Nearly 3,500 to take aim at the ‘Super Bowl of archery’
Thousands of arrows will whiz through the air inside the South Point hotel this weekend in what’s known as the “Super Bowl of archery.”
This is the 51st year for the Vegas Shoot, the largest indoor international archery competition. Bruce Cull, the president of the Vegas Shoot, said it started out in the parking lot of one of the old casinos.
Sponsored by the National Field Archery Association, the competition drew 3,485 competitors this year from all over the world. “About 6 years ago, it was 1,600 people,” said Cull, also the president of the NFAA.
He credits the growth of the sport to one main influence: “Hollywood.”
More specifically, he cites “The Hunger Games,” a series of movies in which Jennifer Lawrence portrays an expert archer. “Archery was bumped up to another level,” Cull said.
Thirty-year-old Charlie Roof, the owner of Impact Archery, a local range and pro shop, has been competing at the Vegas Shoot for 14 years. Out of the years he’s spent competing professionally — six or seven, by his recollection — he’s been in the Lucky Dog shootoff four times.
In the shootoff — named after a similar NASCAR concept — archers with a score of 899, one point below a perfect score, compete to make the finals. Those who then get the highest score advance.
“There’s not many archers in the world that can shoot a 900 at this competition. There’s a lot of pressure, there’s a lot of stress,” Roof said.
This year, he’s one of a few hundred in the championship open competing for a $51,000 prize. For the kids competing, the prize is smaller but no less exciting.
For the top three shooters under 18 competing as amaters, prize money can be won in the form of academic scholarships.
Brenda West’s 10-year-old daughter Haley is a diminuitive brunette with her short hair in pigtails as she shoots a practice round on Friday afternoon.
She asked to begin competing after she watched her dad, Dennis, getting ready to hunt with a bow and arrow.
“We thought it was cute,” West said.
Thinking she wouldn’t stick with it, West let Haley begin lessons at Impact Archery. It’s been a year, and West has been surprised by how dedicated her daughter is.
“She says she’s going to the Olympics,” West said. “We just try to tell them, ‘Have fun, shoot arrow to arrow.’”
Haley was excited to hear about the opportunity to take home scholarship money. “She gasped,” said West. “She does realize that could help her for college.”
As for the archery community, West only has positive things to say. “It’s our family,” she said simply.
Contact Brooke Wanser at bwanser@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Bwanser_LVRJ on Twitter.
