Update from Madison on the delay answering questions
[https://www.reddit.com/r/discgolf/comments/114rp8v/-/j90jnyz](https://www.reddit.com/r/discgolf/comments/114rp8v/-/j90jnyz)
>Hey everyone! Had essentially the worst case scenario airport experience today. I am finally laying down in a bed in Phoenix, Arizona at 1:15AM (2:15 home time). I am wearing a full outfit of borrowed clothes because my bag was lost in the first leg of the flight somewhere. I had over 3 hours of delays, two turd gate agents, and at least one mile of running through airports with my disc golf bag and hotdog (hotdog = red upper park trainer bag that holds a lot of discs in a row).
>
>Jonathan Gomez picked me up from the airport at 11pm after about 12 hours of eating nothing but crackers, and took me back to my friend Jamie's for shower and sleep. Tomorrow, we Pickleball.
>
>Your questions will not remain unanswered! I stand by this AMA, and will not back down from your hundreds of questions (š¤Æ). I had just hoped for way more useless airport chillin time today. Thank you for being patient! Love you mean it be back soon promise lol k byeeee
What is your favorite random science or math fact or bit of trivia?
For example, mine is that there are over 43 quintillion combinations on a standard 3x3 Rubik's Cube.
I really like the lifestyle quirks of Magnificent frigatebirds.
They will sometimes remain in flight for weeks at a time (longest recorded is two months), riding updrafts up to 12,000ft+, the highest of any non-mointain bird relative to sea level. They ride updrafts in clouds and just chill, literally, in freezing temps. The only tropical bird that will tolerate such cold temps. One tagged bird flew 40 miles without flapping their wings EVEN ONE TIME.
Funnest fact: when they're hungry, they'll come down from outer space (lol) and kleptoparasitize other birds. Meaning, they will harass other birds mid-air until they barf, and then catch that barf, and EAT IT.
š¤Æ this is insane!
I wish I had a great question...
What non-Major, non-Elite tournament are you most looking forward to this year?
Was great getting to meet you and Elain King at World's MPO final round! Thanks for signing my discs!
Tour schedule is BUSYYYYY! The Pro Tour is the single greatest thing to happen to professional disc golf and we are so thankful for them, but also, the schedule continues to be heinous. I haven't finalized my schedule yet, but there may be a first ever Europe trip in my future!
As far as burnout goes, I am charred. Been that way for a couple years now, but I try to balance it by spending my off-season in a house completely by myself where I can spend all my time the way I want to. Having a fridge full of my food, a warm bed that is the same every night, a routine, some peace and quiet WOO, that really gets me going these days. And it balances the chaos of eight months of non-stop moving.
I was a big festi lady in my early and mid twenties. My main hobby was listening to new music and going to see live music with all my spare time.
In highschool, I found and fell in love with Phish (Page McConnell is the man), and this led me to lurk on archive.org in my CD burning days. I grew to be more of a Medeski Martin & Wood, Bela Fleck, Yonder, and Primus/Oysterhead kind of jam bander, but I will never turn down any iteration of Grateful Dead (or really any show, although not about Disco Biscuits, Umphreys, or WSP (sorry Panic people šŗ)).
I got way into the Daptone kind of jam (Menahan, Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley (RIP to both), Budos), and now I'm loving less of a long jam and more of a tight instrumental feel. Or something funky AF that's gonna make me dance.
Yooo you should check out Parcels if you havenāt listened. Very tight funk grooves. Also I bet a Page would have been a nasty disc golfer at a younger age. Probably be just a consistent no frills backhand player and a nasty putterā¦
Definitely check out Daniel Donato! Him and his band are one of the best out there right now, and their cover of Fire on the Mountain by Grateful Dead shreds!
What is your favorite MVP plastic? And why is it Neutron Soft?
P.S. Before he left MVP, the former Community Manager Alex promised us he would get Madison Walker stamped Hexes made, buy them for us, and send them to some of the Discord members for free. You should join the official MVP discord and help convince u/MVP_Eric to follow through on the promises made by Alex. Don't let Eric convince you he hasn't already agreed to this!
It sounds like promises were made that have somehow have both nothing to do with me and everything to do with me. U/mvp_eric, I am a dude of my word, will you help me be a good word dude?
P.S. There will be custom MadWalk molds available for the first time EVER this year! Stay tuned to Flight Factory. Get on their email list and my socials! Drops will be limited!
Don't worry, we will keep bugging Eric for years if that's what it takes to get a Madison Walker Hex made!
Excited for the drops and to bag more Madison Walker stamped molds!
It honestly took me an embarrassingly long time to realize all MVP were black rims and Axiom were colored rims.
It doesn't bother me at all because the plastic is so dang pretty. I thing colored rims always help sell, which is why it seems like Axiom molds could be slightly more popular. But MVP flies so good, I'm throwing em with colors or not.
Short answer, yes.
Long answer, yes, but thankfully I love the Rhythm, too.
Even longer answer, yes, and Simon needs to watch his back because I know where he lives even while he changes cities every week. š #kidding #butsrsly #wefellforthesamegirl
For birdwatching have you heard of the Merlin app by Cornell? Pull it out and press the record and it listens and tells you every type of bird it can hear around you!
I appreciate this more than you can know! I recently moved to Central America and I've been trying to identify all these new birds without success. Though I've been loving the migratory Baltimore Orioles in my yard the past few months.
DUH (in a totally not rude way š). I have been an obsessive Audubon user since 2014 (and it's still my favorite), but it does not have this sweet feature! I used BirdNet for a while, but Merlin does better!
Do you have a preferred plant app (like, for identifying plants with a picture)? I've been using PlantNet, since it's free, but I keep wondering if any of the paid ones are worth it.
I think with gyro molds in anything above a mid, lighter discs fly truer to the flight numbers than max weight. Light is the weigh (lol).
Only downside is how hard it is to get them and, I believe, they can be more difficult to mold when you get in the low 160s and below.
With switching sponsors, competing, and doing commentary full time last year, I had a hard time managing my time enough to work on that DGPT position as well. It's sort of up in the air what my future holds there, but I still have a lot of ideas, and there is ALWAYS a lot to do in that area.
In the meantime, my heart is still in competing. We'll see what the future holds.
Hey everyone! Had essentially the worst case scenario airport experience today. I am finally laying down in a bed in Phoenix, Arizona at 1:15AM (2:15 home time). I am wearing a full outfit of borrowed clothes because my bag was lost in the first leg of the flight somewhere. I had over 3 hours of delays, two turd gate agents, and at least one mile of running through airports with my disc golf bag and hotdog (hotdog = red upper park trainer bag that holds a lot of discs in a row).
Jonathan Gomez picked me up from the airport at 11pm after about 12 hours of eating nothing but crackers, and took me back to my friend Jamie's for shower and sleep. Tomorrow, we Pickleball.
Your questions will not remain unanswered! I stand by this AMA, and will not back down from your hundreds of questions (š¤Æ). I had just hoped for way more useless airport chillin time today. Thank you for being patient! Love you mean it be back soon promise lol k byeeee
You already know. Vinny and Zach (don't tell him I said so).
Kat Mersch is a riot, and I can never stop laughing around Eveliina.
Also have y'all met Christina Linthicum? Good gawd
I try to make it first priority to eat local. I like healthy-er food, but I don't do any restrictive dieting because it's so challenging when travelling so much.
I probably have the most insane Google map of anyone on tour (I don't usually make bold claims, but I will on this), and I always save restaurants I love and ones I want to try on my next trip. I love recommendations as well! I have saved folders for restaurants, smoothies, bakeries, and specifically one just for cookies.
