Disc golf: I miss SpinTV

JomezPro and Central Coast Disc Golf are big-time. GK Pro and Gatekeeper Media have made a name for themselves in recent years, as well. And if you’ve been a fan of the sport for a good, long while, you might even remember subscribing to the McFlySoHigh YouTube channel.

These are the names you’ve come to associate with post-produced coverage of the professional disc golf scene. Incredibly, there’s yet another staple of the industry that’s often forgotten. If you’re a pandemic-era golfer or are fairly new to the sport, you’ve likely never heard of it …

I’m talking about SpinTV.

I miss it like crazy.

As of the penning of this post, SpinTV is a 10-year-old YouTube channel. If you’ve ever tried to find an in-the-bag video of Ken “The Champ” Climo, you’ve probably stumbled across their stuff. Pretty much every legend of the sport has an in-the-bag viddie hosted on the SpinTV channel. They’ve produced some must-see Paul McBeth tutorials from forever ago, too.

To this day, though I’ve seen it a million times, I’ll watch Paul teach the “modified power grip” when I feel like mine’s in need of a touch-up. And if you like the documentary-style content the Disc Golf Network puts out, check out “The McBeast Diaries” series – it’ll rock your world.

SpinTV was WAY ahead of its time.

The coverage of the professional scene is what I looked forward to most, though. Amongst others, staples of the SpinTV event calendar included the Memorial, Japan Open, Aussie Open, La Mirada Open and Gentlemen’s Club Challenge – now known as the Las Vegas Challenge.

With the channel a product of the once-strong relationship between Innova and Discmania, only a handful of years ago, European events like the European Open and Konopiště Open were viewed exclusively on SpinTV. Naturally, the crowning jewel of SpinTV Coverage?

USDGC.

And get this …

It was free.

With Jamie Thomas, Avery Jenkins and even The Champ himself on the mic, for devout disc golf fanatics like me, screw candy, pumpkins and costumes – THIS meant fall had arrived.

But alas, those days are gone …

The now defunct, long-forgotten SpinTV hasn’t posted a video since the 2021 European Disc Golf Championship. Given the Innova-Discmania split back in June of 2021, as well as the Disc Golf Network’s contractual control over post-produced coverage, stick a fork in it, friends …

SpinTV is dead.

Coverage-wise, do Jonathan Gomez and Ian Anderson blow SpinTV out of the water?

Of course.

They’re masters of their craft.

But SpinTV was a post-produced pioneer in its own right. This off-season, if you’re as obsessed with disc golf as you must be to faithfully read this blog each day, give the channel a spin …

524 videos of pure gold.

Enjoy.

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