ISSUE 001 - Interview with Ricky

• Name: Ricky Henriksson
• Age: 43
• Lives in: Farsta, Stockholm
• Family: Partner Linnea, two children, mother, father and three siblings
• Throwing since: August 2022, actively since 2023
• Instagram Profile: ricky_dscglf

How long have you been throwing?

Since the autumn of 2022. I managed nine rounds that year, and then I started playing seriously. So, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026: four years fully active.

What did your life look like before disc golf?

I played pétanque. I competed in pétanque for many years, up to the top division in Sweden, maybe twelve years in total. I also worked as a pétanque instructor. My pétanque team captain, who is my best friend, talked me into both pétanque and disc golf.

I've competed down in France, and together with my old team captain I hold the Swedish record at the world's biggest pétanque tournament. He still competes. I only play now and then these days. I still have all my pétanque boules at home, but I don't compete anymore.

Don't you miss it?

I miss the team, and playing is fun. But competitively, it doesn't compare to disc golf. It became too much: two nine-hour days competing, Saturday and Sunday, at Vårbergs IP in snow, sleet and rain. The charm disappeared when it turned into too much competition. At the higher levels you'd also have to travel around Sweden for tournaments, and that doesn't work with a family.

Those ten days in France were the coolest thing ever. But kids and family came first. So pétanque is a now-and-then thing.

So that period of your life was mostly about pétanque?

Pétanque and kids.

The two sports, pétanque and disc golf, go pretty well together. The pétanque throw, and especially the putt, have roughly the same feel. It's the same swinging motion.

Which is harder?

Disc golf is harder. But you can't compare it to the precision in pétanque, where you have to hit small balls from very long distances. It's more that the movements are similar: the putt and the pétanque throw.

Pétanque is a nice laid-back summer sport to play with friends.

Exactly, on the pétanque court in Rålambshovsparken. Just throwing balls and having a cold one. The charm is there, I like it, but not in the same way. Something else came along and took over my focus.

Do you remember the first time you came across disc golf? Where were you, who was there and what happened?

It started during the pandemic, when I saw more and more posts on social media from friends who were playing. I had never understood what it was. But I saw them and thought: "This looks so damn fun."

It was pétanque friends who held their club championship in disc golf instead. Then the algorithms gave me more of it and I saw more and more clips. But for some reason I never took the step, until my friend asked: "Why don't we go to Albysjön and bring the families? The kids can hang out on the beach. You can borrow three discs from me."

So, we played a round in Tyresö, and after that I was hooked. I think I ordered my first starter set the next day.

Which starter set was it?

Latitude 64's Retro Burst, I think it's called. I didn't know anything. I bought a bag, bought a mystery box from Latitude 64, and that's where the snowball started rolling.

So, it was the pandemic that got it going?

I didn't start playing during the pandemic, but that's when I saw it in clips on social media. A lot of my friends started playing then. I started pretty much right after.

What did disc golf give you that you hadn't really found anywhere else?

First, I needed a hobby where I could get some time to myself. When I was introduced to disc golf, all the pieces fell into place. I found calm, I could have fun, I could compete and I could hang out with friends. And on top of that get a couple of hours of quiet out in the woods.

It was a missing piece in my life that I didn't know I needed. Pétanque had been that piece. Then I stopped playing pétanque but didn't know what I needed to get that little extra something. On the very first day I understood that this is what I'm going to do now.

Did disc golf feel freer than pétanque?

One hundred percent. The Swedish Disc Golf Association has rules, but it's not as strict as pétanque. In pétanque you play in a team, you have your boules and you do your part for the team. I felt more freedom in disc golf.

I can go out and play on my own. I can bring my partner or go with ten friends. That freedom of choice, being able to do it whenever and however, was probably what hooked me the most. Then I realized that I actually had a chance to get good at it and improve. It really clicked from the first second.

Have you done anything other than pétanque?

Not really. I've tried a lot of sports. My dad tried to get me into something, but nothing stuck. Everything from tennis to jujitsu and go-karting. Then came pétanque and then disc golf.

Is there anyone you've met through disc golf who has meant a lot to you?

Loads of people.

If I'm going to name names, Jimmy Björkman has done a huge amount. He has supported me and pushed me enormously in the sport. And James from Tyresö was the first one who said I should come to a club meetup. It was through him that I dared to join a club and meet the people who made me keep playing.