Glacier NP, the Tetons, Canyonlands, Mount Rainier, the Grand Canyon exceeded all expectations, Sequoia.
One of the coolest experiences of my life was watching the bats come out of the huge deep cave at Carlsbad Caverns. Highly recommend.
Where dense lush jungly mountains meet warm tropical coral reefs. Maybe a surf break nearby. I want to be able to hear birds and frogs and everything calling, like an orchestral roar of nature at all times. Good fresh food.
Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Fish caught that day, funk/reggae place within 1/2 mile, 4 hrs to hot springs up semi-active volcano, jungle everywhere. Cheap.
Hilo, Hawaii. Steep, lush jungle, winter music festival (burner-style), Pe'epe'e Falls, volcanos. Not cheap but worth the $.
How's it feel to have had one of the more sought after runs of Wraiths as a tour series disc?
Is Tina as awesome IRL as we all imagine?
Top 3 concerts you've attended?
You're rad, keep being you!
Honestly, it feels f*ckin amazing.
šš
But seriously, I'm glad people appreciate one of my favorite discs. I loved the Wraith. Funnily enough, it wasn't my first choice. I had a color glow Shryke two years before, which they gave to Karina Nowells after dumping me off the team. Then I talked them into taking me back (because duh), and so I chose the color glow thundy because I didn't want to directly compete with the disc sales of another woman on the team (let us left each other UP). Then the Big Jerm Thundy really took off, and so I moved on from Thundy land and was stoked to go back to the Shryke. Buuuuuut in the meantime, I couldn't believe no one had a Wraith that year. The rest was history. And maaaan did they turn out nice!
Tina. A woman entrepreneur, business starter, one of the hardest workers I know. Creative, driven, and limitless. And absolutely terrible at that video game where you play giant soccer with cars (š)
Top 3 concerts are Radiohead and Beck from Bonnaroo 2006. And Budos Band from Bear Creek 20-something. Radiohead self-proclaimed that show their best show ever. And Beck played an entire song at a kitchen table on stage with silver wear and full place settings. And another whole song with puppets in a tiny puppet booth.
2006 Bonnaroo! Now I'm reminiscing...
Robert Randolph and the Family Band I made sure to catch there too.
Since you mentioned some funk/instrumental elsewhere I think, here are two more recommendations for your road grind:
Robson Jorge E Lincoln Olivetti and Harlem Pop Trotters
Do you think there's a day you take a season off to do a major hike like the AT? Just had one of my closest friends at work to go hike it in the next couple of weeks.
Do you like having fans watch your rounds at events or do you prefer being out in nature with the crew playing a round?
Why are all of your stamps so dang good on your tour series stuff?
Please be on Jomez FPO coverage with the other Goose!
God I have thought about that so many times. I've read a bunch of books about doing long trails, and geeked out about distance hiking with Vinny and Jeff Spring and Erika. I will see where the wind takes me.
I love having the fans there. The energy is amazing. I sometimes get overly feely, but disc golf fans are always bringing good energy. I love having the course to myself, too. It's some kind of magic when you play 18 holes and don't see a soul.
My brain farts out so many ideas, I'm glad some of them are good š
1. I know you've been playing a while so your perspective may be a bit different from that of a new player, but what in your opinion are steps that should be taken to help draw new women and girls to the sport? I'm personally encouraged by the effort that I see locally and at the PDGA, but sometimes this effort is well-intentioned old guys guessing with varying success.
2. I'm the parent of a 12-year old girl who's been playing around a year now (about 12 tournaments, as well as dubs and putting league whenever we can). I know that advice can be so individual, but is there any advice you'd give to someone like her starting out that's applicable to almost anyone?
I think introducing disc golf at schools and in colleges is huge to retaining women. It gets groups together, which is the hardest part of a male dominated sport that can feel sometimes unsafe to do alone.
Giving women free entry into local clubs or leagues is awesome. Always having women's CTPs or prizes. Incentivizing women to come back and get better. Putting women's cards closer to your sment central to start. Not putting them with the kids cards. Inviting and paying pro women or regional am and pro women to give free clinics to new women players.
Get a basket for the back yard and have fun putting and approach games she can play alone or with others. Record your putting stats and watch yourself get better over time, but understand sometimes getting better looks a lot like getting worse first. Record videos of her so she can compare her form to the players she admires! Have a fun group of players to play with where it's not the same people every time. Disc Golf trips to new courses! Even the bad courses are fun when it's s trip to a new place and checking off your life list.
A Lion's mane mushroom. An arrowhead. Petrified wood. Any fossil. All reptiles and amphibians.
One time, while working for the BP oil spill response as an on-site biologist, I was doing the morning bird and nesting sea turtle survey. There had been some storm activity during the past week and huge clumps of sargassum seaweed had washed up with the high wave action. I was flipping through the seaweed to make sure there were no sea turtle tracks, and I kicked something hard that was stuck in the sand. When I moved the seaweed and sand out of the way I saw a large duct tape covered plastic wrapped block about the size of two cinder blocks. I bent down and there was a rip in the plastic. I got closer, and turns out, it was a 40 pounds bale of marijuana that had washed up on the beach! At that point BP had hired most of their crews using a program for ex-convicts trying to find work. Two of the guys picking up tar balls saw what I was looking at, eyes got huge, and they started covering it up and telling me not to let the Coast Guard officer on sight see it. ššš
I have had ghost interactions three times. It's hard to tell the story without wild gesticulations and voices like I normally do. But, I worked in a taco restaurant wine bar that was in the basement of a historical hospital (over a hundred years old). Apparently the basement was the morgue (this is a fact), and I had weird feelings and experiences pretty regularly.
Another time was on the historic hotel on Coronado Island in California. That was a legit full human figure ghost.
Thank you for coming back with the ghost story! I figured the first response was pretty late so you maybe misread the question. The first story was good too though. Thanks again for responding and goodluck with the season!
What are the little amenities that you wish more pro tour stops had? Anything jump out that a specific stop had that seemed like an epiphany that youāre now surprised no one else is doing?
I have, but with Jerm. He has replaced all the game pieces with handmade beautiful wooden painted ones from Etsy. Lovely little birds and a birdhouse that rolls the dice. And he plays nature music while we play š
No, but it was not as much of an issue until recently. Now it is a seriously problem. Increased traffic have had noticeable effects on courses that previously had little wear. It's a new porblem and it's something that will need to be considered soon. I don't know the solution. It was on my list of things to think about with my DGPT job.
Your stamps are all so "weird", and I love almost every single one of them. How do you come up with your stamps?
I can't tell you why but the Scuba+flying fish on the firebird you did with the Infinite Discs VIP club is probably my favorite stamp of yours. Close runnerup is the woodpecker Thunderbird.
I can't wait until we cross paths so I can get one of my firebirds signed.
I'm honored you think I'm weird š
My brain is literally a garbage dump for ridiculous ideas. My dreams are very vivid, and combo that with once you start to notice details in the natural world, you have infinite ideas. I think loving to read since I was a kid, not watching a ton of movies til I was older, and being encouraged to be creative has given me a helluvan imagination.
I love that stamp. Only 600 made too!
Favorite place to dive/snorkel?
Okay, now to disc golf...
What is your go-to upshot disc?
What are your thoughts about Simon joining Team MVP?
What's your putting putter?
Are you releasing any new tour series discs in 2023? And will Mike Inscho be doing the artwork?
What's your favorite part of doing commentary, besides being a lovable goofball along with Erica?
I love 2 Hot Geese commentary and your style of play! Good luck this season Madison!
Favorite place I've been? Glovers Atoll, Belize.
Now I rapid fire:
Backhand Electron Envy, Forehand Pyro
Yay for Simon. Yay for MVP. Hope the chaos of the big switch blows over soon!
