An interview with … Derek Robins

 

 How many of us can say that we base important life decisions on the humble Frisbee? Does it influence our choice of life partners, where we live, how we earn a living? For some it can and Derek Robins is one of those. In 1979 when he was deciding where to go to further his education he chose the University of Warwick; not because it had the best lecturers, a fantastic students union or the promise of glory and wealth after graduation – but because it had a disc golf course on campus.

I have met Derek on a few occasions. I have played his course (both championship and short course) regularly – my brother lives nearby and I play whenever I am visiting. I followed him during the British Open in 2014 (during his round and not in a stalking way) and I had an hours lesson with him for a birthday present. I was, of course, fully aware of his disc golf prowess. Having done some research I found out that he was a mean ultimate player as well. However what I was blissfully unaware of, but learnt halfway through our interview, was that he cut his Frisbee-teeth in the world of distance, accuracy and maximum time aloft.

Derek’s early Frisbee life was routine, run-of-the-mill stuff. He was bought a Frisbee when he was a kid and played throw and catch with family, friends and dog. It was the purchase of his second Frisbee that, potentially, changed his life. It came with a British Frisbee Association membership form which piqued his interest. In 1978 he played the UK Frisbee Championship in London consisting of accuracy, distance and maximum time aloft (his record time in 1979 was 12.44 seconds, which puts my 8.77 seconds in the shade). His talent with the Frisbee was clear as he won accuracy and MTA, came 5th in distance and won the overall UK title. The sponsors flew him and a few others over to the World Frisbee Championships in America where he would play the elimination finals at CalTec with the possibility of playing at the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California in front of 50,000 fans. Unfortunately Derek didn’t finish in the top three and he didn’t get to play at the Rose Bowl.

However it was still a life-changing event for it was here that he first came across a new sport called disc golf. Derek was smitten from the beginning (although he finished a lowly 106th out of 120) and on his return to the UK he and his fellow Brits started the first UK disc golf championship. Of course in those early days there were few players (10-20) and fewer tournaments (4/5).

Derek started his entrepreneurial life importing and selling disc golf discs to his fellow players. This improvement in the quality of discs meant that players showed an interest in improving their play which Derek identified as one of the factors that influenced the growth of British disc golf.  Another big impetus was the purchase of Quarry Park outside of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire in 1994. Trees were planted, layout was identified but the growth of Quarry Park was slow. To begin with disc golf could only take place at weekends and evenings as their entrance onto the site was via a neighbour’s land. It took 12 years before planning permission was granted and the inexorable growth of disc golf at Quarry Park could flourish.

Derek’s achievements in disc golf are legendary. He helped found the British Disc Golf Association in 1996. He was inducted into the disc golf Hall of Fame in 2004 (the first European to do so) and his blurb on the PDGA website reads as follows:

“Derek Robins is a premier international representative of British disc golf. Among his diverse credits is Quarry Park Disc Golf Course Architect. He owns brilliant victory records at the BDGA Match Play Championships, Scottish Open, and British Open. These victories garnered him with every British Tour trophy since 1990. He is the 2003 Masters Division European Champion. Derek is an essential European link to the PDGA Competition Committee. He founded the British Disc Golf Association and holds the National Director position. Derek has the selfless passion for development, signature of every acclaimed disc golf advocate.”

He was elected captain of the European team for the Presidents Cup in 2015 by his peers which shows the high regard that European disc golfers have for the man. He downplays the importance of this as it felt it was a simple popularity contest. I think it means a lot more. It means you are respected and valued. It looks at what you have achieved in the past and what you can contribute now. For the giants of European disc golf to elect you as their captain in the Presidents Cup would be the pinnacle of most people’s work.

 

Both those enormous honours bestowed on the man are praise indeed, but Derek is modest about them. He believes his greatest achievement is the setting up of Quarry Park – Britain’s first pay-to-play course. There are still only a handful of these type of courses throughout the UK. We discussed the role of free-to-play against pay-to-play courses and Derek is bullish about the role that paid courses has in the future of British disc golf and sees them as a driver for the growth of the sport. The debate between free and paid courses rages in America but the sheer volume of players in America means that a new, free-to-play course will immediately have a large number of people nearby who have played, or at least heard of, the sport. We do not have that luxury. He felt that we need the sport promoted by professional people. Free courses may be hampered by a lack of incentive for councils to promote the courses and to put the resources in to make it a success. One of the problems with free courses is that they often rely on a volunteer individual to continually promote it.

Derek Robins – Hall of Famer, Presidents Cup captain, entrepreneur, teacher, pioneer. And in the words of the PDGA “a selfless passion for development”. We salute you!