So, James for getting me into the club, and Jimmy, who has been a huge pillar of support for four years now. Then I have old pétanque friends who dragged me out and taught me to play. Daniel is one of them, and Albin, who got me into disc golf and talked me into that first round. In the first years it was probably James, Jimmy and Daniel who meant the most.

In recent years I've met so many people who have inspired, motivated and pushed me. Everyone from Ted Syhlén at the Swedish Championships, who has helped me loads with social media and content, to our very own crazy Carl Midbeck – “the forehand king”. There are no words for what that man is. I could sit here for hours naming people who have helped me along the way.

And then just standing there tearing down ceilings at ICA in Årsta and meeting you guys. When I saw you, I thought: "Should I even mention the cap?" And then: "I have to." I'm so glad I did.

I'm guessing there are a few people who would name you if asked the same question.

I hope so, but it's hard to say. I think that from day one I've seen myself as an unofficial ambassador for disc golf. It's the only thing I talk about, and I'm always trying to get people to join. If there are new people out on the course, I want to help if they ask, and I want to push people to play more.

What do you think people who don't play find hard to understand about the sport?

The charm of throwing a piece of plastic in the woods. Why do we do this? People don't get it until you explain it or take them out so they can try it themselves.

People have a preconceived idea that a frisbee is just a piece of plastic you throw on the beach with the kids. That's probably the biggest thing, a prejudice about what a disc is. Everyone sees it as a giveaway frisbee from the gas station.

Looking back on your time in disc golf, which period or event has shaped you the most?

Last season, when things fell into place. This is my third season competing. The first season was really fun, I didn't get to that many events, but it was fun to get started.

Competing is a big part of what I want to do with disc golf. Not just playing but improving and competing more. The Swedish Amateur Championships last year was probably a big milestone. Daring to go and jump into one of the biggest amateur tournaments in Sweden.

The same goes for daring to get a license and join a club. Taking the step from being a casual player to being licensed and owning it. And getting an Instagram account dedicated to disc golf.

I find it hard not to go all in on things. When I find something, I like, I go one hundred percent. So, I had to prove it to my partner for six months first. Her condition was: if you're still playing after six months, you can start buying shoes and other gear.

Can you tell us about a specific day when you felt that something was changing?

It was probably my first round at Rudan, still in the autumn of 2022. My friend showed me what a forehand was. Without that day I probably wouldn't have played as much as I have.

Backhand is still a huge weakness for me. But with forehand I realized on the very first day: "Shit, I get fifty metres further if I throw like this." Everything became much more fun. For better and for worse, because I never learned backhand. But I've managed to get pretty far on forehand alone.

Apart from the day Albin called and asked if I wanted to come along. That was the very first time I threw something that wasn't a frisbee on the beach. I think it was 9 August 2022, or maybe the 14th. Without that day you can't even speculate about what would have happened. But forehand opened new possibilities for me to improve.

Have you ever come close to giving up, or lost your motivation?

Yes, I have. This year has been damn tough, both mentally and physically. Injuries, knee surgery, depression, stress and burnout. It has made the year tough game-wise, and I've questioned what I'm doing.

But after a lot of therapy and conversations with clubmates, friends and family, I've also realized that it's not all about playing your best every single time. I think I've put a lot of pressure on myself. Especially since last year went so well, I wanted to keep that curve going. But I've landed in the fact that it's so damn fun that I shouldn't let a bad round or a bad tournament ruin it.

Was the dip caused by disc golf?

No, the dip isn't because of disc golf. But disc golf has been hugely affected by the dip. So, I've thought: "Should I quit? I can't take any more." But looking back, it had nothing to do with the sport, it was about life.

It was the wrong job, a lot going on with the family, small kids, no sleep, not much money. And then torn meniscus. I've changed jobs now, so that part has helped. But it's tough with a little one again, a late surprise baby. You thought you were done with that. But it has finally started to settle. It took a year.

Has disc golf helped balance things out?

One hundred percent. On the days I've been close to putting the bag on the shelf, my partner has said: "You're not allowed to." She knows how much it means to me, and how much it helps me. She has seen how it affects me when I don't play for a couple of weeks.

This is my therapy. Getting out into the woods for a couple of hours and clearing my head. Either alone, really being with myself, or with friends, just talking and using them as therapists. Disc golf is probably what has helped me most through all this. Along with my family, of course.

