Pro archery event and archery for newbies

Posted on: May 18, 2016 | Bob Frye | Comments

Archery 3Levi and Samantha Morgan of Name the Game TV will be among those attending the Summit Invitational, a gathering of the world’s top pro archers, in Fayette County on May 20-21.

The world’s greatest archers are coming to Fayette County.

And the public is invited.

The Organization of Professional Archers is holding its 2016 Summit Invitational at the Summit Inn on Route 40 in Farmington on Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21. It’s meant to “showcase the greatest professional archers from around the world with the purpose of elevating the sport of archery to a new level.”

A number of famous archers are set to appear. The list includes the organization’s founders, Levi and Samantha Morgan, who also host the Name the Game television show.

Also expected to be on hand are PSE’s Taylor and Matt Drury, Swhacker’s Laura and Billy Parker and Chris Brackett.

So what’s in it for visitors?

The event will feature a “tent city” of booths and displays of the latest and greatest archery equipment, be it intended for hunting or tournament shooting. There will be a kids’ area, too, with bounce houses, obstacle courses and other attractions.

There will also be product and hunting trip giveaways.

“This is a destination event for those who love to watch competitive archery at its highest level and for those who may simply love the outdoors,” reads a press release touting the event. “The Invitational was created to build the sport, create more awareness about archery overall, and increase participation in archery at all levels.”

Admission is free. For information and a schedule, click here.

After the show, and throughout the summer, would-be archers can try their hand at flinging arrows downrange at 10 state parks, including Ohiopyle in Fayette and Pymatuning in Crawford.

Using a $50,000 grant awarded to the Pennsylvania Game Commission by the Easton Foundation, the bureau of state parks is conducting “explore archery” programs at the parks.

The grant money bought bows, arrows, targets, arm guards, finger tabs and more, and paid to get instructors certified. Participants will get to use the equipment under the supervision of those instructors.

Participating parks are Bald Eagle, Cowans Gap, Frances Slocum, Jacobsburg, Kings Gap, Nolde, Ohiopyle, Parker Dam, Sinnemahoning and Pymatuning.

A schedule of explore archery events and details on how to register can be found here.

Unfortunately, that’s the only archery involvement the Game Commission will have this year.

It had hoped to offer more.

Commission shooting sports coordinator Todd Holmes said the agency had an agreement with an unnamed industry sponsor to build archery ranges on one state game land in each of the state’s six regions. The commission had the game lands selected — they were to include 203 in Allegheny County in the southwest region and 218 in Erie County in the northwest – and blueprints drawn up.

The sponsor that was to finance their construction pulled out at the last minute, however, Holmes said.

“We’re still hopeful we’ll be able to find another funding source eventually,” Holmes said.

Until then, however, the project is on hold, he said.

Bob Frye is the everybodyadventures.com editor. Reach him at 412-838-5148 or bfrye@535mediallc.com. See other stories, blogs, videos and more at everybodyadventures.com.

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