Archers defy rain for charity shoot

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EAST HOLDEN – Sunday’s soggy weather was only good for ducks and slugs, but that didn’t keep about 50 dedicated archers from trekking through the mud and rain for a benefit tournament.

“The rain makes it a little miserable, but it’s not unbearable,” said Princeton’s Doug O’Neill, who teamed up with his son Marc to compete at the Pine Tree Camp benefit 3-D archery tournament.

Even with the incessant rain, the O’Neills said the long drive to and from their residences to the Penobscot Valley Archer’s Association course across from the Holbrook School was well worth it.

“We live two hours away, and this is the closest range right here,” said Marc O’Neill, 28. “We travel all over to these things.”

The O’Neills pretty much typify the people who turned out to competitively shoot while draped in mobility-restricting ponchos, raincoats and bulky boots while trying to aim at targets and balance umbrellas over their equipment at the same time.

Some had more success than others at the two-day tournament.

“I think I shot all my 10’s in the rain,” said Newport’s Bob Rowe, currently ranked among the top 25 semipro compound bow shooters in the nation by the Archery Shooters Association. “The best I ever shot in my life was in New York when it was 109 degrees. I was just drenched, but I won.”

After picking up two trophies in the open release class Sunday, Rowe conceded he might be archery’s version of a mudder.

Rowe, the O’Neills and Rich Pointer, former PVAA board chairman, represent a cross-section of the archery community.

Ironically, despite his status as one of the PVAA’s founders and primary volunteers, Pointer is one of the less-serious archers.

“I fell in love with it the minute I did it,” Pointer said. “I’m no good at it. I mean, I’m really not a good archer, but I shoot with my buddy Harvey and we laugh at each other, bend a few arrows, and have some fun. If I had to take it serious, I think I’d lose the fun.”

The O’Neills have a similar view, although they take things a bit more seriously.

“I’m not that competitive like [Marc] is, but I really look forward to doing this and seeing everybody,” said the elder O’Neill.

Although Marc finished first in the open release class Sunday with a score of 288 (out of 300), he has no designs on making it a career.

“No, but this is pretty much all I do. I still fish a little, though,” he said. “I used to play golf every day, but I took this up instead.”

Doug’s brother was the one who shot the arrow that hit the O’Neills’ interest bullseye.

“He passed away a few years ago, but we just kept on with it,” said the younger O’Neill. “I was hooked right away. What I like about it is there’s always a chance to do better. You can never be perfect all the time. If you were, you’d give it up. Even the top shooters in the world aren’t perfect.”

Maybe not, but that doesn’t stop Rowe and 19-year-old son Charles from trying.

“I shoot a lot of ASA competitions,” Bob Rowe said. “My son and I moved up into the semipro class and he won the worlds last year.

“He’s working a 60-hour-a-week job now, but he’s going to take up archery full-time after the job winds up. He can make between $16 and $20,000 shooting in ASA semipro.”

There’s plenty of money out there for accomplished archers. According to Rowe and Pointer, good ones can make over $100,000 a year easily.

“We had a nine-year-old from Dixmont here yesterday who’s a three-time world champion,” Pointer explained. “His dad said he’ll never work a day in his life because he can make $200,000 a year on the 3-D circuit.”

Rowe isn’t that hard-core, but he does compete in more than 30 tournaments a year in Maine, the Southeast, and Virginia. Being a school bus driver in Newport gives him his summers off.

“Plus all the major events down south are usually during school vacations in February and April. So it works out great,” he said.

For many of the 110 archers who competed in the benefit tourney this weekend, the love of the sport is the only reason they’re involved in archery and competitive 3-D target shooting.

PVAA membership swelled from 20 to 70 in this, its second year of existence. Pointer fully expects it will double next year with the addition of weekly club nights to encourage people to use the range more often.

“People think archery is just for hunters, but there are people from all walks of life who love this,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot more moms, and pops and kids because I think people are realizing it’s not just for hunters.”

Pine Tree Camp Benefit AT HOLDEN Saturday (perfect score: 400)

MALE – open release: Bob Rowe, Newport 372 (of possible 400); bowhunter release: Bill Taylor (Brewer) 357; bowhunter fingers: Mickey Hartsgrove (Newport) 341; traditional: Bill Bewell (Enfield) 175; cubs: Tommy Ray Jr. (Dixmont) 381; youth release: Nick Harvey (Bangor) 358; future archers: Nolan Turner (Hampden) 246; FEMALE – bowhunter fingers: Marie Hartsgrove (Newport) 279 Sunday (perfect score: 300)

MALE – open release: Marc O’Neill (Princeton) 288; bowhunter release: Alan Turner (Hampden) 267; bowhunter fingers: John Freeman (Alton) 272; traditional: Mark Leavitt (Newburgh) 196; cubs: Jared Ames (Orland) 187; FEMALE – bowhunter release: Val Whitten (Milo) 201; bowhunter fingers: Theresa Jay (Derby) 203; future archers: Mary Jay (Derby) 213 Overall (perfect score 700)

MALE – open release: Bob Rowe 631; bowhunter release: Bill Taylor (Holden) 623, Bill Goff (Newport) 601, Don Steeves (Glenburn) 599; bowhunter fingers: John Freeman 606, Gary Smith (Atkinson)582, Ed Girsa (Millinocket) 572; traditional: Bill Bewell 315; FEMALE – bowhunter fingers: Theresa Jay 467; future archers: Mary Jay 445