The sign over the door to a room stuffed with bows and rubber deer heads reads “no snivelling.” And tonight not a single snivel can be heard, although there is the occasional whine.
“Did you see that? I was so close,” a young boy says to a gaggle of his pre-teen friends, pointing to his arrow just shy of a bullseye.
It’s Friday night and that means family night for the Squamish Valley Rod & Gun Club’s archery division.
The event gives people outside of the club’s 750-person membership a chance to try their eye and hand at the sport. For less than a large cup of coffee, $3 lets participants use the club’s equipment and indoor range.
“That was a good shot,” 12-year-old Kai Haywood says encouragingly to his younger sister, Isis, after she steps back from the shooting line.
The old wooden hall, which once served as an indoor gun range until stricter regulations came into place, is packed with 25-plus people – mums, dads, children and a handful of volunteers and instructors. Standing by the shooting line, a father and his two children, who have come out to the archery night for the first time, are being taught the event’s strict safety rules by instructor Michele Wike.
After some warm-up and preparation for those new to the sport, volunteers pin balloons to the targets at the end of the 20-yard indoor range. Excited chatter fills the room. The games are about to begin.
“This is Four High, Four Low,” Wike says, introducing the competition.
While Squamish is famous for producing strong mountain bikers and climbers, few know about the community’s provincial reputation in shaping competitive archers. Incorporated in 1942 during the Second World War, the Squamish Valley Rod & Gun Club wears the crown of the community’s oldest club.
Over the years, Squamish archers have been finding the small red dot in the centre of the target at provincial and national competitions. Archers such as, Audrey Duke, Holly Read, Loghan McLean, Brad Lorette and Rylan Gray all recently topped their divisions at Provincial Junior Olympic Program Championships.
Jon Russell speared gold and silver medals at the 2006 BC summer Games, shot twice at the Canadian National Outdoor Championships, represented B.C. at the Canada Winter Games and went on to being ranked No. 3 junior (under 21 years old) in the country. His shooting partner, Jon Greening, was right behind him with a No. 4 ranking and also shot twice at the Canadian National Outdoor Championships. Other Squamish medallists at the BC Winter Games include Erin Liebich, Nick Gulcyz, Ethan Gaudry-Gardner, Chelsey Wolf, Trevor Boots, William Moore and Connor Wike.
Family night has run for 15 years. In 2005, the drop-in program was created to feed ambitious and talented youth into the club’s then newly formed Junior Olympic Program. The program, which is administered through the B.C. Archery Association, aims to lift young archers into the provincial and national competition level. Today, six archers are enrolled in the program, with the anticipation that number will double before the end of the season, certified archery instruct Paul Greening says.
“We are quite successful that way,” Greening says, regarding the members provincial titles, includes those of his son. “We are considered one of the more successful groups in the country. But it isn’t all about the medals.”
That’s evident as the confident and eager young archers quietly listen to the instructors regarding the facility’s rules and the games’ guidelines. Wike splits the archers up into teams before they line up in rows facing the targets. For this game Kai and Isis are on opposing sides.
The siblings first picked up bows a year ago, Isis says, her hand resting on a fancy pink quiver that her uncle, who suggested the duo try out the sport, bought for her.
“Once we started we couldn’t stop,” Kai says standing beside her in a matter-of-fact fashion. “I think I like it because it is calming.”
Both youth are in the Junior Olympic Program (JOP). Last year they participated in the JOP Provincial Outdoor Championships held in Squamish. Both placed fifth in their division. The experience left them hungry for more competitions.
“If you miss it, it’s is OK,” Isis says, noting people shouldn’t be afraid to try archery out.
“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Kai adds.
A few targets down the range, brother and sister duo 12-year-old Errol and 10-year-old Juliet Hoffman are getting focused for the final game of the night. Greening has placed a five-dollar bill on a target and a ten-dollar note on an angled target. Each archer has one chance to hit it and claim the reward. The stakes are high, the youth assert.
The Hoffmans moved to Squamish from New Hampshire a year ago. They got involved in archery south of the border and sought out a place to continue pursuing their passion. For Errol, his love of the sport is simple – he gets to use a bow and shoot an arrow, he says, shrugging as if to ask what else a kid would dream for.
This year they competed at the JOP Provincial Outdoor Championships in Abbotsford. And like the Haywoods, their finish mirrored each other.
“We got first in our age groups,” Juliet says.
“I was a little surprised,” Errol says.
“I wasn’t expecting to get anything,” Juliet adds.
The word “fun” keeps popping out of the mouths of the people in the room: “That was fun,” “This is fun,” “The balloons were fun.” And it’s the main word the volunteers use to explain why they’ve donated their time to the club and sport for over a decade. Wike and Greening got involved when their sons were in elementary school. Now they’ve graduated.
In the corner, running the snack stand, Mary Moore is in the same boat. She first picked up a bow with her sons 14 years ago.
“Every year I think this is my last year,” she says while handing a packet of chips to a boy. “My kids haven’t been shooting for years, but I just love the kids here.”
Over the years, the stream of people venturing to the drop-in event has remained constant, says volunteer instructor Grant McKenzie, who drives up to the event from West Vancouver.
The night averages about 30 people. The headcount goes up when blockbusters like The Hunger Games and Brave hit the silver screen, McKenzie notes.
“It’s amazing what television and movies can do. After Hunger Games our numbers went through the roof with all these young girls wanting to learn archery.”
Kai and Isis admit their friends found new interest in their passions after Katniss Everdeen took on the wealthy Capital. While the siblings are fans of the series, the reality of archery is much different, they agree.
“In real life it is much harder than that,” Kai says.
The final game of the night gets underway. A few arrows stick into the targets close enough to the notes to make them flutter.
“Ooooooh,” “Aww,” shies the audience.
A mother pulls back an arrow as her young son cheers her on. She’s focused, poised and then in a flash the arrow sails through the air hitting the note.
“Yeah mom,” her son screams out while jumping around the room. “You rock.”
Greening’s got a smile on his face.
He just lost $5, but it was worth every penny.
To learn more about archery, email [email protected].