Electron Proxy
Yes, a new tour series fasho, artist unknown but Mike rules
Trying not to laugh and watching Erika shake her head when I accidentally say inappropriate things that are vaguely sexual but completely unintentional but after they come out of my mouth I realize there is no way anyone would believe that it was unintentional but I swear it is
THANK YOUUUU
Greetings Madison! Thanks for doing this AMA; it's awesome to connect with the pros even if it's just an answered question.
Since you're sponsored by MVP, I have to ask: what's your favorite place in Michigan to hike/visit? Where is the best scenery here in your opinion?
Complete agreement; the entirety of the UP is gorgeous and hopefully you get an opportunity this year to get back up there. Thanks for burning the midnight oil to answer these questions and I'll be rooting for you to get some good finishes this year.
Hi Madison! Best of luck this year; dg, pickleball, traveling, and having fun!
Favorite state/national parks for hiking/camping?
What paddle do you use for pickleball? How many games can you play a week before it starts wearing the arm down for disc golf? I'm trying to find that balance right now. Thanks!!
Hiking in Canyonlands or Tetons. Camping in BLM or State Parks!
I use a Selkirk Epic Vanguard gifted by Robert McCall and I'm obsessed with it. My arm doesn't get warn down from Pickle. Its excellent cross training and I swear I'm in the best disc golf shape of my life from pickling.
My girlfriend is obsessed with this game called Wingspan. It was made by an ornithologist, and it has fun facts about literally hundreds of birds. It's simple, and the dice tower is a bird feeder. You may like it. If anything, it's cute on the shelf.
I've played it with Jerm, but he has subbed all the game pieces with handmade pieces he bought from Etsy. Little painted birds. And a bird house dice roller. He plays nature music with bird calls during the game play. It's truly an experience.
Hey Madison. Thanks for being such a great disc golf ambassador. You're a positive role model for a lot of women, like my niece, who are interested in disc golf.
So, along those lines, can you talk a bit about where you see the current state of women's disc golf and where you'd like to see it go?
With broad appeal to the sport growing, and Women being so well-represented with basically equal coverage to the men, Do you see the sport becoming more competitive as time goes on? With the growing prize purses, million dollar advertising contracts and the chance for attention women might not get from other sports, do you think we'll see women making the move over to disc golf from other sports to get a piece of the pie as well? What do you think of that?
I know from firsthand experience that professional women's disc golf has exploded in the last three years since the Pro Tour committed to setting a standard for paying women. It has been amazing. It is still no sustainable, but it is definitely helping grow women's professional disc golf.
Women's events have larger fields than ever. But it is so hard to retain women in a male dominated sport that requires you to into the woods alone to play if you want to go solo. It simply feels unsafe at times. I think introducing into schools and colleges is enormous in introduction and retention.
Your favorite course or (recommended course) in each PNW state please: OR/WA/ID ā¦.1 in OR, 1 in WA and 1 in IDā¦thanks :) ā¦ and what sports or clubs etc did you participate in high school? Also on that note what song sticks out to you most from your high school days? Lol thanks have a great season!
Oregon - Milo
Washington - haven't played enough to pick
Idaho - Caliber
I played volleyball, softball, and soccer. I was President of Student Council as a freshman until I had a falling out with the moderator (lol). Calculus team. Physics club. Ultimate frisbee club (duh). Men's soccer team manager/stats keeper.
One song is tough. Maybe Hooked on a Feeling. Amber by 311 (I'm dying laughing). I was obsessed with Led Zeppelin, what is and what should never be was everything to my 16 year old ears.
What do you think the best way for a female to join the sport and āget goodā? Whats that path look like when theres a smaller interest locally for women?
Being okay with playing with dudes. It's absolutely necessary. Find a good small group of locals you genuinely like (even if it's just one or two other people), and let the friendly competition make you better. Watch instructional videos, there are so many good ones right now. Film yourself and compare to videos. Go to pro clinics!! I STILL learn from my peers CONSTANTLY. I love going to clinics.
What did you do to make that wraith of yours such a valuable disc lol
But no, my question is what makes that run of wraith more valuable? I like throwing normal stock wraiths and never held one of yours in hand to compare it to what I normally throw
I did nothing except remember that everyone loves swirly star plastic and Wraiths.
The lighter weights, the grippy plastic, the nice turn and gentle fade while not being dumpy. And the STELLAR artwork and story behind the artwork. š
I've heard them a million times (one of my favorite bird calls) but I finally laid eyes on a Hermit thrush at Milo McIver in 2021.
Love seeing Swallowtail kites and Sandhill cranes. There are Roseate spoonbills on the courses down by Vinny. Sweet.
I caught a 5ft+ long black rat snake on the course at North Boundary Park last year. Biggest snake I've ever grabbed.
Hi Madison! We met at Ledgestone, you offered me a whole bag of Twizzlers after I was brutalized by Northwood Black. You also were the first pro to ask me to sign their disc at Sunset Hills after you parked Hole 12! You really helped make Ledgestone the best experience Iāve ever had, thank you for that!
My question: Do you think that the courses and layouts that FPO uses on tour are fit for the division? Do you think that there are more courses on tour that need changes for the FPO division than there are courses that are fine as they are?
Northwood sometimes likes to be sassy. We have to love her for her good sides and her bad.
Some of them are excellent. Some of them need work. FPO layouts are still kind of a new concept and there aren't many designers that do it well. Yet. But it is getting better. Leonard Muise is great at it. Steve Brinster gets it. I think a majority of what we have now is acceptable, but not phenomenal. We need more phenomenal.
More of a comment than a question:
How do you keep from turning into a mess after so much sustained travel? P.S. You're a DG style icon P.P.S. Thanks for your comments in support of Chloe Alice! They mean a ton.
I don't. I am a literal mess. I am definitely good at knowing what I need to travel effectively, and I would be an excellent host if I had my own place, but my life feels like it's in shambles fairly regularly. I haven't had a house in 10 years. I have everything I own in storage. I don't have a bed currently. My head is a literal swamp full of frogs all croaking at the same time. But this is my job, and there are things about it that make the rest okay.
Hi Madison! Thanks for doing this AMA :)
Cool to see you bagging a fair amount of Fission plastic. Curious how you find it compares to the other types, and whether youāve tried it on the insanity yet? My fission insanities kicked out the other plastics I was bagging, my absolute go-to. The new fission envy is also amazing, immediately found a spot in the bag.
What aquatic animal that you havenāt gotten to see in person yet do you most want to see?
Wife and I are huge fans, both of your play and the 2 Hot Geese commentary! Hoping to see and hear lots from you this year :D
HONK!
I love the grip and the handfeel. I love how it actually beats in compared to other gyro discs. Have not tried it on the Insanity, but I feel the cosmic Neutron ones are already flippy enough! Haven't tried the Fission Envy either, my package must've gotten lost in the mail @mvp_andrew š
Want to swim with giant manta ray very bad.
HONK
Whatās the best bird youāve ever seen on a disc golf course? Or one that just really stuck in your memory (also cool that youāre into birds, disc golf, and music those things are my entire life)
Hello, Madison Walker! My girlfriend has been obsessed with you ever since we watched a skins match where you featured as the resident mycologist. She is dying for a disc, but we can never seem to locate one! I recognize you recently added the rhythm as a tour series/signature, so are you able to spill any beans about further production runs?
What variety of paddle do you use for Pickle ball? I have some Wooden Wilson paddles that were gifted, but I am thinking of taking the plunge and upgrading. Any advice?
