Flightfully, out. 20241109
Commentary for the Great American Dream Machine 1972 BFG Frisbee Video
In 1971, “The Great American Dream Machine” was satirical variety show on the NBC Network. The show had no host, and no set format. They were presenting a collection of progressive and alternative lifestyles with eclectic vignettes. This was a new type of television. It mirrored what the American people were thinking about. With addition of Chevy Chase, Albert Brooks and Martin Mull it was a very funny show as well.
No one can remember how The Great American Dream Machine found us in the Berkeley Hills playing MTA frisbee in a plaza at the Livermore Berkeley National Laboratory in 1972. Fortunately for the Berkeley Frisbee Group, we rediscovered this historical video. In this wonderful 2.36 second video, we are playing distance, freestyle, freestyle co-op, quadruped crisscross frisbee team catch, team guts and team MTA. After this event, we played frisbee golf on our 18-hole course located on the UC Berkeley Campus. What more can you ask for……
The Berkeley Frisbee Group members were John “Z” Weyand cutoff jeans, Bob “The Flying Knife” May distance, Chuck Pitt (beard), Roger “The White Crane” Barrett throwing inverted upside down throw with 2 CPI All Stars, Chuck Schulz 360 guts throw (blond hair), Victor “Victorsan 002” Malafronte guts intro, Spider Wills tip to back catch, Brother David at my right guts intro. Two very important players who were not in this video, Jay “The All-American Boy” Shelton and Steve “The Enforcer” Sewall. It was Jay and Steve who introduced us to the MTA event. They were my mentors. They are “The Original Berkeley 5” frisbee players. Jay Shelton, Bob May, Steve Sewall, Chuck Pitt and Dave Book. These are the 5 guys who were winning all the frisbee events since 1968. They were the best frisbee players in the World. Jay Shelton was named as the Overall World Champion. When they were not playing frisbee. These 5 individuals were earning advance degrees. They were highly educated individuals. Gentleman, thank you for that.
This 1972 video documents the diversity of frisbee events enjoyed by the BFG since the late 1960’s. It shows a group of friends getting together for a common love of the frisbee game. At no time did we ever imagine that we could pay green fees and rent a cart to play frisbee golf at 5000 Pro courses worldwide. That we could be going to the World Frisbee Championships held at the Rose Bowl. That there could be 600 College Ultimate Frisbee teams from around the world. That guts frisbee teams could flourish in Japan. That eBay was place were frisbees could sell for over 5000. dollars. Or, that our players could create Frisbee Museums to house 1000’s of collectables including the frisbees we were playing with in this 1972 video.
The GADM was all inclusive by filming nearly everyone for this video. Every BFG player had an equal voice. We were inclusive by inviting anyone to play with us. A video like this plus other documented evidence are emerging to balance the lack of historical perspective. We will be posting the “History of the Berkeley Frisbee Group” in the very near future. Frisbee Freely. Victorsan (Wow, after 47 years I hope I learned how to speak English. Does an Honorable Degree from Flatbush, Brooklyn qualify? 
002″
Good save by Z John Weyand!
Photo and video credits are unknown to me. I’d love to know who you are. I would especially love to have the footage from the videographer in the Victorsan feature photo. As I see different photos pop up from Victorsan fans I will try to add them.
Group expert
a true super star from the early glory days of frisbee.
Inspirational to so many .. originator of so many tricks and throws we all owe him our gratitude and respect .. RIP Victor
Wow. This news hits hard. He was an inspiration to so many. My first competitive disc golf round ever was in a 3-some with Victor and John Kirkland in 1974. Thoughts and prayers to his loved ones.
Thank you for all your styling inspiration Victor A Malafronte. Condolences to your family and friends. The disc jamily is mourning today but remember you in every flight that is flown and caught.
Thank you for your kind words for my uncle Victor. If anyone would like to message me and the family to story’s and photos please do we will keep his friends in our hearts and I will will the family as we work through together honoring my uncle.
Thank you Victor for your influence and development of the sport we know and love. You were one of a kind. I’ll never forget your kindness in including me on the 1976 Japan tour. One of my fondest memories. Condolences to your family for this loss of a great spirit.