So, it both gives and takes?

It doesn't take that much in itself. It's me who has let things spill over onto disc golf. Disc golf only gives me things; it hasn't taken anything. It's life that gets in the way.

What was the hardest thing you had to accept or learn?

Realizing that I don't need to put any pressure on myself. It's just me chasing something that doesn't exist. Disc golf does so much for me, and the only thing I do is ruin it for myself by putting that kind of pressure on.

I want so much and want to be as good as possible all the time. Then I get disappointed when it doesn't go well, and then angry at myself for getting angry, and it turns into a vicious circle. But in the end, it's always disc golf that makes me calm and happy. I just must accept that I'm not always the best.

It sounds like the drive to be the best has given way to something else, doing it because you enjoy it, without the pressure.

That's what I've had to find my way back to this year. I love the sport so much that it's not worth ruining it over something that really doesn't matter at all. It's hard when it's 43 years of routines and thought patterns that must go. I've always put pressure on myself. But I'm starting to find it. There's a whole new Ricky on the way out.

Is there a failure you're grateful for in hindsight?

This whole year has been a "failure" for me in disc golf, in quotation marks. And I'm grateful for it. My rating has dropped, my game, my distance and my technique. But it has also made me stronger.

A shame it only turned around right at the end of the season, but more to work on for next season. The fact that I'm still out there throwing after this year has been the best thing. In my head, every tournament in the first half of the year was a failure. But when I think about it, it's probably the best thing that has happened to me. I wouldn't have thought that way before.

What has disc golf taught you about yourself?

It comes back to the same thing. I've realized that I put enormous pressure on myself and get extremely disappointed if things don't go the way I want. I've realized that more and more over these four years, and it's something I need to work on.

Both disc golf and my partner have made me realize that I'm enough as I am. And to enjoy that instead. Both being myself and disc golf.

Has the sport changed how you handle setbacks, or relationships off the course?

One hundred percent. I think I've become calmer and more open, apart from this year, that is. More open to setbacks. I haven't been able to handle setbacks for 43 years.

I've always been told: "You're always so happy, so kind, so funny, so good at everything you do." That has stuck in my head as how I'm supposed to be, because everyone expects it. This year I've realized that I don't have to be like that, I can be that way when it suits me. I need to be able to take off the mask sometimes and just be Ricky.

All of this has developed alongside the sport. Disc golf has been huge for my personal growth. My partner Linnea and disc golf together are probably what has brought me to where I am now. Or to where I'm heading, because I'm not there yet.

Is there something you used to think was important that matters less to you today?

Always having people around me. I've learned to be alone, and I've never been able to do that. I come from the restaurant world and have always been social. Now I can go out into the woods for a couple of hours on my own. It's not as important to have people around and always be funny and social, and disc golf has helped me a lot with that.

Finding the calm to be able to go out, whether I'm happy, sad or angry, and get that time. I think it started during the pandemic, when you weren't allowed to socialize. That's when my partner and I got together, we became a pandemic couple. And I realized: "Damn, this is actually what I like."

I love people and the social side, but now it's on my terms. The same with disc golf. I can go out in this weather (rainy and windy) and enjoy a two-hour walk. That didn't exist before. It wasn't even on the map that I would go out and move around like that.

What do you wish you had understood when you started?

I got into the sport so quickly, with the community and everything. I also quickly realized that not every disc had to have big flashy Vikings and dragons on it. That was my biggest obstacle at the start, I thought it was so cheesy.

That's why I started playing Kastaplast. I searched for disc golf and scrolled, and I thought: "What's this?" It just said a four-letter name and the logo. "I've found my home here. Clean design."

But I think everything comes back to the same answer. I've understood that I can be on my own and enjoy it, being out in the woods walking. And that bad weather doesn't stop me from going out and having fun. I never thought I'd walk through thirty centimeters of snow in wind and minus five, throwing a plastic disc, and think it's a good day. Or tape gift ribbon to the disc so I don't lose it in the snow. I would probably have laughed at myself ten years ago.

Does the ribbon affect the flight?

Yes, a lot. Everything gets more overstable, I think. You must tape it in the middle on the underside. I haven't even dared to try it on the side, but I can imagine the flight gets really bad then. So, tape on the underside, and as colorful as possible so it shows up in the snow. It gets really tangled in the bag, haha!