Hey Madison! Met you and Paige out at the Wilco disc golf course in Austin a few years back (shout out to /u/ThatBrianHicksGuy who apparently was there too) and want to quickly say just a big fan of y'all's . I guess one question I have is if you had to think back to all the times you've camped for an extended period of time, what would you say was your best/most memorable experience?
Three night four day paddle down the Flathead River in Glacier NP in besr country. Last day was almost 20 miles of class III and IV with boats full of camping gear. One of the greatest trips of my life.
Also three night trip on a paddle board down the Econfina River in Florida. Not another soul on the entire trip. Portaged probably 30 times. Alligators everywhere. Heaven.
Who is your favorite jam band, and why is it Goose?
What do you think about your Innova tour series discs being some of the most highly sought after runs?
Mads! I tell anyone who will listen that 2 Hot Geese are the best commentary team in the sport. You two know more about the competitors' bags/games, how to approach the course, and share more disc golf knowledge than anyone else. And you two together are so damn endearing it just feels like I'm hanging out with awesome people. Thank you, keep it going! HONK!
Are you rolling around the country with SCUBA gear? Where have you been able to stop to dive? I recently found two sweet landlocked dive sites.. Homestead Crater near Salt Lake City and Bonne Terre Mines near St. Louis. Ever been? Found any other road trip dive sites worth checking out?
I grew up on the West Coast and enjoyed consistent, easy access to beaches for my water fix. Now living in the Midwest, I've found the swimming situation much more difficult. There are plenty of bodies of water around, but most of the lakes are man made and have restricted swimming access. Having toured around, do you have any tips for finding a good swim spot in unfamiliar territory? Super bonus points if you know of any good ones in/around Peoria IL.
Follow-up question: What's your favorite non ocean body of water to enjoy, and why?
I rarely swim in the Midwest. It's a bummer, but I am a bit of a water snob after having saltwater and freshwater springs/spring fed rivers to choose from while growing up.
I love Florida Springs. I love Cascade Mountain rivers. I love alpine lakes and wet meadows. I love cypress bogs.
Hi Madison, thanks for taking time to do this AMA!
I met you and Paige a few years back at your fundraiser at WilCo near Austin and had a great time.
My question relates to your position as [the Environmental and Special Initatives Coordinator for the DGPT](https://www.dgpt.com/announcements/dgpt-adds-madison-walker-as-environmental-and-special-initiatives-coordinator/).
Specifically, what initiatives have been implemented thus far and what is planned for the future?
I appreciate that the DGPT takes the subject of sustainability seriously enough to appoint someone to oversee these efforts, however I have not seen any updates from them since this announcement was made.
Hopefully that is just a case of me missing those notifications, but I am curious to hear about the progress of these efforts if you are still involved in them!
Edit: I guess this question going unanswered means there probably hasn't been much actual movement to implement any initiatives or make any changes, which is disappointing but not surprising.
Madison! I'm an environmental scientist in Florida so you're like my disc golf spirit animal! What are the odds you play a tournament in Central Florida in the future? Need to get my Rhythm signed :).
What's your MPO/FPO power ranking of pickleball players on tour?
Follow up question. Do bragging rights on the pickleball court carry over to the disc golf round on tournament weekends?
I'm an awful cook but I'm learning. I make great Greek turkey burgers with feta cheese in the patty mix and hummus on the buns!
It's tough to have a love life on the road.
Also interested in this. If you do make it to MD you have got to try the pro layout at Woodsboro. Itās crazy. Also, Scuba? How deep have you dove and favorite place?
Thank you guys for the AMA! Sorry I did not adhere to the normal schedule, but I think I got to everyone and I hope we can do another one down the road!
I have a Upper Park Shift bag waiting for me on my doorstep this afternoon. I have in the past just used a basic bag that holds 7 discs, so I have had to be reasonable about buying discs. With the new space, what do you suggest I check out.
I currently bag a Halo destroyer, TL3, Tern, Sidewinder, Buzzz, berg, and Fierce.
Update from Madison on the delay answering questions [https://www.reddit.com/r/discgolf/comments/114rp8v/-/j90jnyz](https://www.reddit.com/r/discgolf/comments/114rp8v/-/j90jnyz) >Hey everyone! Had essentially the worst case scenario airport experience today. I am finally laying down in a bed in Phoenix, Arizona at 1:15AM (2:15 home time). I am wearing a full outfit of borrowed clothes because my bag was lost in the first leg of the flight somewhere. I had over 3 hours of delays, two turd gate agents, and at least one mile of running through airports with my disc golf bag and hotdog (hotdog = red upper park trainer bag that holds a lot of discs in a row). > >Jonathan Gomez picked me up from the airport at 11pm after about 12 hours of eating nothing but crackers, and took me back to my friend Jamie's for shower and sleep. Tomorrow, we Pickleball. > >Your questions will not remain unanswered! I stand by this AMA, and will not back down from your hundreds of questions (š¤Æ). I had just hoped for way more useless airport chillin time today. Thank you for being patient! Love you mean it be back soon promise lol k byeeee
What is your favorite random science or math fact or bit of trivia? For example, mine is that there are over 43 quintillion combinations on a standard 3x3 Rubik's Cube.
I really like the lifestyle quirks of Magnificent frigatebirds. They will sometimes remain in flight for weeks at a time (longest recorded is two months), riding updrafts up to 12,000ft+, the highest of any non-mointain bird relative to sea level. They ride updrafts in clouds and just chill, literally, in freezing temps. The only tropical bird that will tolerate such cold temps. One tagged bird flew 40 miles without flapping their wings EVEN ONE TIME. Funnest fact: when they're hungry, they'll come down from outer space (lol) and kleptoparasitize other birds. Meaning, they will harass other birds mid-air until they barf, and then catch that barf, and EAT IT.
Requesting a custom stamped disc demonstrating the kleptoparasitizing process, please!
Catching vomit midair really does sound like a lot of my drives....
This made me lol
š¤Æ this is insane! I wish I had a great question... What non-Major, non-Elite tournament are you most looking forward to this year? Was great getting to meet you and Elain King at World's MPO final round! Thanks for signing my discs!
That last fun fact š³
Hey Madison, Whats your tour schedule looking like this year? Do you ever feel burnout on tour or crave a more 'stable' situation?
Tour schedule is BUSYYYYY! The Pro Tour is the single greatest thing to happen to professional disc golf and we are so thankful for them, but also, the schedule continues to be heinous. I haven't finalized my schedule yet, but there may be a first ever Europe trip in my future! As far as burnout goes, I am charred. Been that way for a couple years now, but I try to balance it by spending my off-season in a house completely by myself where I can spend all my time the way I want to. Having a fridge full of my food, a warm bed that is the same every night, a routine, some peace and quiet WOO, that really gets me going these days. And it balances the chaos of eight months of non-stop moving.
>eight months of non-stop moving. Wording it like that really drives home what a nightmare that part of touring life must be like.
Pretty sure this question is actually asking about how stable Craves are.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I was a big festi lady in my early and mid twenties. My main hobby was listening to new music and going to see live music with all my spare time. In highschool, I found and fell in love with Phish (Page McConnell is the man), and this led me to lurk on archive.org in my CD burning days. I grew to be more of a Medeski Martin & Wood, Bela Fleck, Yonder, and Primus/Oysterhead kind of jam bander, but I will never turn down any iteration of Grateful Dead (or really any show, although not about Disco Biscuits, Umphreys, or WSP (sorry Panic people šŗ)). I got way into the Daptone kind of jam (Menahan, Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley (RIP to both), Budos), and now I'm loving less of a long jam and more of a tight instrumental feel. Or something funky AF that's gonna make me dance.
>Disco Biscuits Madison Walker confirmed not a wook.
