On target
On target
Cyndi Benson and her father, Charles Brewster, want to pass on their love of target shooting to the younger generation, and are starting a local chapter of the worldwide Scholastic Clay Target Program at the Kern County Gun Club.
“It’s a fun, safe activity that teaches kids to be smart about guns and to work with others,” said Benson, who spends nearly every weekend at the club.
Benson said the SCTP provides school-age participants in grades 12 and under the opportunity to showcase their competitive shooting skills and earn state and national recognition, and is designed to instill in participants safe firearms handling, commitment, responsibility, leadership and teamwork. Classes will be held on Saturdays beginning in September and running through June. Registration will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 8 a.m. at the Kern County Gun Club.
Along with Pilates and windsurfing, target shooting is one of America’s fastest growing sports, leaving bruises on shoulders and competitors coming back for more. According to the National Rifle Association, some 20 million Americans participate in recreational gun activities.
But Bakersfield has never had a youth league, said Brewster, who added that most of the regulars at the gun club are between 30 and 80. Brewster himself started shooting regularly when he joined the Navy in 1960 and never stopped, eventually becoming a competition shooter.
Kern County Gun Club president Randy Asbill agreed. He’s 52 and is worried target shooting will die along with his generation if they aren’t proactive about recruiting young people.
“We need to keep the sport alive,” said Asbill.
So far the response to the program has overshot Benson and Brewster’s expectations.
“The more the merrier,” said Brewster. “People are saying, ‘It’s about time.’”
Benson said instructors and coaches will teach trap, skeet and sporting clays. Both practiced and new shooters are welcome.
“I love spending my time at the gun club and I hope the participants will, too. Just seeing the kids –– sometimes the gun is bigger than they are –– is as cute as all can be. And the expression on their faces when they blow up a target is priceless,” said Benson.
Local teens and skeet shooting stars Emily Shufurd, 14, a Bakersfield High School freshman, and Brian Foley, a junior at Ridgeview High School, will be a part of the program. Emily broke 97 of 100 targets to win the Sub Junior .28 gauge gold medal at the National Skeet Shooting Association World Junior Championships Aug. 3 to 6 in Boston. Brian busted 100 out of 100 doubles to win the Doubles title.
The Voice caught up with Emily and Brian at the Kern County Gun Club by Buena Vista Lake on Aug. 9 when they were competing in the 2007 Zone 7 Skeet Championships, which drew nearly 200 of the best shooters from throughout the western United States, from pre-teens to seniors in their 80s.
Brian said if you aren’t blessed with a gymnast’s figure or a swimmer’s shoulders, you should exercise your trigger finger.
“I’m not exactly athletic. This is something I can be good at,” said Brian of skeet shooting, a sport he was introduced to at a young age by his father, Tim, and family friend Mark Cerro, who owns Poor Boy Skeet Range, a private club, and has nurtured Brian’s talent.
“It’s a physical and mental game. You have to come into each competition mentally prepared,” said Brian, who said he was only home for one weekend this summer — the rest were spent traveling across the nation to showcase and perfect his skills. He estimates he shot about 1,000 rounds a week.
According to the National Skeet Shooting Association, modern skeet shooting — the word “skeet” is derived from the Scandinavian word for “shoot” — was born in 1920 in Andover, Mass., when a group of hunters began practicing for their wing shooting by firing clay targets into the air, then blasting them.
During World War II, skeet was used in the American military to teach gunners the principle of leading and timing on flying targets.
In the American version of skeet, eight stations are placed around a half-circle where shooters fire at clay targets ejected from two buildings — a “low”house and a taller “high” house — situated at each corner of the range. Targets are launched singularly and in tandem for various shots, testing reflexes as much as accuracy. Each round consists of 25 targets per shooter, and each gun or gauge score tallies after four rounds. Ties often result in shoot-off rounds or even doubles (two targets at a time) at all stations.
The Kern County Gun Club recently relocated from the old China Grade location to its new home one mile west of Enos Lane and south of Taft Highway, near the entrance of the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area. The grounds include 165 acres of land purchased by donations and fund-raising.
On this particular day, the first of the four-day competition, shooters have a singular mission: disks must die. The club is filled with the sound of shells being loaded, the cry of “Pull” and the discharge of the weapon, and the smell of gunpowder. BLAM! The disk makes it just a few seconds before Brian’s shot vaporizes it into chunks.
Even though Brian is demonstrating feats of marksmanship that would make even the most cautious individual feel safe placing an apple on their head, he insists that patience is key in being a successful skeet shooter.
“You might shoot well one day and then be off the rest of the weekend. You have to deal with the ups and downs and maintain a positive attitude,” said Brian.
In addition to the traveling he gets to do — and buckles, decoys, and medals — from wins, Brian said “great friends” are the best thing about being involved in the sport, and said much of his success is due to the individuals and sponsors who’ve devoted time and money to seeing him excel.
Emily agrees, and adds that it’s a family activity as well. The petite, blonde Annie Oakley started shooting with her sister, Rachel, now 12, and father, Dan, a firefighter, when she was 10 as practice for duck hunting. Once Dan learned that skeet shooting could result in college scholarships, he encouraged his daughters’ talents.
“That’s what happens when you have two girls and no boys,” said mom Kellie, laughing. Kellie said people’s reactions range from “shocked” to “impressed” when they learn of her daughter’s ability.
Emily is also a swimmer, and Kellie likes it that both are individual sports that require practice, determination, and motivation.
Because not many local kids are involved in skeet shooting, Emily is often on teams with adults, and Kellie likes that her daughter feels comfortable and confident around people of all ages.
Brian’s mother, Kim, likes how skeet shooting keeps Brian occupied and out of trouble, unlike a lot of teenagers.
“It teaches him responsibility — he has to take care of his gun and himself,” said Kim.
Tim agreed Brian has time for little else other than shooting, school and his project pig for the Kern County Fair. He describes skeet shooting as an “honor sport” that attracts good, honest people.
“You don’t cheat. If you do, you’re only cheating yourself,” said Tim.
But it’s not cheap. Tim said guns, ammunition, entry fees, and travel expenses quickly add up, and that Brian wouldn’t be able to keep up with the sport were it not for generous sponsors and friends, like the friend who donated three round-trip tickets to Boston.
“It was unbelievable,” said Kim.
It’s also not always popular, and Brian and Emily are sometimes caught in the crossfire.
“There are people who are very outspoken against sports that involve guns, but they’re usually not familiar with guns or how to handle them. I’d like to see them try it before they knock it,” said Brian.
Both he and Emily said they take all of the necessary precautions — protective eyewear in place and ear plugs inserted — and said that because no physical contact is involved, skeet shooting is actually safer than the majority of sports.
“We preach gun safety every day,” said Brewster, who added that he will not hesitate to let someone know if they are doing something wrong –– including veteran shooters.
Even if you’re not ready to take out a NRA membership, it’s hard to deny the benefits of the sport. Both Emily and Brian are excited about the growth of the Scholastic Clay Target Program, and are hoping to be awarded college scholarships. Thirty-one colleges and universities in the United States, most in the South and Southwest, now have skeet and trap shooting teams. Even the Olympics (although Olympic skeet is shot in a different order and faster than American skeet) are a possibility.
Whatever their ambitions, we think they have a pretty good shot.
