Old School Stubbornness

I wanted to have an outlet for my musing and ranting about the fun sport of disc golf. I have been playing off and on for about 26 years and will always play till my body won't let me anymore. I live in the Central Florida area and have played many courses in the state.
  For my first post I would like to discuss my stubbornness for old-school. Because I started in the late 80's we didn't have the biggest selection of plastic to choose from. Innova, DGA, Wham-O, and Lightning were the only brands on board to the new sport and finding them for sale as a 5 year old kid was next to impossible. I used to take huge "Ultimate" style frisbees until that day I found my first disc. It was an orange Discraft Eclipse (pre-PDGA approval stamp). I wish I still had it because there is a collectors market for them now. After figuring how to throw it, I got hooked.  At that young age, I would throw any brand, weight or color just because of availability. In time, I have narrowed down to my Innova and haven't looked back. From Sharks to Stingrays. Cobras to Scorpions. Rocs to my all time favorite, the Viper. A lot of these molds are still in production but definitely not in vogue for the next level players now.
  Not just the new molds, but evolution in plastic quality has gotten so much better.  It took me a long time to switch to Champion and Star plastics but I am glad I have. There was nothing more frustrating than getting that brand new DX plastic disc and on your first drive, crush a tree. I have "Taco'd" several and it was cry-worthy when you spent your hard earned lawn mowing money and thrash your over-stable driver on the first drive. Hey, at least you get a new roller disc after that. The new plastic has definitely helped in the durability and was a great advancement in the sport.
  With all of this said, the market of discs and related items are greater than ever. It is a positive sign to have that many manufacturers putting money into our great game, but as an old school guy it is overwhelming. I proudly throw my Innova discs with my Innova bag and will stick with it till someone pays me to throw something else. Funny thing is, with so many new brands out there, I feel like the outsider by not tossing the new Vibram or Prodigy, or Westside, etc.
  Ultimately, the additional competition in the market make the manufacturers step their game up and make everything better for everyone.  The overall goal is to grow the sport, but it doesn't mean I will evolve as fast.  I still carry a Shark, Cobra, and a Viper just to remember my roots, but I have began to try a few new molds from Innova and they have made my game even better.  Maybe one day I will jump into the new hip gear, but for now, I am keeping it old school baby.