Ken Climo Disc Golf Network Exclusive Interview 

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When I first got to know the game, Kenny was a 10-time World Champion, and from then on I saw him as the GOAT no matter what they say. Ken is also one the best in the booth and I really hope to hear him comment more often. He has the commanding voice and as the GOAT he has the authority. Thank for DGN and Brian for delivering us this fantastic interview.

This is what we need. A proper documentation of the history of the sport. More please!

So thankful that Brian got to do this interview! Great job!

Between Two Ferns with Brian Earhart lol great job!

Tip of the hat to the Champ. 12x Eagle stayed in my bag even when I went to an all Michigan made lineup :) Appreciate his transparency on his challenges as a dad and why he played less events than other pros. Just gives me more respect for the guy.

We owe so much to Ken. He played (and absolutely dominated) disc golf way before it was big or cool. A true pioneer, fierce competitor and champion. And btw fantastic on tournament commentary. Thank you Brian and thank you for all you've done for the sport, Ken. Benjamin

I just want to hang out & play a round with Ken, old school just for fun, maybe learn to throw my avair 250'. This was one of the best interviews ever, Ken's a true disc golfer, he played for the love of the game. Me too.

Great job by Brian in the interview. The dude knows his job and is really good at it. Hats off to the whole thing I really enjoyed it all the way around

“A thirst inside to get the job done.” “I was probably the most accurate.” “Almost number one in every catagory.” These are the same qualities that Paul McBeth and Kristin Tattar have. And when you perform them at a high level for several years, these are the qualities of greatness.

Glad to hear I wasn't the only one who couldn't throw a Viper when it first came out!

What a PERFECTLY executed interview. I usually stick with videos under 20 minutes. I watched every single minute of this.

Give me more from the Champ please. Also, well done Brian.

The goat !!! Ken is the reason I ended up trying disc golf . He’s one of the most important people in the sport .

Ken is a personal hero of mine. Havent watched yet but just wanted to shout out the twelve time ! He's a totally groovy dude and has been giving a nobody like me tips and encouragement via X formally known as Twitter. Definitely my hero.

I love how enthusiastic and excited Kenny gets when he talks about his glory days.

So good to see Kenny getting some attention as our sport grows in popularity. I've seen him play many times and always payed attention to try to learn somethings. One of the most memorable moments was at mt.airy in Cincinnati on original #6 during the last of four rounds at Edgewood Electric tournament. He started the hole with a 4-5 stroke lead and hit early left missing the mando I think then proceeded to hit tree after tree and ended the hole two strokes down I think I remember🤔 I saw him putt out while the rest of his group waited towards the next tee and saw him quietly finish and pick up his discs to move on. I was barely close enough to hear his reaction to that nightmare hole. He sighed a barely perceptible gentle 'damn' and then got back to business and almost clawed back into the lead but Brad Hammock held on to win. Most of us would've melted down but not Mr. Ken. A lesson for us all even in defeat. I had the luck of running into him at Cliff Stevens and playing 9 holes with him in 1994 i think. He was so friendly and approachable and he doesn't know it but after playing for maybe 2-3 years with my buddies and starting to develop a game After playing those few holes with him I nearly instantly made a big leap in my game. Thank you Champ! After he left I played on and found a double stamped scorpion/ stingray he must've forgotten about 10' from hole one🙂 He didn't have his number on it🙂( really didn't ) and I was leaving town so I kept it... it's hung on my wall ever since I loved seeing him tell his stories and thank the dgn for this show which helps all the new players to get to know 'The Goat' a little bit. I wish him continued success in all he reaches for and am hoping Disc golf will somehow find him a well deserved place in our future! 🖖🏼 thanks again Brian and Kenny and the DGN

Hands down my favorite climo interview

Brian really is the best in disc golf. Such thoughtful questions and manages the interview so seamlessly. I'm a proud Illinoisan when it comes to repping Bearhart. I hope to run into him some day on the course! Come back to visit more Brian!

Love to see these guys get a interview like this. Ron Russell. Rocky Russell. Geoff, Johnny lissaman. Brad hammock John e McCray.

Epic conversation. Thank you so much for this ♥

The OG Goat is here, have some damn respect

This so good, I can't help but watch it again and agin!!

i watched Climo play live here at the Minnesota Majestic. He did win it one year. The Champ!

thee absolute man himself! thank you to all tat made this possible

Wow! Great interview, brought back some memories....Great questions Brian! What a solid guy the Champ is, no bs, just a dude with a profound love of flight

The champ. Period. What a great interview Brian. Thank you.

this is awesome! thank you really nice to hear him speak so fondly and with such respect of other players and the folks that inspired him.

What an awesome conversation! Thanks, Brain and of course, thanks, Champ!

Wow, great interview. Brian is extremely good, and Ken's the man!