It's crazy what the sport has done to you. That you go out and expose yourself to rain and weather and still stand there throwing a completely ordinary casual round in a snowstorm.

The first season I thought that would never happen, that the whole winter is off-season. In 2023 it started when the snow melted. But then I realized that I get better for the next season if I play in winter. If I can throw a hundred metres in thirty centimeters of snow, I can throw a hundred and twenty when I don't have two kilos of shoes and seven hundred layers of clothes on.

Last winter I couldn't play because I had so many injuries. My meniscus tore in December, and I didn't get surgery until February. Then it was rehab. So, this season there will be more winter play.

I'm trying to find the smallest GPS pucks possible to put on the disc. There's a brand called something like Meep Meep [name uncertain in the recording]. They only weigh five grams, and you can set them to start beeping thirty seconds after the throw. That's all you need; it just has to beep so you can find it. Then you don't need gift ribbon.

I'm a gear nerd of the highest order. I want everything of everything; I think gear is so much fun. At the same time, it's not an equipment sport in that way. It's like pétanque. There isn't that much stuff, so you want to find every little thing.

What does disc golf mean to you today compared to when you started?

When I started it was really fun. Today it's everything, apart from my family. It sounds so cheesy, but I sleep, breathe and think disc golf. If I had the money, I'd walk around in Kastaplast clothes around the clock. Disc golf has become part of my DNA.

I would never have walked up to you and said "damn, that's a nice cap" if I didn't mean it. I didn't know who you were. To me it was just Kastaplast, I have to talk to that guy.

It's like that everywhere. I see lines in the woods when I'm out walking. I see lines at ICA Maxi. At first, it was "damn, this is fun", now it's part of my everyday life from morning to night. I have four different disc golf group chats with four different groups of friends. I watch everything on YouTube and on Disc Golf Network. Disc golf has become me.

Looking ahead, what do you hope to experience through the sport?

I want to get more girls into the sport. Setting aside what I want for myself and looking at the sport, I want it to grow in Sweden. And if it's going to grow, I think we need to get more girls in.

I've already managed to bring in the next future rising star, and I want to keep doing that. I also have more and more opportunities, both through Ugglan and now through Kastaplast, to promote and show the sport. Not so that anyone says "there's Ricky", but to show how much fun we have.

My personal opinion is that getting the sport to grow, and getting more women in, isn't about results. It's about what the sport is, what kind of activity it is.

Exactly. It doesn't have to be the coolest, but like you said before: the core feeling from skating culture, for example, is what we're after. The community, hanging out. It doesn't have to be a sanctioned tournament with ratings. Like your Kastaplast - summer party, things like that. Showing the sport.

Because today the sport isn't visible. It's only visible to those who know where to look. I usually compare myself to vegans, I might be stepping on some toes now. Nobody needs to ask me; I'm going to tell them I play disc golf anyway. I'll never stop doing that.

I want people to know it exists, even if they think throwing a piece of plastic in the woods sounds silly. I'll always keep promoting the sport, because I think it's so much fun and we need to get more people in. Whether it's casuals or competition doesn't matter. Just get younger talent in. I think we're on the right track.

You have children. Are they interested in disc golf?

My eldest son thinks it's fun to play. He doesn't always come along and maybe doesn't always play a whole round, but he thinks it's fun, maybe mostly to spend time with me. He knows a lot about disc golf, players and brands, and sits and watches tournaments with me.

My youngest is only two, she turns two in February. But she throws a lot of minis into the little basket at home. I'm working on getting her to start playing. I don't push, I suggest. I never want my son to feel that he must learn techniques, I just want him to have fun. The same with my daughter. But with her it's probably easier for me to shape her into thinking it's fun, since she's so little.

What do you want for Father's Day?

I don't know, we'll see if I've behaved. It's usually very quiet at home. I'm guessing it'll be a mazarin [a Swedish almond tart] and a good coffee. We're very low-key and celebrate very little. But you'd think it was Father's Day today, given the news I'm getting here (Ricky was offered a place in Mint). The best Father's Day present.

Then I think I'm happy. Thank you!

This was so much fun. Hard at times. But what makes it much easier is that I've realized I need to be open, about a lot of things I haven't been open about before.