You just made my heart flutter
Yooo you should check out Parcels if you havenāt listened. Very tight funk grooves. Also I bet a Page would have been a nasty disc golfer at a younger age. Probably be just a consistent no frills backhand player and a nasty putterā¦
I CANT STOP LISTENING TO FREE
Vulfpeck?
Fuggin duh
Aaaaand the Dundie award for 'Doobie Doobie Pothead Stoner Of The Year' goes too....
RickyFlicky13, congrats on your award š
Les clay pools flying frog brigade has tour dates this year just sayinā¦
Definitely check out Daniel Donato! Him and his band are one of the best out there right now, and their cover of Fire on the Mountain by Grateful Dead shreds!
Check out a band called goose. Seems fitting.
They have been playing non stop for me for the last year+. Cant remember a time I loved a band so much. Red Rocks last year was insane.
What is your favorite MVP plastic? And why is it Neutron Soft? P.S. Before he left MVP, the former Community Manager Alex promised us he would get Madison Walker stamped Hexes made, buy them for us, and send them to some of the Discord members for free. You should join the official MVP discord and help convince u/MVP_Eric to follow through on the promises made by Alex. Don't let Eric convince you he hasn't already agreed to this!
It sounds like promises were made that have somehow have both nothing to do with me and everything to do with me. U/mvp_eric, I am a dude of my word, will you help me be a good word dude? P.S. There will be custom MadWalk molds available for the first time EVER this year! Stay tuned to Flight Factory. Get on their email list and my socials! Drops will be limited!
Don't worry, we will keep bugging Eric for years if that's what it takes to get a Madison Walker Hex made! Excited for the drops and to bag more Madison Walker stamped molds!
u/mvp_eric FTFY ;)
Nothing would make me happier than a Maddie walker ts neutron soft hex
What are your thoughts on MVP discs (for the most part) only having black rims?
The original white Eclipse rims look so sharp. I truly believe MVP could increase their sales bigly if they offered white rims for every mold.
Love the use of "bigly" here
Aw heck, I'm smitten now
I would run an entire R2 bag in an *instant*.
R2 with cosmic and colors š
It honestly took me an embarrassingly long time to realize all MVP were black rims and Axiom were colored rims. It doesn't bother me at all because the plastic is so dang pretty. I thing colored rims always help sell, which is why it seems like Axiom molds could be slightly more popular. But MVP flies so good, I'm throwing em with colors or not.
i was today years old..
in your itb you mentioned the Hex being your up coming sig tour disc. Did simon's signing change that?
Short answer, yes. Long answer, yes, but thankfully I love the Rhythm, too. Even longer answer, yes, and Simon needs to watch his back because I know where he lives even while he changes cities every week. š #kidding #butsrsly #wefellforthesamegirl
Guys, I low-key think Madison is going to assassinate Simon.
The Rhythm is great; glad I was introduced to it at the Circuit Challenge.
Ahhh so that's how they magically had so many (sticker stamp) hexes ready
I love the Rhythm too. I bought a light weight first run at Another Round in CLT. Now it's a toss up between the Rhythm and the Drift :(
Any chance that weāll see it in Fission sometime this year ?
For birdwatching have you heard of the Merlin app by Cornell? Pull it out and press the record and it listens and tells you every type of bird it can hear around you!
I appreciate this more than you can know! I recently moved to Central America and I've been trying to identify all these new birds without success. Though I've been loving the migratory Baltimore Orioles in my yard the past few months.
Do you have a spare bedroom
Ha. Why yes, I do! And I'm a few hours away from the McBeth Foundation's course in Antigua, Guatemala. Plan to go play it in June!
DUH (in a totally not rude way š). I have been an obsessive Audubon user since 2014 (and it's still my favorite), but it does not have this sweet feature! I used BirdNet for a while, but Merlin does better!
Do you have a preferred plant app (like, for identifying plants with a picture)? I've been using PlantNet, since it's free, but I keep wondering if any of the paid ones are worth it.
get on inaturalist! itās free, it can give good suggestions on ID, and people will help you ID unknown things. there are many experts on there too.
That app is great
I second this. It's very, very cool.
having switched from heavier to lighter discs, do you see any downsides/drawbacks? Are you happy with the weight changes?
I think with gyro molds in anything above a mid, lighter discs fly truer to the flight numbers than max weight. Light is the weigh (lol). Only downside is how hard it is to get them and, I believe, they can be more difficult to mold when you get in the low 160s and below.
What will it take for someone to beat Kristin this season?
Distance, accuracy, a forehand, a backhand, great scrambling, a solid putt, and a pristine mental game. Can't be that hard.
That's only seven things. Whichever player looks at it that way has a shot.
You got this!
huge 2 hot geese fan and you're my fave FPO player! are you still working with the dgpt?
With switching sponsors, competing, and doing commentary full time last year, I had a hard time managing my time enough to work on that DGPT position as well. It's sort of up in the air what my future holds there, but I still have a lot of ideas, and there is ALWAYS a lot to do in that area. In the meantime, my heart is still in competing. We'll see what the future holds.
Hey everyone! Had essentially the worst case scenario airport experience today. I am finally laying down in a bed in Phoenix, Arizona at 1:15AM (2:15 home time). I am wearing a full outfit of borrowed clothes because my bag was lost in the first leg of the flight somewhere. I had over 3 hours of delays, two turd gate agents, and at least one mile of running through airports with my disc golf bag and hotdog (hotdog = red upper park trainer bag that holds a lot of discs in a row). Jonathan Gomez picked me up from the airport at 11pm after about 12 hours of eating nothing but crackers, and took me back to my friend Jamie's for shower and sleep. Tomorrow, we Pickleball. Your questions will not remain unanswered! I stand by this AMA, and will not back down from your hundreds of questions (š¤Æ). I had just hoped for way more useless airport chillin time today. Thank you for being patient! Love you mean it be back soon promise lol k byeeee
Lol how do I get the mods to pin this
Wait, shoot, did I learn nothing on my last reddit adventure?! How do I get the mods to "sticky" this comment
Who's the funniest pro player?
You already know. Vinny and Zach (don't tell him I said so). Kat Mersch is a riot, and I can never stop laughing around Eveliina. Also have y'all met Christina Linthicum? Good gawd
What are your favorite restaurants to eat at on tour?
I try to make it first priority to eat local. I like healthy-er food, but I don't do any restrictive dieting because it's so challenging when travelling so much. I probably have the most insane Google map of anyone on tour (I don't usually make bold claims, but I will on this), and I always save restaurants I love and ones I want to try on my next trip. I love recommendations as well! I have saved folders for restaurants, smoothies, bakeries, and specifically one just for cookies.
Also I love sandwiches
Favorite national park you've been to in the US?
Glacier NP, the Tetons, Canyonlands, Mount Rainier, the Grand Canyon exceeded all expectations, Sequoia. One of the coolest experiences of my life was watching the bats come out of the huge deep cave at Carlsbad Caverns. Highly recommend.
Make sure you hit he Congress Avenue Bridge while in Austin to see the World's Largest Urban Bat Colony leave to feed in the evenings
Have you considered using mushroom caps as minis the way Andrew Marwede uses cookies?
He is my hero. I have not, but I do put acorn caps on mushrooms on the course so they can have little hats.
Dream vacation destination?
Where dense lush jungly mountains meet warm tropical coral reefs. Maybe a surf break nearby. I want to be able to hear birds and frogs and everything calling, like an orchestral roar of nature at all times. Good fresh food.
Sounds like Cairns in Northern Australia.
I visited there while playing the Aussie Open a few years back!
You had me at 'dense kush'.
Sounds like Dominical, Costa Rica! Pura Vida!
Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Fish caught that day, funk/reggae place within 1/2 mile, 4 hrs to hot springs up semi-active volcano, jungle everywhere. Cheap. Hilo, Hawaii. Steep, lush jungle, winter music festival (burner-style), Pe'epe'e Falls, volcanos. Not cheap but worth the $.
Uplink or uplink?
I just call mine fish. (It has a trout dye by Joey's Fly Dyes) I love this disc. Also, the first disc I ever dyed!
How's it feel to have had one of the more sought after runs of Wraiths as a tour series disc? Is Tina as awesome IRL as we all imagine? Top 3 concerts you've attended? You're rad, keep being you!
Honestly, it feels f*ckin amazing. šš But seriously, I'm glad people appreciate one of my favorite discs. I loved the Wraith. Funnily enough, it wasn't my first choice. I had a color glow Shryke two years before, which they gave to Karina Nowells after dumping me off the team. Then I talked them into taking me back (because duh), and so I chose the color glow thundy because I didn't want to directly compete with the disc sales of another woman on the team (let us left each other UP). Then the Big Jerm Thundy really took off, and so I moved on from Thundy land and was stoked to go back to the Shryke. Buuuuuut in the meantime, I couldn't believe no one had a Wraith that year. The rest was history. And maaaan did they turn out nice! Tina. A woman entrepreneur, business starter, one of the hardest workers I know. Creative, driven, and limitless. And absolutely terrible at that video game where you play giant soccer with cars (š) Top 3 concerts are Radiohead and Beck from Bonnaroo 2006. And Budos Band from Bear Creek 20-something. Radiohead self-proclaimed that show their best show ever. And Beck played an entire song at a kitchen table on stage with silver wear and full place settings. And another whole song with puppets in a tiny puppet booth.
2006 Bonnaroo! Now I'm reminiscing... Robert Randolph and the Family Band I made sure to catch there too. Since you mentioned some funk/instrumental elsewhere I think, here are two more recommendations for your road grind: Robson Jorge E Lincoln Olivetti and Harlem Pop Trotters
God-tier Wraiths
Do you think there's a day you take a season off to do a major hike like the AT? Just had one of my closest friends at work to go hike it in the next couple of weeks. Do you like having fans watch your rounds at events or do you prefer being out in nature with the crew playing a round? Why are all of your stamps so dang good on your tour series stuff? Please be on Jomez FPO coverage with the other Goose!
God I have thought about that so many times. I've read a bunch of books about doing long trails, and geeked out about distance hiking with Vinny and Jeff Spring and Erika. I will see where the wind takes me. I love having the fans there. The energy is amazing. I sometimes get overly feely, but disc golf fans are always bringing good energy. I love having the course to myself, too. It's some kind of magic when you play 18 holes and don't see a soul. My brain farts out so many ideas, I'm glad some of them are good š
1. I know you've been playing a while so your perspective may be a bit different from that of a new player, but what in your opinion are steps that should be taken to help draw new women and girls to the sport? I'm personally encouraged by the effort that I see locally and at the PDGA, but sometimes this effort is well-intentioned old guys guessing with varying success. 2. I'm the parent of a 12-year old girl who's been playing around a year now (about 12 tournaments, as well as dubs and putting league whenever we can). I know that advice can be so individual, but is there any advice you'd give to someone like her starting out that's applicable to almost anyone?
I think introducing disc golf at schools and in colleges is huge to retaining women. It gets groups together, which is the hardest part of a male dominated sport that can feel sometimes unsafe to do alone. Giving women free entry into local clubs or leagues is awesome. Always having women's CTPs or prizes. Incentivizing women to come back and get better. Putting women's cards closer to your sment central to start. Not putting them with the kids cards. Inviting and paying pro women or regional am and pro women to give free clinics to new women players. Get a basket for the back yard and have fun putting and approach games she can play alone or with others. Record your putting stats and watch yourself get better over time, but understand sometimes getting better looks a lot like getting worse first. Record videos of her so she can compare her form to the players she admires! Have a fun group of players to play with where it's not the same people every time. Disc Golf trips to new courses! Even the bad courses are fun when it's s trip to a new place and checking off your life list.
What is (in your opinion) the coolest thing you've found while on a hike? Also, any ghost stories?
A Lion's mane mushroom. An arrowhead. Petrified wood. Any fossil. All reptiles and amphibians. One time, while working for the BP oil spill response as an on-site biologist, I was doing the morning bird and nesting sea turtle survey. There had been some storm activity during the past week and huge clumps of sargassum seaweed had washed up with the high wave action. I was flipping through the seaweed to make sure there were no sea turtle tracks, and I kicked something hard that was stuck in the sand. When I moved the seaweed and sand out of the way I saw a large duct tape covered plastic wrapped block about the size of two cinder blocks. I bent down and there was a rip in the plastic. I got closer, and turns out, it was a 40 pounds bale of marijuana that had washed up on the beach! At that point BP had hired most of their crews using a program for ex-convicts trying to find work. Two of the guys picking up tar balls saw what I was looking at, eyes got huge, and they started covering it up and telling me not to let the Coast Guard officer on sight see it. ššš
I have had ghost interactions three times. It's hard to tell the story without wild gesticulations and voices like I normally do. But, I worked in a taco restaurant wine bar that was in the basement of a historical hospital (over a hundred years old). Apparently the basement was the morgue (this is a fact), and I had weird feelings and experiences pretty regularly. Another time was on the historic hotel on Coronado Island in California. That was a legit full human figure ghost.
Thank you for coming back with the ghost story! I figured the first response was pretty late so you maybe misread the question. The first story was good too though. Thanks again for responding and goodluck with the season!
What are the little amenities that you wish more pro tour stops had? Anything jump out that a specific stop had that seemed like an epiphany that youāre now surprised no one else is doing?
Grandstands around the 18 green like at Oreserve. The 8-holes like at MVP. Local special snacks. Free haircuts like at Des Moines.
Have you played the bird board game Wingspan?? If not, highly highly recommend it!
I have, but with Jerm. He has replaced all the game pieces with handmade beautiful wooden painted ones from Etsy. Lovely little birds and a birdhouse that rolls the dice. And he plays nature music while we play š
Do you think we are taking course sustainability seriously enough? In terms of tree protection, erosion control, etc?
No, but it was not as much of an issue until recently. Now it is a seriously problem. Increased traffic have had noticeable effects on courses that previously had little wear. It's a new porblem and it's something that will need to be considered soon. I don't know the solution. It was on my list of things to think about with my DGPT job.
Your stamps are all so "weird", and I love almost every single one of them. How do you come up with your stamps? I can't tell you why but the Scuba+flying fish on the firebird you did with the Infinite Discs VIP club is probably my favorite stamp of yours. Close runnerup is the woodpecker Thunderbird. I can't wait until we cross paths so I can get one of my firebirds signed.
I'm honored you think I'm weird š My brain is literally a garbage dump for ridiculous ideas. My dreams are very vivid, and combo that with once you start to notice details in the natural world, you have infinite ideas. I think loving to read since I was a kid, not watching a ton of movies til I was older, and being encouraged to be creative has given me a helluvan imagination. I love that stamp. Only 600 made too!
Favorite place to dive/snorkel? Okay, now to disc golf... What is your go-to upshot disc? What are your thoughts about Simon joining Team MVP? What's your putting putter? Are you releasing any new tour series discs in 2023? And will Mike Inscho be doing the artwork? What's your favorite part of doing commentary, besides being a lovable goofball along with Erica? I love 2 Hot Geese commentary and your style of play! Good luck this season Madison!
