I made it!

[feinwerkbau]

Hi All!

Since I have been so quiet lately, I thpought I'd share a little about what has been happening - present news.

I went to shoot in out country's largest outdoor archery tournament today (Sat). Included in the competitor line-up were archers from all walks of life, includeing a visiting team from Indonesia, and our National team.

I've not been shooting bows for about 5-7 years now as during that time I went back to pistol shooting till the environment in that discipline became too clogged with politics.

Well, I told myself not to stress out, forget about the points and just have FUN! In fact, knowing that I am prone to heat exhaustion and with my pre-existing condition, I was prepared to even forego some rounds and sit them out, then go back to shoot as and when I felt like it.

OK, I survived, came back in one piece and the weather was lovely - bright sun, slight clouds to lace the clear blue skies and just enough wind to overcome the normally suspressing humidity that's always above 85%.

Well, I made it! Shot just below the scores of our National Archers, and am going in tomorrow for the Individual Championship Knock-Outs between me and 15 other archers, as well as the team Championship Knock-outs where my team will be battling with 3 other teams!

OK ... nuff blabbering! LOL!

[Raised By Wolves]

Yay! Way to go Fein!

It sounds like this is something you really enjoy and are very good at. What are the distances to the targets? How many "shots" do you get? I'm really curious because I've never watched any kind of target shooting, except our local black powder shoot years ago.

Good luck in the rest of the competition!

Deb

[IceyBlueSibes]

That's awesome!

Glad to hear you had a lot of fun, and good luck in your upcomming event. Keep us posted!

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Way to go!!!! A HUGE Congrats to you on a job well done!

[Carrie]

Woooo hooooo Fein! Congrats on the first round. I wish you the best for the finals. Let us know how it goes. It does sound like fun and it's wonderful that you have this hobby. What an accomplishment that has to be. It sounds really difficult. Glad it wasn't too hot.

[feinwerkbau]

It ain't over yet folks.

I just did a forecast of the elimination rounds and if I shoot consistently/have no equipment failures, I will be up against the best 2 archers in the country!

RBW, for this tournament, we shoot at 70 metres, or about 77 yards (is that right?).

It's not that difficult I guess, once you get used to it. The formal olympic course of a full FITA is shooting a total of 144 arrows in one day - for qualifiers; 36 arrows at 90 metres, 36 arrows at 70 metres, 36 arrows at 50 metres and 36 arrows at 30 metres. After shooting 6 arrows at each respective distance, we have to walk up to the target, score and retreive our arrows, walk back and shoot again. This goes on and on till the course of fire for one distance is finished.

What's particularly difficult is the endurance and stamina one has to have to go through a full FITA, coupled with the never ending rounds of waiting.

In some ways, it isn't very much different from the show-ring, in terms of waiting and preparation I guess.

Later Gators!

[Carrie]

I just did a forecast of the elimination rounds and if I shoot consistently/have no equipment failures, I will be up against the best 2 archers in the country!

Now....don't be nervous!!!!!

[oc_spirit]

Wow Fein that is awesome!!!! Great to hear you are doing so well!!!! Heh last time I was in an archery competition I used my buddy's bow that I had never shot before (a viking long bow i believe) and my first shot I sent it sailing over a 20ft fence!!!!!!! OOPS!!!! LOL

[feinwerkbau]

LOL! I know what that feels like OC! Been there done that countless times! Sometimes I forget my sight settings since we shoot at different distances and send the arrows plunging into the grass!

Well, I just got back from the tournament.

It was an eventful day to say the least!

My team member's bow broke, so he shared mine. This was during the speed shooting event and we were passing my bow back and forth through out the event!

At lease we won the Silver medal.

And for my individual champ knock-out rounds also at 70 metres, the first one was easy. Next I was shooting against a National Archer and it was windy as heck! By a stroke of luck, I made it to the next round where I was up against another Nat archery - one of the best in our country.

I congratulated him and thanked him for the pleasure of shooting agaqinst him before the event since I thought I surely won't make it against him! I mean, he's one of the highest scoring archers and I am totally unranked, and I only showed up once at the outdoor range to get my sightings, so all the regulars and Nat archers hardly ever swee me practising.

Anyway, we tied so we had to break it by doing a 'Sudden Death' shoot. Each archer - ONE arrow within 40 seconds with the entire field and specators scrutinising your every move. Highest score wins.

First shot, he got the X-ring (worth 10 points). Then I shot and hit a 10, so we tied again!

Next tie-break. Same Sudden Death shoot. He shot first and got a 10. When I drew my bow, the wind was gusting, but I was running out of time so I just focused on the centre. I hit X! Another Tie! Last tie-break compares scores, and if we both score the same, the person whose arrow is closest to the centre wins.

He shot and hit a 9. I shot ... also a 9, but my arrow was just on the inside of his so I won! Man, that was really an adreneline pumping series of moments! After that round, all the National archers were congratulating me, even those who hardly know me nor speak to me!

Unfortunately, the Gold medal match I was up against a gargantuan of an archer, and with my sprained ankle from yesterday, I lost the gold.

So, that's a weekend of lots of fun, and 2 Silver medals!

OK, nuff braggin!

You know something, all the while I was shooting, I remembered the well wishes I got from all of you here at GP, and surprisingly, not the others.

[Carrie]

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS FEIN!!!! Sounds like some harrowing moments.

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Ohhhh my gosh what a shoot out! Going against the best of the best and doing so well is something to be VERY proud of and I for one applaud you on an awesome job!!

A very proud moment for you and a very proud moment for Global Paw - we have an archery champ!

[feinwerkbau]

Thanks Carrie and Sonja!

If you like, I will dedicate my medals to you guys since you have been so supportive and encouraging!

Of course, my wife gets to keep them considering the way she has always supported me in her quiet, unassuming way in all my different shooting endeavours through all these years. Heck, in fact I see that she has already gone on and hung them in the living room in the most embarassing manner - on a wall-mounted candle-holder cause that's just beside where I hang my bow display on the wall!

But I'm really feeling the 'heat' now. I got badly sun-burnt eventhough I constantly applied SPF30 sunscreen! Gotta get the 50 or 60 stuff the next time.

[Carrie]

A-w-w-w....I'm sorry about the sunburn. That's awful. Yes, you need the really high numbered stuff, I guess...or more clothes. I hardly ever get burned if I'm careful the first week or two of sun....then I just tan. So, if you have the kind of skin that burns easily, you need to be careful....it's really not a good thing to get burns. Duh....do I have to sound like a mother? Good heavens. I'm terrible! Like you don't know....right now that it's not a good thing.

Thanks for thinking of us Fein. I think it sounds like you have a nice wife to hang your metals up like that for you. Again....congrats!

[Schwe]

Wow Fein!! That sounds like a fabulous time! Way to keep it together and not lose your aim to stress... I know I would be sending arrows flying into the spectators, the judges...

A HUGE congrats to you for beating such stiff competition! Way to go!

[oc_spirit]

Wow Fein silver's still pretty dang awesome!!!!!!! Way to go!!!