In the summer, the Finnish Frisbee Golf World Championships in Finland are of great interest in the world. By mid -April, Tampere and Nokia had already registered for throwers from 46 countries.
Thus, in Finland, there is a huge record number of countries compared to previous competitions. The previous record was the participation of 25 countries in the European Championships in 2005 in Tampere.
For the time being, the Frisbee Golf World Championship medals have only been measured in the United States only in the country of birth and the races have not attracted the same number of shooters as the coming Finnish races.
Tampere and Nokia Games Event Director Jussi Meresmaa According to the United States, the United States has kept the race too American. In Finland, the issue was approached differently.
– We started building the event for the whole world. We set out to invite competitors for every union. There are more than fifty sports federations, but not everyone has players who meet the criteria, Meresmaa says.
Ticket sales have already exceeded all expectations, even though it is over three months to start the race.
– We sell about three times more tickets than we had thought. Our budget was € 100,000 and now it seems that we are selling tickets for over € 300,000, Meresmaa glows.
Anttila wants to avoid pressures
The Finnish men’s current number one player is also looking forward to the home race, Niklas Anttila23. Anttila popped in with Meresmaa to talk about her news at Radio Suomen Sports Evening just before Easter.
Kuopio, who celebrated the World Championship silver last year, has started this season with two consecutive winnings on the US Disc Pro Golf Tour. Anttila, who has been in Finland for a couple of weeks, is not yet thinking about the upcoming home race.
“I haven’t wanted to think much about the races yet that there will be not too much pressure, or I’m starting to excite at this point,” says Anttila.
There are many potential candidates for success in Finland, but it is clear that Anttila is a medal hope as early as the season’s performances. Meresmaa praises Anttila’s spiritual angle in particular.
– The sport is still quite young. In that sense, things can happen quickly. But after all, Niklas’ rise to the absolute tip of the species has been great and fast, Meresmaa emphasizes.
Meresmaa sees that Anttila is made by a special player and a competitor.
– He has already been in really tough competitive places despite his young age. Not all of them can be won, but even those losses need to be learned. I would raise the rise of Niklas to a large extent to the really great control of the spiritual side.
Anttila does not use the spiritual coach.
– I am interested in sports psychology. I know quite a lot about it myself and I like to study it, ”says Anttila.
The Kuopio racing calendar still keeps ideas about the well-to-do World Cup. After Easter, he will travel to the United States for a few races before the contract continues in Europe. The most important thing is to be in the best of July 30th – August 3rd. between the period.
– If I play badly a month before, it doesn’t matter. Through this, I build so that I am at my best, Anttila promises.
The World Championships are suitable for Anttila
The World Championship criteria must be found that two lanes to meet the race requirements. So the Finnish Games are divided between Tampere and Nokia.
According to Niklas Anttila, one of the most legendary lines is the Nokia course.
– The last four fairways are played there as in the pit, where the audience can look around. The last four fairways are called video game routes. Winning there would be like straight from the movies, Anttila dreams.
In fact, both races are well suited to him.
– Both paths are one that requires accurate throws on both sides, palm and knuckle. I can’t really find a better combination of this globe on my game than those two courses.
The species grown rapidly
Frisbee golf is still a fairly young sport. It has its roots in the United States, where the species was developed in the mid-1970s. Then the first frisbee golf course rose to Pasadena.
In Finland, in particular, the corona time raised the real boom when all kinds of indoor sports were forbidden. Many set out to throw frisbee golf. And now many are also familiar with the species.
The long journey has come from the fact that Meresmaa himself was one of the best in Finland in the 1990s and enjoyed the world championship in his career, among other things. At that time, many were still wondering about the golf baskets that appeared in the parks and the outskirts of the forest.
– I had to tell everyone in the park that these are not deer feeding racks, but these are frisbee golfers. Now you no longer have to explain anyone, but many will ask how they could be involved. Much has changed a lot in 30 years, Meresmaa remembers her smile on her lips.
Lauri Markkanen as the ambassador of the Games
Finnish NBA basketball star Lauri Markkanen is one of the species who found the species. And there is so much enthusiasm for the sport that Meresmaa says Markkanen has promised to be the ambassador of the World Championships.
Anttilakin has become familiar with Markkanen, but I can’t say for sure if the Jyväskylä will be seen this summer in Nokia and Tampere.
“At least Lauri has been watching the European Open in the same place in recent years, so he likes a lot of sport and is a passionate friend of the sport,” says Anttila.
– Lauri is definitely in some capacity, at least in the spirit of the race. It is not yet possible to promise if it is on the spot. He’s a pretty busy player, Meresmaa laughs.
The Frisbee Golf World Championships will be held from July 30 to August 3, 2025 in Tampere and Nokia. shows competitions on its channels.