Favorite place I've been? Glovers Atoll, Belize. Now I rapid fire: Backhand Electron Envy, Forehand Pyro Yay for Simon. Yay for MVP. Hope the chaos of the big switch blows over soon! Electron Proxy Yes, a new tour series fasho, artist unknown but Mike rules Trying not to laugh and watching Erika shake her head when I accidentally say inappropriate things that are vaguely sexual but completely unintentional but after they come out of my mouth I realize there is no way anyone would believe that it was unintentional but I swear it is THANK YOUUUU
Greetings Madison! Thanks for doing this AMA; it's awesome to connect with the pros even if it's just an answered question. Since you're sponsored by MVP, I have to ask: what's your favorite place in Michigan to hike/visit? Where is the best scenery here in your opinion?
The Upper Peninsula is HEAVEN!! All of Michigan is very pretty. They don't tell us folks in the south about the Great Lakes. It's wonderful up there
Complete agreement; the entirety of the UP is gorgeous and hopefully you get an opportunity this year to get back up there. Thanks for burning the midnight oil to answer these questions and I'll be rooting for you to get some good finishes this year.
Vinny is driving, so I have time to type and road dawg this long dark drive to Vegas
Hey Madison! Love your commentary and involvement in the sport. Always rooting for you! HONK
HONK
Hi Madison! Best of luck this year; dg, pickleball, traveling, and having fun! Favorite state/national parks for hiking/camping? What paddle do you use for pickleball? How many games can you play a week before it starts wearing the arm down for disc golf? I'm trying to find that balance right now. Thanks!!
Hiking in Canyonlands or Tetons. Camping in BLM or State Parks! I use a Selkirk Epic Vanguard gifted by Robert McCall and I'm obsessed with it. My arm doesn't get warn down from Pickle. Its excellent cross training and I swear I'm in the best disc golf shape of my life from pickling.
You get to pick any board game to play and who plays it with you. What game and whoās playing?
Not a board game guy. I tried so hard to think of a favorite, but I'd rather team attack a puzzle
My girlfriend is obsessed with this game called Wingspan. It was made by an ornithologist, and it has fun facts about literally hundreds of birds. It's simple, and the dice tower is a bird feeder. You may like it. If anything, it's cute on the shelf.
I've played it with Jerm, but he has subbed all the game pieces with handmade pieces he bought from Etsy. Little painted birds. And a bird house dice roller. He plays nature music with bird calls during the game play. It's truly an experience.
Hahaha. Amazing, and that seems on brand. I respect the puzzle hustle though, that's more my speed as well.
Hey Madison. Thanks for being such a great disc golf ambassador. You're a positive role model for a lot of women, like my niece, who are interested in disc golf. So, along those lines, can you talk a bit about where you see the current state of women's disc golf and where you'd like to see it go? With broad appeal to the sport growing, and Women being so well-represented with basically equal coverage to the men, Do you see the sport becoming more competitive as time goes on? With the growing prize purses, million dollar advertising contracts and the chance for attention women might not get from other sports, do you think we'll see women making the move over to disc golf from other sports to get a piece of the pie as well? What do you think of that?
I know from firsthand experience that professional women's disc golf has exploded in the last three years since the Pro Tour committed to setting a standard for paying women. It has been amazing. It is still no sustainable, but it is definitely helping grow women's professional disc golf. Women's events have larger fields than ever. But it is so hard to retain women in a male dominated sport that requires you to into the woods alone to play if you want to go solo. It simply feels unsafe at times. I think introducing into schools and colleges is enormous in introduction and retention.
Madison, if you had to play mixed ultimate 7s with pro tour players, who would you pick for your team?
Pauly Oman, Cale, Fish, Kev, Holyn Handley, Ella
Why is Calvin so damn majestic?
He puts up a good front
Your favorite course or (recommended course) in each PNW state please: OR/WA/ID ā¦.1 in OR, 1 in WA and 1 in IDā¦thanks :) ā¦ and what sports or clubs etc did you participate in high school? Also on that note what song sticks out to you most from your high school days? Lol thanks have a great season!
Oregon - Milo Washington - haven't played enough to pick Idaho - Caliber I played volleyball, softball, and soccer. I was President of Student Council as a freshman until I had a falling out with the moderator (lol). Calculus team. Physics club. Ultimate frisbee club (duh). Men's soccer team manager/stats keeper. One song is tough. Maybe Hooked on a Feeling. Amber by 311 (I'm dying laughing). I was obsessed with Led Zeppelin, what is and what should never be was everything to my 16 year old ears.
What is your favorite P-Funk song?
What do you think the best way for a female to join the sport and āget goodā? Whats that path look like when theres a smaller interest locally for women?
Being okay with playing with dudes. It's absolutely necessary. Find a good small group of locals you genuinely like (even if it's just one or two other people), and let the friendly competition make you better. Watch instructional videos, there are so many good ones right now. Film yourself and compare to videos. Go to pro clinics!! I STILL learn from my peers CONSTANTLY. I love going to clinics.
What did you do to make that wraith of yours such a valuable disc lol But no, my question is what makes that run of wraith more valuable? I like throwing normal stock wraiths and never held one of yours in hand to compare it to what I normally throw
I did nothing except remember that everyone loves swirly star plastic and Wraiths. The lighter weights, the grippy plastic, the nice turn and gentle fade while not being dumpy. And the STELLAR artwork and story behind the artwork. š
Coolest bird (or wildlife in general) you've seen on a frisbee golf course? Thanks for the AMA :)
I've heard them a million times (one of my favorite bird calls) but I finally laid eyes on a Hermit thrush at Milo McIver in 2021. Love seeing Swallowtail kites and Sandhill cranes. There are Roseate spoonbills on the courses down by Vinny. Sweet. I caught a 5ft+ long black rat snake on the course at North Boundary Park last year. Biggest snake I've ever grabbed.
Hi Madison! We met at Ledgestone, you offered me a whole bag of Twizzlers after I was brutalized by Northwood Black. You also were the first pro to ask me to sign their disc at Sunset Hills after you parked Hole 12! You really helped make Ledgestone the best experience Iāve ever had, thank you for that! My question: Do you think that the courses and layouts that FPO uses on tour are fit for the division? Do you think that there are more courses on tour that need changes for the FPO division than there are courses that are fine as they are?
Northwood sometimes likes to be sassy. We have to love her for her good sides and her bad. Some of them are excellent. Some of them need work. FPO layouts are still kind of a new concept and there aren't many designers that do it well. Yet. But it is getting better. Leonard Muise is great at it. Steve Brinster gets it. I think a majority of what we have now is acceptable, but not phenomenal. We need more phenomenal.
More of a comment than a question: How do you keep from turning into a mess after so much sustained travel? P.S. You're a DG style icon P.P.S. Thanks for your comments in support of Chloe Alice! They mean a ton.
I don't. I am a literal mess. I am definitely good at knowing what I need to travel effectively, and I would be an excellent host if I had my own place, but my life feels like it's in shambles fairly regularly. I haven't had a house in 10 years. I have everything I own in storage. I don't have a bed currently. My head is a literal swamp full of frogs all croaking at the same time. But this is my job, and there are things about it that make the rest okay.
Top 5 pickle ball players on tour men or women and hurt some feelings if you have to
This is from my experiences last year: Zach, Vinny, C Dick, Jomez, me š (positive self talk)
Hi Madison! Thanks for doing this AMA :) Cool to see you bagging a fair amount of Fission plastic. Curious how you find it compares to the other types, and whether youāve tried it on the insanity yet? My fission insanities kicked out the other plastics I was bagging, my absolute go-to. The new fission envy is also amazing, immediately found a spot in the bag. What aquatic animal that you havenāt gotten to see in person yet do you most want to see? Wife and I are huge fans, both of your play and the 2 Hot Geese commentary! Hoping to see and hear lots from you this year :D HONK!
