Straight arrows

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/06/2017 (3290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Archers can take up the sport for some pretty weird reasons.

Austin Taylor was PO’d with his big brother. Kyle Cherniak grabbed a bow after watching Hawkeye make Swiss cheese of foes in The Avengers.

Whatever the motivation, Manitoba can be glad these young shooters are whistling arrows. The Keystone province boasts a ridiculous wealth of eagle-eyed young archers, some of whom are making international waves in elite competitions.

Of the 12 compound bow shooters named so far by Archery Canada to October’s World Youth Archery Championship in Rosario, Argentina (hometown of soccer’s Lionel Messi), four are Winnipegers: Taylor, Bryanne Lameg, Brady Klassen and Robbie Comberbach. The recurve bow shooters will be named later. The more traditional recurve bow archery is an Olympic sport while compound isn’t, but compound seems by far the more popular among target shooters the world over.

“I would say Manitoba produces more good archers than it seems it should,” says Ryan Van Berkel, executive director of the Archers & Bowhunters Association of Manitoba. “It’s a small sport participation-wise… there are less than 1,000 archers in the province. It’s exciting to see and I think there are a couple of reasons. Manitoba has produced quality archers beginners can recognize and look up to, people like Jay Lyon (an Olympian) and Kevin Tataryn (two gold medals in World Cup competition).

“And our community of archers stays within the system and mentors young archers coming into clubs.”

Taylor and Cherniak finished 1-2 in the compound cadet and master (17 and under) at the 2017 Canada Cup tournament on the May long weekend in Maple Ridge, B.C. Taylor finished with a Canadian record 147 in one of the elimination rounds, besting the mark of 146 held by Winnipegger Hunter McGinnis. Winnipeggers Keenan Brown and Lameg came home with bronze medals.

Taylor in particular seems to have something big happening. In February in Las Vegas, the 17-year old finished sixth in the pressure-packed Vegas Shoot, scoring 898 out of 900 over three, 30-shot rounds from 18 metres to claim top Canadian cadet distinction in an elite international field. His score included a perfect 300 round and it was only then he realized he belonged among the world’s best.

“Vegas is the biggest competition in the world,” said the Grade 11 student at Kildonan East. “Just shooting every single arrow… we’re shooting at a ring (bull’s-eye) the size of a loonie. If you miss once you’re out. You need to be able to focus. I was able to put everything aside.”

That’s right, sports fans. In this Vegas event there’s no B-side and there’s no rebuy. Miss once in the opening round and 100 archers leave you in their dust.

“Most people can handle the physical aspects,” says Van Berkel. “It’s the last 10 per cent that matters. It’s the practise, the dedication to training, the mental aspects. You need the ability to focus and not tense up. Austin has the ability to block stuff out.”

Maybe the one thing Taylor couldn’t block out when he was a kid — this is a good thing — was the fact big brother Spencer got to shoot with his bow up at the family’s Grand Beach cabin in the summers while Taylor was denied. Being a typical big brother, Spencer lorded his prize over Austin.

“He wouldn’t let me use it,” Austin recalled earlier this week during a practice session at Heartland Archery in Elmwood. “After a few years I got my own bow.”

So this Taylor kid has promise. Keenan Brown, a former team world champion, reckons that is undeniable.

“I’ve been an archer 12 years and Austin is the first guy I’ve seen who has a chance to be a world champion,” said Brown. “He is the hardest-working guy I’ve ever seen. I see him in here (Heartland) every single day. He loves to practise. And it bothers him if he isn’t able to practise.”

Klassen, 15, who is also training, overhears Brown’s remark about Taylor being the only archer with world champion potential.

“Hey, thanks a lot,” he barks.

Brown laughs and tries to wriggle off the hook. “That’s just because Austin’s two years older than you,” he says. “We haven’t seen your full potential yet.”

Klassen, a Grade 9 student at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate, seems content with the response. Klassen is a pretty cerebral dude, who has concluded this archery thing is all a big head game.

“I’m very experimental,” he says. “I work at the mental side. It’s all about mindset. I try to eliminate tension. I read motivational books and listen to meditation music. I want to sigh.”

Klassen is currently reading With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham, a book popular among PGA Tour players. He wouldn’t reveal what whale noise tape he is downloading from the iCloud.

Heartland GM Allan Gunter, 30, is one of those mentors Van Berkel refers to when he explains how Manitoba has become a Sherwood Forest of archery. Gunter started bowhunting at age 11 and gradually worked into tournament shooting. He was world champion in junior men’s compound in 2004. Young club members hang on his every word.

“I might play some small part in their success,” he says, “but you need to have the drive. They have the drive, and just as importantly, they take instruction well. These kids have raised the bar for everybody.”

darron.hargreaves@freepress.mb.ca