Innova Champion Discs Inc., generally known simply as Innova (stylized as INNOVA) is an American disc golf brand and manufacturing company. Founded in 1983, it is the largest disc golf disc manufacturer and was among the first companies to produce equipment specifically for disc golf.[1]
The company was incorporated on 5 May 1983 in California as Champion Discs Inc.[2] In 1983, Dave Dunipace created and patented the Eagle, now known as the Aero, the world's first disc designed specifically for the sport of disc golf.[3]
Products
INNOVA DISCatcher basket featuring an INNOVA flag
In addition to discs, Innova manufactures other disc golfing equipment including bags, accessories, and their DISCatcher targets, which were introduced in 1995.[4] Their 60+ golf discs are manufactured using various molds and plastics. Innova manufactures discs in 4 distinct lines of plastic with distinct flight characteristics: Star, Champion, Pro, and DX. There are also many subtypes related to the main 4: Halo Star, Echo Star, Gstar, Starlite, Champion Edition, Metal Flake, Blizzard Champion, Glow Champion, R-Pro, XT-Pro, KC-Pro, KC-Glow, McPro, JK-Pro, Yeti-Pro Proline and Glow DX.[5][6]
Innova uses a numeric scale to rate the performance of its discs. The ratings represent:
Speed – Speed is the rating of the throw speed which is required to throw the disc on the line the other flight numbers suggest, and is largely determined by the thickness of the rim, with 2.6 cm being the thickest allowed for PDGA approved play, but it has also been described as how easily the disc cuts through the air. Ratings range from 1 to 14, with 14 being the "fastest" drivers and 1 being the "slowest" putt and approach discs.
Glide – Rated from 1 to 7, Innova describes glide as "the discs ability to maintain loft during flight. Discs with more glide are best for new players, and for producing maximum distance. Beginners wanting more distance should choose discs with more glide. Discs with less glide are more accurate in high wind situations".[7] A disc with a glide of 1 will be relatively unaffected by winds and will tend to fly on the thrower's power more than anything, while a disc with a glide of 7 will be very sensitive to crosswinds and headwinds, but will ride a tailwind much further than it could be thrown via force alone.
Turn – The turn of a disc (also known as high speed stability) describes how hard a disc will fight against its natural inclination to fade (see below) during the flight. Turn is rated from -5 to +1. A -5 rated disc will turn from a straight line of flight very easily with relatively little power behind it, while a +1 is unlikely to turn at all and will usually begin fading earlier in the flight.
Fade – The fade of a disc (also known as low speed stability) is the degree to which a disc will fall to one side as it loses speed. The direction of the fade depends on how it is thrown. For example, for a right handed person throwing in the traditional backhand style, the disc will fade to the left, but when thrown forehand, it will fade to the right. Fade is rated from 0 to 5, with a 5 rated disc fading hard and early, and a 0 rated disc barely fading off of its original line of flight at all.
Innova Factory Store
"F2 Factory Second" stamp on Innova factory second discs
In 2011, Innova opened the online Innova Factory Store and a brick and mortarpro shop in Rancho Cucamonga, California. In addition to stock production discs, gear, and apparel, it carries limited edition discs, prototypes, out of production models, and a variety of factory seconds stamped with an F2 label.[8][9]
Sponsored players
Innova sponsors a wide variety of athletes worldwide, from junior athletes to elite professional players. Below is a list of the 10 classes of players sponsored by Innova and affectuously called the "Innova Air Force," as of December 2020[update]: [10][11]
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