I remember picking up a hitchhiking Victor on my team’s way to the 1973 IFT. Got to compete against him in Guts and distance for a few years. Possibly the greatest disc athlete I’ve ever seen.
I’ll be shooting “Malafronte’s Triangle” at Thursday night’s Guts practice. RIP Victor!
RIP Victor! My first out of state tourney I traveled with Victor & Seppo Nieminen to Las Vegas . 82
Sad news. RIP Victor! You were a kind and humble man. I feel privileged to have known you, had some laughs together and played with and against you. Fly free my friend.
Oh no. A teenage hero of mine. Long live the King of Spin!
Oh my goodness. Victor A Malafronte thank you for existing and bringing all the amazement you did to this world. I’m honored to have met you and I hope to see you out there flying in the universe when I join you. 002 much love to you.
RIP the Original World Champion and BFGs finest.
Grew up reading of this great man and his accomplishments. RIP 002
Godspeed 002!
Never forgotten. RIP Victor.
A great competitor, and a truly beautiful man. Rest well Victor San. You are always remembered.
I remember seeing him in the early days at Oak Grove, he was a legend back then!!! RIP Victor.
I enjoyed talking frisbee collectibles with Victor the one time I met him. Unforgettable!
Rest in Peace Vict
RIP 002
Thanks for sharing Victorsan
My condolences to Victor’s family and friends. I’m a relative old-timer, but never got a chance to meet him–except in the pages of books by Stancil E. Johnson, where he was one of the pantheon of players whose photos became imprinted in my mind and became the stuff of legend for me. And he was the progenitor of my favourite throw, the sidearm–which, based on those photos, I can still picture him doing!
Prayers. He was an inspiration to many.
RIP my friend 002
From Scott Stokely
John Kirkland. Your name and photo are in here. One is an awesome guts back up and your globetrotters disc. What a ride that tour must have been!
Rest in Peace 002!
With Victor’s passing we’ve lost one of our most influential early pioneers and rich historians. He and I first met in 1979 in the back of Tom Kennedy’s pickup truck as we hitched a ride back to the hotel at the $50K. In the mid-90s, when he came east doing research for his upcoming “The Complete Book of Frisbee,” we met again at Davis Johnson’s house so he could photograph discs from my collection to include in the wonderful color pages of his book. When Fred Morrison and I began writing “Flat Flip Flies Straight” in 2002, Victor was the first person I contacted for his knowledge and insights. We didn’t always agree on our conclusions but our shared love of disc history and antique plastic cemented a close respectful relationship over the past 22 years as we both shared new discoveries and old remembrances. Victor, rest assured, your legacy will live on forever!
All-star contributor
It is a sad day for the disc community. I never had the opportunity to play with Victor but I had one interaction with him in 1983 and then later, in 2013, he started selling parts of my collection on eBay and I got to know him a lot better. I was in the MTA finals at the 1983 US Open. I was winning and Harvey Brandt was last up. I couldn’t watch, so my roommate, Frank Allen did for me. Right after Harvey threw, Frank said, “He turned it over, you won”. I was really excited and walked out to the center of the field where Stork made the trophy presentation. As I walked off the field with trophy in hand, Victor came up to me and asked me to see the trophy. I handed it to him , he looked at it, handed it back, and said, “That’s nice Mike, I don’t even have one of those”. I forgot what I had for dinner last night but that comment has stuck with me all these years and at the time, it made me feel 10 feet tall. Thanks for that Victorsan. May you rest in peace my friend. Your mark on disc sports is indelible and had a positive impact on millions of people.
A great flying disc sports athlete, fine human being, admired, & respected by all!
It was my honor to play with him throughout the 80’s.
What immediately stood out in my eyes & throughout the decades, was Victor’s *Signature distance *Forehand, beautiful it was!
First witnessed it in the Rose Bowl and throughout the years. I always looked forward to when I would see it next.
Now upon finding this post, there he is in Victor form blasting a disc as no other could.
Cool Facebook friends!