Love it! The champ seems like a world champ and Everyman. Can’t not enjoy him talking about the history of disc golf.

Great interview. So fun to hear some history. And it really helped that the interviewer knew the game and the history.

This interview should have happened 10 to 13 years ago.. long live the king

i was there in the'90 final, watching king climo, being a big fan, having predicted he was gonna win after the way he played in iowa in '89....that cobra drive on 17 was un believable...that hole was a dogleg left ....truly a jawdropping, headshaking, sense of what? and how? did he do that? ..i was never surprised to watch him dominate for another decade

moved to Clearwater in 93 specifically to meet Ken as i wanted to write a book about the sport, and i met C.R. almost the same time. Both of them were very open and inclusive and Ken was SO competitive at all times. I got to play as his doubles partner at Thanksgiving and i go to my grave saying that i made cash with KC as my partner - met JohnE McCray at that time - we played our first ever tournament together. The Moccasin Lake Open - i think Ken made about 300 bucks for the win. Very different times. He needs to get back much much more from this sport than he has gotten. An amazing dude.

Great interview. It's nice to see someone, on one of the biggest disc golf stages available, give their honest opinions on several topics. Agree or disagree with Ken, you have to respect him. Honestly he has no huge contract or a large manufacturer with a sponsored "team" lol of players to worry about ruffling their feathers. This is how you go about it. Not sniping him 1 opinion at a time from the safety of your social media platforms. Thank you Ken and Brian for a great interview. I hope many more of this type of interview becomes common. The DGPT doesn't need the PDGA. The PDGA should stick to the AM side of the game because what it does for the "PRO" side is becoming outdated very quickly.

Got several KC-discs (Roc, Wraith, Destroyer), nothing fancy, they'll get to fly soon. I try to do that after interviews, to push the memories of them deeper

This was an awesome interview. Please do more interviews with people who played back in the days (70-90´s). They sure will give the newer generation of disc golf players a lot of good insights.

Besides touchier baskets (an idea I like), I like the idea of more wide short gaps, instead of all tall and narrow ones. We’d probably see more rollers. I particularly like the idea of adding more short holes that require a finesse throw.

Great conversation-- insights into the evolution of the game that you can't find from anyone else, and an astute interviewer who has a love for the game and draws out some answers and stories I haven't heard anywhere else. 🤝

The great with a great interview! Thank you for this, this was amazing to listen to

Great show Brian! Ken! I too love seeing our game explode and the new courses and people feeling that special warm and friendly Disc Golf community love that is so special about our game. I really hope that the quick influx of new people doesn't water down too much the traditional good vibes and almost brotherly/ sisterly feels that ' the old days' had so strongly. I've been fortunate to have traveled and played 200+ courses before the yr 2000. Watching Pro tournaments and competing some. Meeting and playing with legends of the game like Kenny and many more. Without exception when I met locals on a new course it was fun and warm experience. People just opened up and enjoyed seeing a new guy play 'their course' and many is the time I was invited to come join them for dinner or invited to crash at some ones home. 🌝 It truly is a special game community in my experience. Ass hole showy rude people were very few indeed. Maybe because it isn't an aggressive you against me battle game like most games. It's a game against your self and the course. And even if I'm losing the game if anyone makes a beautiful throw I feel that love of the flight like the first time it struck and hooked me I don't think I m the only one who feels like this. Sure it is competitive but it's not an ego battle What a great game and people we have ❤ I wish it to retain that good vibe spirit I've come to know and love 🤞🏼

Fantastic seeing the Champ getting out and doing some interviews.

Awesome interview! Great questions and insight answers.

The first tournament I ever played was the 1991 Augusta Disc Golf Classic. I played doubles against Ken Climo. He just happened to be in the same group as me. He as a nice guy and and unbelievable player. I was awestruck!

Great job by Brian to make this interview happen.

Great to feature Ken!. Keep it up.

What a fantastic interview! We need more Kenny in the sport. I hope he is doing well and can be more involved in this great sport. True pioneer. And wonderful job by Brian. Great interviewer!

Amazing Interview! Good Job Brian. Great on Ken for choosing to be a DAD first! Good insights into discs and course design. My first disc was a Viper when I started disc golfing in 1996 in Minneapolis.

He named Minneapolis as a mecca of disc golf. That really caught my attention. We do have a good history here and many courses. Maybe its the emphasis on preexisting parks in the metro that laid the groundwork to add courses to those locations.

It is so important to have first hand disc golf history from The Champ. A track guy. Ken should have played some Ultimate! A “black 165”? More than likely a black Master-150g.

Ken Climo has been one of my favorites ever since I was a kid, I'd watch him every chance I got. I still use his big beed KC Pro Putter. Such a awesome interview. thanks for sharing

Incredible interview. Thanks for the work.

