to be said and he deserves all the praise he gets. When asked about the team itself he said, “It is a great team to be a part of, they are all a great group of people and help out a lot.” As well as “It is always a plus when I do not have to buy discs or apparel, it helps out with money so much.” Now, companies give out an abundance of discs and players may not use these discs up within a season. So, they can do many things with them, Dave chooses to “help out friends, I have too many discs to have to use.” Which is perfect for him and shows how he wants to give back to the community and help his friends in need. Liking beat up discs has its rewards.

Being from Canada and throwing for Latitude 64, I had to know what his favorite course and disc were. When it comes to favorite discs, I love learning about what kind people like and consider their favorite. Dave’s’ favorite as he told me is “the opto fury, that disc is money.” I do not know a lot about the fury, but I will take Dave’s’ word for it. I was really intrigued to hear about his favorite courses, since he is from Canada I had no idea what they could be. I was pleasantly surprised when he told me “Whistlers Bend in Oregon or Fort Steilacoom in Washington.” Fort Steilacoom is a beautiful area with two 18-hole courses and one 9 hole course. I have also heard great things about whistlers bend in Oregon.

Since Dave has been around the game for some time, I had to pick his brain and see what advice he had to offer. The advice he gave me was great and definitely worth seeing. His advice was “you have to put the time in, you have to practice. I putt 6-7 hours a week.” Simple as that, you have to just practice and put your time in when you can, or you have to make time. Another thing to think about is “you have to put time in around the basket, make it a goal to put time in each day however long it is.” If you are willing to work, then you are going to succeed. The feeling of putting in hard work to see a goal and a reward is the best reward of all. However, it all starts with the work you put in. Dave wants to remind too that “I would practice, do field work, putt in all weather. Snow, rain, wind, you do not have an excuse.”

Having someone tell me something to end the interview is always tough, it could go so many different ways and you never know where it could go. When asking Dave this question I was not surprised that his response fit his calm and wise demeanor. Dave wanted everyone to know “I get up and go to work just like everyone else, I just throw a frisbee better than everyone else. I put a lot of time in, traveled a lot of place, and spent a lot of my own money. I am so glad to be where I am and so thankful at the experiences I have gotten.”

I would like to thank Dave ross for letting me ask him these questions and for taking the time out of his day to answer my questions. He was an awesome guy to learn from and talk to and I suggest you talk to him if you get the chance. If you would like to learn more about Dave you can find him on all forms of social media. Look out for more coming soon!

Picture credit goes to Dave Ross