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I am not a sporty guy. Truly. I like hiking, and bicycling, and camping – you know, physical outdoorsy stuff. But sports? Nuh-uh. Oh, sure, I like watching the Olympics, and basketball has a certain appeal to me. But again: sports? Not on the top of my list. I did swim competitively for about three years, though, when I was a kid. The first year was great. Our coach was a swell lady who really focused on proper swimming form, a focus that made swim meets that much more fun. But she left to become a nun in the middle of nowhere, Québec, and year two brought along a wishy-washy coach. Nice guy, but wishy-washy…And then came year three, with a coach focused on winning, winning, winning. The fun got sucked out of the swimming, the competitiveness became oppressive, and suddenly, there was no good justification for getting up at 5:30 on Saturday mornings for swim practice in freezing water. So much for athleticism.
I did flirt with fencing in university – I’ve always liked fencing – but how that went wrong is a story in itself. Then came Kung Fu, which I stuck with until I moved here. Good times! For the many years since, however, I had no contact with anything remotely sporty. Until a few years ago, when one of my wife’s colleagues turned me on to the archery range at Rancho Park. What’s this, you say? An archery range at Rancho Park, near the golf course? That’s right. Originally built as a training facility for Olympic archers in 1984, with sponsorship from the Easton Company, the range has become of the few public archery ranges in Southern California.
I had already been thinking about archery after seeing “The Weather Man,” in which Nicolas Cage’s struggling character takes up archery as a means of boosting his confidence. It never occurred to me to actually pick up a bow until I learned about Rancho Park. I took the safety class, started a regular practice, and to my surprise stuck with it enough to justify getting my own equipment. The fact that I’ve remained just as dedicated to archery today as when I started is something of an unexpected accomplishment.
Maybe it’s not that surprising, as there is so much to love about archery. It appeals to me in part on the basis of not being a team sport. It’s just me, the bow and arrows, the target, and being mindful of the proper shooting form. Sure, there are tournaments and it is possible to compete, but competition isn’t necessary to being a successful archer. Archery can truly be about the Zen of it. I know whether I’m doing well or not, whether I’m in “the zone” or not, whether I’m hitting the target or not. More importantly, I’m always learning more about how to relax the mind and let go of the body. In other words, archery isn’t necessarily about the target; it’s about form.
But there’s also the camaraderie among archers, whether competing or just sharing the range. Instructors are always happy to offer advice and coaching, from equipment issues to shooting technique for everything from recurve and compound to bare bow and kyudo. The regulars are a good-humoured bunch who make spending time at the range a fun, sociable affair. It may sound maudlin, but beyond practicing a great sport there is also the opportunity to make friends.
The Culver City Archery Range Project
So what if I were to tell you that there are plans fluttering about for an archery range in Culver City? Ever since Rancho Park’s Range Master Mariano Agustin became a Level II Olympic Archery Instructor in 2005, it’s been his goal to establish a range in Culver City that could teach archery to people of all ages, from students at local schools to the public at large. There was a hitch, however: an ordinance against the practice of archery that goes back to Culver City’s founding. After two years of trying to gain approval for an archery range and program, Mr. Agustin finally came into contact with William La Pointe, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. With Mr. La Pointe’s generous assistance, Mr. Agustin was able to move forward with drawing up plans, an effort also made possible thanks to the assistance of fellow archer Marcus Bossett and landscape architect Matt Dell, who drew up the range’s layout. As it stands, the range proposal has been given a letter of intent from Culver City officials and the plan is waiting approval by the Dept. of Parks and the City Council.
The proposal is for a 50m range in the Culver City Park adjacent to the Skateboard Park, with an entrance off Jefferson Boulevard/Leash Lane, to be opened to the public in the spring. Like the Rancho Park range, the goal is to provide a variety of archery instruction including Olympic, western, traditional, compound, and kyudo with funding provided by Archery Instructors Groups and Nanka Kyudo Kai, two non-profit organizations. The benefits are many, from making the sport of archery accessible to a greater number of people, to making Culver City Park a richer, more appealing destination for residents of Culver City in particular and the Westside in general.
“Archery is a sport whose time has come again,” says Mariano Agustin. “Once popular at the turn of the last century as a pastime of ‘ladies and gentleman,' archery is now a sport that can be enjoyed by all. It develops Mind and Body together to produce an individual who is confident, aware and determined to succeed in hitting the mark! Or as we say it in Archery, ‘Going for the Gold’”
If you’d like to learn more or would like to help make the Culver City Archery Range a reality, contact Mr. Agustin at archery4-u@gmail.com. In the meantime, I welcome you to join us at the Rancho Park range (2459 Motor Ave., next to the Petanque Courts) to experience this unique sport for yourself. Free yet mandatory safety classes are on Saturdays at 11a.m., equipment is free to borrow, and details are at www.ranchoparkarchers.com
Agree? Disagree? Frédérik invites you to discuss this week's column and more at his blog (frederik-sisa.blogspot.com).
