Dan Thornton, part of the 2022 class of the USA Guts Hall of Fame, is appearing in his 51st International Frisbee Tournament this weekend in Hancock, Mich. (Submitted Photo)

The 64th annual Coca-Cola International Frisbee Tournament will be held this weekend.

The tournament will be played at Driving Park in Hancock and playing for the Julius T. Nachazel Cup. Shottle Bop, a Hancock-based team, is among a few local teams playing against teams from Marquette, Lansing, the Midwest and elsewhere.

The other Keweenaw teams include Gino’s American Pie, Dolly’s L&L and Monte Carlo. Teams from Marquette include Whiskey Discs, UP Hardwood, Flow, Team Burn, and Blood and Guts. Teams from lower Michigan include Boomtown Saints, Air Aces and Helter Skelter are also competing.

The game is played with opposing teams 14 meters apart, and throwing a disc at speeds up to 90 mph. The disc must be caught cleanly one-handed. The first team to score 21 points wins, and must win by two points.

Five inducted to USA Guts Hall of Fame

The International Frisbee/USA Guts Hall of Fame is inducting five members in a ceremony this weekend.

The new class includes Al Bonopane, Tom Cleworth, Dave Meyer, Dan Thornton and Dave Walikainen.

The ceremony will take place Saturday night during the tournament.

Bonopane played for California’s Foothill Frisbee team that won the 1979 and 1980 World’s Championship, and the 1982 International Frisbee Tournament. He was MVP of the 1980 World’s, and is widely known as the father of the split-finger backhand grip commonly used today.

Cleworth played for the Highland Avenue Aces from Chicago. The team appeared in five straight IFT finals and won three straight titles 1971-73. Cleworth was also on the 1982 Foothill team. His thumb throw wreaked havoc on opponents for years.

Meyer won Guts tournaments with Mental Toss Flycoons from Chicago in the 1980s before he joined the Cupola Bandits and won more. He also directs the Illinois Indoor Guts Tournament every spring.

Thornton and Walikainen were teammates on the Paul’s American Pie teams in the 1970s. Thornton’s iron man record is unfathomable – this year will be his 51st appearance in the IFT.

Walikainen became International Frisbee Tournament director in the 1980s and is also the Hall of Fame curator.

The Hall of Fame is in the second-floor ballroom of the Calumet Colosseum and is open for viewing during Colosseum hours.