The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
Born in Finland in 2006, Discmania has only been in its current digs in Wellington, near Fort Collins, for four years—but already, Coloradans have had a huge impact on one of the sport’s biggest brands. Director of operations Austin Montgomery, a former pro from Longmont, advocated for Discmania’s move here from its previous U.S. headquarters in California. Meanwhile, longtime Discmania-sponsored athletes and Colorado natives Eagle McMahon and Colten Montgomery (Austin’s younger brother) have helped popularize discs such as Discmania’s best-selling FD. “It stands for fairway driver, but we joke that FD also stands for ‘favorite disc,’” Austin says. “You’ll see Eagle McMahon rely on [certain discs] to make him money at tournaments, and people want to throw what Eagle’s throwing.” But it’s a Morrison man named Manny Trujillo who’s greatly responsible for turning certain slabs of Discmania plastic into collectible works of art—ones that often get resold for hundreds of dollars on eBay and Facebook Marketplace and are sometimes auctioned for thousands in fundraisers. Since 2018, Trujillo (a video game animator who has his own disc-golf-inspired gear line, called Soul Crusher) has worked with Discmania’s players to design the logos, called stamps, for their limited-edition signature series discs. We broke down one of Colten’s, the Discmania Montgomery Swirly S-Line PD Lone Howl, to figure out what makes it so special.
Picture Perfect
Trujillo starts by talking to pros about their interests and aesthetic. “We try to do something with personal connections to them,” Trujillo says. For Colten, inspiration came from a favorite animal, the wolf, and Celtic knots. Trujillo used those references to create 20-plus sketches, using his favored Bic pens, and finalized the Lone Howl’s stamp with Colten and Discmania. (Follow @art_of_empty on Instagram to find out when Trujillo is selling his sketches paired with their discs; some of the combos have netted him north of $800.)
Rare Air
Discmania doesn’t disclose run sizes on its signature discs, but they are generally one-time offerings. So, you’ll want to stock up, especially if you like the way the disc flies and not just how it looks: Dings and dents eventually change a disc’s performance, assuming you don’t lose it to a water feature before then. The Lone Howl retailed for $20 when it was released in 2019, but if you want one now, you’ll likely have to spend $100 or more on the resale market.
Market Futures
Thanks to the popularity of this disc, 2020’s Lone Howl 2, and Colten’s signature putter, 2021’s Arctic Fang, Discmania will be making the Lone Howl 3 later this year. Additionally, Austin says, “we are currently launching a Creator Series of discs, where the player has direct input on the creation of the mold itself.” The Eagle McMahon Creator Series Glow D-Line Rainmaker (Flex 3), a putter, came out in July.
Difference Makers
The PD, or power driver, model is available in a variety of colors and weights, with simple branding on top, as part of Discmania’s regular lineup. “This is one of Colten’s favorite discs,” Austin says. “He’s known as the PD guy, so [the PD] was an easy choice for him.” In addition to the fancy stamp, what makes the Lone Howl different from other PDs is its Swirly S-Line plastic. The grippy blend is more flexible and results in a flatter top than standard PDs made with Discmania’s C-Line plastic.
Support Network
Signature discs are “a big piece of players’ touring income,” Austin says. Colten got $2 for every Lone Howl sold, making buying them a fun way for fans to back him financially.
