Tournament History
The well known and highly attended DDO, used to be the well known and highly attended GBO, or Glass Blown Open. It wasn’t always that way. In it’s 2003 inaugural event, it played as a PDGA B-tier, with 88 total competitors.
Glass Blown Open was truly underway with the namesake design concept, as well as the promising aspirations of its young originators. Best friends, Eric McCabe and Gabe Werly launched what would become plans for the ‘big event.’ Working hard and staying dedicated to the dream of turning this long running Emporia B-Tier event into a popular A-Tier destination.
It takes a village to make the event successful. An event of this nature is challenging to run with a small team. Our team and volunteers help make it possible, along with the Emporia community, who play a big big part.
– Jackie Morris, 2022 Tournament Director
McCabe and Werly’s early vision embraced the idea that the small town would gladly support the event. Some things never change. A town known for its glass blowing, is what really helped take GBO to the next level. Trophies as pieces of fine art. (Ahem). World-renowned artist, Hal Berger designed the original glass blown trophies. Which were quickly coveted. And lead to a tournament that is suddenly iconic. In 2006, Brice Turnbull, a protege of Berger became the GBO’s trophy designer continuing in the tradition of adding prestige to this growing event.
Over the nearly 2 decades, and counting, Glass Blown Open’s popularity exceeded McCabe’s wildest dreams, while putting Emporia squarely on the map as holding the largest disc golf event in the world. As of 2020, “GBO” has been dropped from name of the tournament, as Dynamic Disc Open took over. And still, the tournament atmosphere remains the same level of great fun, as the player experience continues to evolve, dynamically.
About the Tournament Team
In previous AF tournament profiles, we made it a point to highlight the supporting disc golf club that makes these prominent stops on tour happen. Given the tournament history above, it ought to be clear that the City of Emporia is the de facto supporting club.
According to TD Jackie, the brand new design for the Jones Park Supreme 18 doesn’t happen without hard work and devotion from members of the city of Emporia. It’s the thing that visiting players at all levels notice when in the area, that they are playing in the Mecca of Disc Golf. A community approach to making the big events happen.
When Art asked TD Jackie for more information about the new Jones Park, she responded:
Eric worked hard on redesign. Doug and the City worked diligently, building new tee pads, adding stepping stones and laying mulch, among the many things that make this a championship level course.
Noticing the modesty, Art wondered, aloud, what really makes TD Jackie tick? And she answered, aloud:
Elite tournaments are a big part of disc golf, but my favorite moments come from smaller events. Fundraisers and clinics are more inviting to those who don’t know disc golf and allow them to experience it. Have you ever seen someone throw a disc for the first time? Pure joy is what you will witness. Feeling joy is great, but seeing someone else’s joy is even better.
Music to Art’s ears. What disc golfer doesn’t enjoy that moment? When asked what else outside of DDO, she’s involved with, TD Jackie told AF:
I direct all of the local tournaments in Emporia. I also co-TD a women-only event in the fall each year, the Emporia Ladies Open, with Denise Cameron (PDGA #41459). I am most passionate about ELO because it is something D and I created independently. Of course, we have help along the way, but it was something we wanted to make for other women.