We keep getting lucky on the weather for Archery Day: a high of 80F, a gentle breeze and just a few clouds in the sky. Perfect! Once again, FCAA Vice President Matt Dworak was the chairman of the event and once again the arrangements were perfect. Our first family showed up a little after 8:00 AM -- it was like somebody flipped the "on" switch -- and we stayed busy until the end of the event at 2:00 PM. We had just enough instructors to handle the crowd, one of whom (Yep, one of our instructors) is shown below grumbling about that seventh arrow that just missed the 10-ring; if you blow up the picture and look really closely, you'll see that he has 2x12, 4x10 and that one pesky arrow that slipped into the 8-ring. We're expecting to see him on the Outdoor Channel next year.
This year we had a bunch of new Mathews Genesis bows, a purchase made possible by a grant from the Colorado Bowhunters Association (a great many FCAA members are also CBA members). We also had a bunch of new arrows courtesy of many FCAA members who helped build them. The new equipment made it much easier to handle the crowd this year. As each group arrives, they get instruction in how to shoot a bow and have the opportunity to build their skills by popping balloons fastened to target bags set ten yards from the line. Once they get the hang of it, they move on to the 3D course. It's not unusal for people to shoot for several hours once they discover how much fun that is. We're expecting to see lots of new faces at our regular Wednesday evening 3D shoots.
Archery Day is becoming a known event and we're seeing repeat visitors each year. With gasoline approaching $5/gallon, families appreciate something fun to do that's free and close to home.
Sponsored by the Fort Collins Archery Association, Arrow Dynamics and the Colorado Bowhunters Association
 |
 |