Gator Cup 2014

Gator Cup 2014 was a real blast! I had the honor of shooting on the same target as Khatuna Lorig and Jenny Hardy for my qualifier round, where I finished 37/49 with a score of 468/720.  Pretty darned good for a recurve newbie (well... late February...) with extensive longbow training!

Here's a list of my footage from Gator Cup: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz5OzYz3v1I8F8bg8qEt5jl16W0FjTnmm

Also here is the full suite of pictures: http://s1281.photobucket.com/user/GuenhwyvarAnCrosaire/library/DUNHEASA/Gator%20Cup%202014

 My best round of the day... 50/60with my first shot being a 4 and then the rest just fell into place!

 There I am with my 50/60! I think my head shrunk in the heat though!

 Qualification round with J. Grellner (left) and L. Stephens (right). Gotta love action at 70 meters!

Approaching full draw... yes, I have the cute stabilizer that weighs next to nothing but it works!

 Let's drill that target again!

 Follow-through! I may need a bit more weight in the front of my stabilizer though but I like the way it feels.

 My qualification round group... from left to right: me, K. Lorig, J. Hardy, J. Grellner. We were one kick-butt group!

 Me and K. Johnson. Yes, she's THAT tall. I'm 5'2". She's stooping over a fair amount too for this picture... One of our Wounded Warriors who's done some serious butt-kicking in the world of archery.

 My first elimination match against B. Phillips (right) and H. Koehl (left) warming up. Setting up for action...

 Here goes!

 Time to own that gold ring!

 Firewolf vs human... who shall win?

 Firewolf emerged victorious from her first battle and must now face H. Koehl, a well-seasoned young archer despite her seemingly harmless appearance!

 Here goes! Let's see who will emerge victorious...

 Getting set up...

 Setting up some more...

 Full draw... transferring and expanding...

 And POW!!!!

 Re-loading...

 Concentrating...

 And another ready to go...

Transfer... hold...

POW!!!!

 Analysis time...

And we're done with that end!! My opponent ultimately won this match but it was a real blast shooting with her!!

 Female recurve winners (1st-3rd): J. Hardy, L. Pritchard, and M. Brown.

 Male recurve winners (1st-3rd): C. Duenas, J. Kaminski, B. Ellison.

 Our top shooters sponsored by Easton...

And our top shooters sponsored by Hoyt...

The Camera Never Lies

I did some selfies, mostly to monitor things like my head/body alignment and consistency of anchor and form.  I really love my new camera and tripod for this, especially in the absence of a coach! All of my shots were with me shooting at 70 meters, mostly pre-sighted in. Basically my verdicts from what I've observed: too much head movement, need to stay with my anchor reference point, maintain the same expression with each shot, watch my hand/arm positioning, and watch my posture. 

Here's a link to the rest of the pictures from the Matchplay Shooter of the Year event: http://s1281.photobucket.com/user/GuenhwyvarAnCrosaire/library/MSOY%202014-Apr-27

Indigestion Fun!

What do you get when you dig up an old poem that got started but never completed from c. 2005 and a particularly stubborn case of viral gastroenteritis?

I'm the north wind, yet I blaze
Fires glow yet nothing burns
My eyes reflect stars' shining gaze
As the mill of destiny turns
A winter white rose finds a home
It grows deep inside my bones.

Who will journey with this one?
From desert forever scorched by sun
To permafrosted arctic shrouded in night
And jungle floors shielded from light
Searching for bearer of blood red rose
One that has seen darkest shadows.

Upon dancing spring zephyrs I fly
Above the trackless mortal lands
To the second star to the right in the sky
Past broad-leafed oaks and shifting sands
Snow-rose tells me Paradise awaits
Beyond the shrouded silver Gates.

Stormy azure mirror below tells me all
Blood-red rose of fading fall
Grows in the bones of a kindred soul
One who awaits winter to make him whole
A wish to be free from Stygian gales
Escape from the tattered infernal vales.

Red rose awaits near rainbow river
Scarred within and on every limb
Blight also grows in a tiny sliver
Will the red rose's radiance dim?
Two roses embrace with their songs,
Now I know to whom the white rose belongs.

Fiery north wind with red rose in tow
Winter tempest blazing, yearning to be free
Scorching sun, what happened to the snow?
Journey together across glassy sea
Paradise beckons so far, so near
Even in smoke-choked fog, way is clear.

Return to second star to the right
Straight on 'til morning, past the Gate
Through deepest blue and indigo night
Eager to find joy, unafraid of fate
Together winter and fall roses fly
Past scarlet dawns of mortal sky.