Andreas Careland has worked for Stena Recycling as a project manager on the Business Development Department since February 2022. Before he joined Stena Recycling, he used his health and fitness allowance to buy annual passes at disc golf courses, something he has continued to do at Stena as well. 

“I have always loved to spend time outdoors and in the woods particularly. Walks in the forest have always been a calming and stress-relieving activity for me. To combine these walks with such a childishly fun activity as throwing a frisbee was a definite success,” says Andreas. 

When Andreas started playing disc golf in 2010, it was mostly an activity to hang out with friends. It was not long before one round grew into several rounds a week. At his peak, he spent about 10-15 hours a week on the course. Since a few years ago, when he got his first child, the hours have decreased, but now it happens that the whole family plays together.

“When I was playing the most, I was also competing, both in club championships but I also travelled around and participated in individual competitions. I really miss the competitions, when my kids are older it’s something I plan to do again. Now I mostly compete against myself, you always want to be better than your last round”.

A GROWING SPORT WITH DETAILS

Andreas starts talking passionately about all the details of disc golf. He tells that at first, he only played with a disc called mid-range. It is a disc that is easy to control and is good for both long and short throws, in other words, it is all-round. The more he played, and his throwing technique developed, the more discs he bought. Today he has around fifty discs, all with different abilities. Andreas points out that you don’t have to buy lots of different discs to play and have fun. If you don’t want to buy your own discs, you can rent one. 

“Something that I like, is that you are constantly evolving in your throwing. Over time, I have learned a lot of technical stuff. By angling the disc in a special way, I can control how it goes in the air. The choice of the disc is also important, they all have different characteristics that can be exploited. In some cases, I need a disc that swings very much to the right, then I can choose it out of the bag. If I just throw it with the right technique, it will help me in the game”.

During the pandemic when people were to avoid indoor activities, disc golf really took off. Andreas says he is pleased that more people have discovered the sport, but there is a downside.

“When I started playing in 2010 you could play without having to queue. Gradually, more and more people have started to play, but the pandemic was really a breaking point. Many people needed a new outdoor hobby and disc golf was something that many fell for. Personally, it is sometimes frustrating having to queue, but I am glad that so many people have discovered the excitement of the wonderful sport of disc golf”.