Andy Linder

I received my first footbag in the fall of 1981 from my high school biology teacher, who introduced me to the sport. I picked it up quickly because I had already been juggling and doing tricks with a soccer ball. Styles I used to juggle a soccer ball were later used to break footbag world records in both marathon and speed consecutive kicks, and tricks I did with a soccer ball were the foundation of my earliest footbag freestyle.

I was the first person from Illinois to attend a World Championships and organized Illinois' and the Midwest's earliest tournaments. I have been active promoting the sport and performing professionally since 1982.

I was the Singles Consecutive Kicks World Record Holder from 1983 to 1988 and am still ranked third all-time in that event with 36,230 kicks.

I am a freestyle pioneer and former Singles Freestyle World Champion. I retired from freestyle after taking Second Place behind Peter Irish at the 1991 World Championships.

I am the current Speed Consecutive Kicks World Record Holder with 1019 kicks in five minutes and the only player who has ever reached 1000 in that event. I hold multiple world records in doubles consecutive kicks events with partner Ted Martin.

I retired from competition after taking First Place in both of the events I entered at the 1997 World Championships (Speed Consecutive Kicks and Doubles Distance One-Pass Consecutive Kicks with partner Bruce Guettich).