Great stuff. Really interesting to hear what the sport was like back in the day when I wasn't paying attention to it.

Great interview because I played from 1989-1995 and just restarted last year. So much of what he talks about I was saying yes yes it was like that. 😂

I'll watch any video with Kenny in it!

Thanks for the history and perspective. And most importantly being the best dad you could be given the situation.

such a great interview.

MAD ❤ 4 DA CHAMP!!!!!!!!! TY BRIAN AND KC!!!!!

Cool to hear the GOAT drop KC in his top 3 disc golf cities!

WE NEEDED THIS! Bryan, amazing job, sir. What an amazing interaction. I love this because Ken is such a staple that I got goosebumps just learning about his start up. God is good!

This interview is totally getting me amped for field work tonight

I could listen to this guy talk all day

I wish more City Parks around the country would want to hold yearly tournaments and just use portable temporary baskets. I love designing courses in City Parks...it is sooo much fun

I started playing 1980 and learned from 2 books written be Dan Roddick. 1977 book was (Frisbee by the masters), all about throwing techniques and free style games. 1979 book (frisbee sports & games) was more about games including disc golf. I got hooked in Toronto Canada 1980 at Toronto Island course.

Watching this is making me want to throw discs right now.

This was awesome!

Respect.

Brian was well prepared for his interview with the Champ. He asked some great questions. Interesting perspective on baskets when most people want to see better catching and more consistency. I am intrigued by Climo’s idea that putting should require more touch. All the spin putters would lose it! I suppose a basket could be made that requires touch and is consistant. This kind of basket would help to make higher scores if that what’s best for the sport.

Brian asked a bunch of great questions! Great job!

THANK YOU for interviewing the original GOAT

Great interview!

Great interview. And Kenny, not only do I know all those old discs, I had aces with a Pegasus and a K.C. Pro Raven!

Thanks

Awesome stuff

I play at the trash cans and basketball poles at a little park across the street from me. I'll take my basket across too sometimes. Homemade course. It's alot to go play a full round after work. 😅

Great interview. Love the shout out to Sammy Jo of Texas who would play a tournament with his towel and 3 or 4 discs and kill everyone. Sammy is now in the Texas Disc Golf Hall of Fame.

Great job Brian!

Goat

Great interview, loved it, great idea! Titleist Hat really?

Lets go CHAMP!

🐐

Champ is the man! I hear he's decent at poker too.

at 11:39 Mr Climo said, he played Cliff Stevens for his first 4 months of playing with 1 disc and then says quietly "and I didn't lose it!" ... ok for those that don't know Cliff Stevens park, that statement is no doubt one of the greatest of Mr Climo's many accomplishments... that course eats hundreds of discs EVERY WEEK STILL! I've even seen Calvin break out a pack-craft inflatable kayak on that course to find a treasured disc... lmao

I wonder why they stopped making the Ken Climo CHAMP tee shirt they had in website a couple months ago? Unless (and I'm sure it's possible) they sold out. Great interview Thanks Ken Thanks Brian

Ken !!! I have a 1994 World’s disc played in my hometown I want signed !!!

My friend and co worker in Carpet, Troy Evans, played La Marada back when you did, Ken. He named his first son Keagan. He played a ton and had multiple gym bags filled with brand new discs of yours. Circa 98-08 we worked together. He was saying the first course was actually in Denver and was adamant about it. Does the name ring a bell?

Interesting how after Paul won number 6. He said he wished Ken was more present and he showed up in videos and coverage and now this. Pretty cool.

Kennothy Climax

The set layout reminds me of Between Two Ferns. Ken intrigued me with the whole “lost skill” bit… makes me wonder if something important did actually disappear in the disc golf shot. I do believe the current is a great shot with less injuries and more consistency, but maybe something about power did sort of vanish.

Anyone that wants some more history, I highly recommend stokely book growing up disc golf

Is Champ the GOAT? Up for debate... But I think he is the most legendary player of all time. Incredible insights from him in this interview, Champ is an historical encyclopedia of the sport

The Champ

I think disc golf needs to come back to it's original roots, maybe a 3 course tournament in the twin cities before it makes it's way to the 4th of July cale leviska course. Hit up CP Adams/kaposia/North valley as a tournament with 3 different locations in it's entirety. The originals used to play these courses (some of the actual originals) bring it back

This should be made for public viewing faster without having to have a paid subscription.

Also: interesting that KC isn’t wearing any Innova branded clothes.

Rubalcaba, threw an Aviar 500' back in 94

I knew Sam Grizzafi, He was from TX I saw him play back in 93,94,

I'd love to see more high grass on pro courses. Stuff that hinders a run-up or puts an emphasis on good footwork. "Natural" OB

Now we need Barry, Feldberg, Korver, McCrae, Stokely, etc. Gimme all the lore!!