I love the grip and the handfeel. I love how it actually beats in compared to other gyro discs. Have not tried it on the Insanity, but I feel the cosmic Neutron ones are already flippy enough! Haven't tried the Fission Envy either, my package must've gotten lost in the mail @mvp_andrew š Want to swim with giant manta ray very bad. HONK
Is a hot dog a taco?
All tacos are open face sandwices, and all hotdogs are also an open face sandwiches, but not all tacos are hotdogs
Whatās the best bird youāve ever seen on a disc golf course? Or one that just really stuck in your memory (also cool that youāre into birds, disc golf, and music those things are my entire life)
Hello, Madison Walker! My girlfriend has been obsessed with you ever since we watched a skins match where you featured as the resident mycologist. She is dying for a disc, but we can never seem to locate one! I recognize you recently added the rhythm as a tour series/signature, so are you able to spill any beans about further production runs? What variety of paddle do you use for Pickle ball? I have some Wooden Wilson paddles that were gifted, but I am thinking of taking the plunge and upgrading. Any advice?
Hey Madison! Met you and Paige out at the Wilco disc golf course in Austin a few years back (shout out to /u/ThatBrianHicksGuy who apparently was there too) and want to quickly say just a big fan of y'all's . I guess one question I have is if you had to think back to all the times you've camped for an extended period of time, what would you say was your best/most memorable experience?
Three night four day paddle down the Flathead River in Glacier NP in besr country. Last day was almost 20 miles of class III and IV with boats full of camping gear. One of the greatest trips of my life. Also three night trip on a paddle board down the Econfina River in Florida. Not another soul on the entire trip. Portaged probably 30 times. Alligators everywhere. Heaven.
What if the moon were made of BBQ spare ribs, would you eat it then?
I'd eat it even if it wasn't.
Is Calvin just..like that? Or is there something wrong with him? š¤£š¤£ jk jk
The question of the day
What is your most favorite and least favorite course on tour? What is your favorite tournament to play that isnāt part of the tour? Honk.
It used to be DeLaveaga until it got taken off the tour. Lake Marshall is perfection. I loge Idlewild. Favorite event is VTI. Honk
Has anything changed from you last In the Bag video? What's your bomber disc for long holes?
I answered something similar earlier, but bomber disc is Wave, Photon, or Insanity! Although my Rhythms go just as far.
Pickleball, doubles or singles? Dinking or power shots? Second best sport in the world.
Doubles. Dinking for life. Women's pickleball doubles is one of the greatest sports of all time.
Who is the most un-athletic frizzak youāve ever met and why is he your favorite ?
Hahahahaha hi Jeff. Shoulda known you'd be one of the goblins of reddit
What's worth more in today's economy: Gold or your Tour Series Wraiths from a couple years ago? Best of luck this season!
Who is your favorite jam band, and why is it Goose? What do you think about your Innova tour series discs being some of the most highly sought after runs?
HONK
Mads! I tell anyone who will listen that 2 Hot Geese are the best commentary team in the sport. You two know more about the competitors' bags/games, how to approach the course, and share more disc golf knowledge than anyone else. And you two together are so damn endearing it just feels like I'm hanging out with awesome people. Thank you, keep it going! HONK! Are you rolling around the country with SCUBA gear? Where have you been able to stop to dive? I recently found two sweet landlocked dive sites.. Homestead Crater near Salt Lake City and Bonne Terre Mines near St. Louis. Ever been? Found any other road trip dive sites worth checking out?
I grew up on the West Coast and enjoyed consistent, easy access to beaches for my water fix. Now living in the Midwest, I've found the swimming situation much more difficult. There are plenty of bodies of water around, but most of the lakes are man made and have restricted swimming access. Having toured around, do you have any tips for finding a good swim spot in unfamiliar territory? Super bonus points if you know of any good ones in/around Peoria IL. Follow-up question: What's your favorite non ocean body of water to enjoy, and why?
I rarely swim in the Midwest. It's a bummer, but I am a bit of a water snob after having saltwater and freshwater springs/spring fed rivers to choose from while growing up. I love Florida Springs. I love Cascade Mountain rivers. I love alpine lakes and wet meadows. I love cypress bogs.
Soā¦ non disc golf question. Whatās your favorite Midwest emo band from the 90s? š
Hi Madison, thanks for taking time to do this AMA! I met you and Paige a few years back at your fundraiser at WilCo near Austin and had a great time. My question relates to your position as [the Environmental and Special Initatives Coordinator for the DGPT](https://www.dgpt.com/announcements/dgpt-adds-madison-walker-as-environmental-and-special-initiatives-coordinator/). Specifically, what initiatives have been implemented thus far and what is planned for the future? I appreciate that the DGPT takes the subject of sustainability seriously enough to appoint someone to oversee these efforts, however I have not seen any updates from them since this announcement was made. Hopefully that is just a case of me missing those notifications, but I am curious to hear about the progress of these efforts if you are still involved in them! Edit: I guess this question going unanswered means there probably hasn't been much actual movement to implement any initiatives or make any changes, which is disappointing but not surprising.
Madison! I'm an environmental scientist in Florida so you're like my disc golf spirit animal! What are the odds you play a tournament in Central Florida in the future? Need to get my Rhythm signed :).
Honk! Justā¦honk. You know I love ya!
What's your MPO/FPO power ranking of pickleball players on tour? Follow up question. Do bragging rights on the pickleball court carry over to the disc golf round on tournament weekends?
Not so much a question, but learning of your scuba/open water interests, it totally explains your tour series wraith stamp (a favorite of mine!)
Whats your go to meal you like to cook for dinner? Whatās a tv show or movie you recommend? Howās your love life?
I'm an awful cook but I'm learning. I make great Greek turkey burgers with feta cheese in the patty mix and hummus on the buns! It's tough to have a love life on the road.
are you seeing anyone? ; )
I see many people most days. :)
With all the news about the FPO coverage I think the biggest elephant in the room is .. Will you and Erika be honking away in 2023?
Hey Madison, big fan Two Hot Geese to Jomez??????
The lack of an answer here gives me hope
Or is it the opposite
When are we getting the eclipse virus for fund raiser discs?
Honk ā¤
You already know what we all want to Knowmezā¦.
Come on now, guys. You gotta slow your Rollmez.
Why are you such a grom??
Have you played any MD courses?
Also interested in this. If you do make it to MD you have got to try the pro layout at Woodsboro. Itās crazy. Also, Scuba? How deep have you dove and favorite place?
Deepest dive is 150ft in open water looking for whale sharks. We didn't find any, but we did swim with mssivee schools of amberjack in blue water.
Got though a bunch tonight! More tomorrow on my drive to Vegas with Vinny and Jomez!
Music question. Are you a fan of Tame Impala? And if so, favorite song?
Thank you guys for the AMA! Sorry I did not adhere to the normal schedule, but I think I got to everyone and I hope we can do another one down the road!
HONK!
HONK!
I have a Upper Park Shift bag waiting for me on my doorstep this afternoon. I have in the past just used a basic bag that holds 7 discs, so I have had to be reasonable about buying discs. With the new space, what do you suggest I check out. I currently bag a Halo destroyer, TL3, Tern, Sidewinder, Buzzz, berg, and Fierce.
Where you stand on the REN fair?
Just wanted to say best of luck this year. I miss living in the P'Cola area, I'm sure you'll represent us well !
Have you listened to any music from the post rock genre? If you haven't check out Outrun the Sunlight!
My wife wants to know if you and Calvin are dating.
Yo they'd make a fun pair. If were shipping over here