In Newman, archers take to the course

In the middle of the Information Age, where did all this interest in bows and arrows come from?

“Archery is about as anti-technology as you can get,” Wayne Lehr said Sunday at the first West Coast Open held in this region. “But there has been a resurgence.”

If you’re guessing that schools are suddenly teaching more units on William Tell or Robin Hood, you’re missing the bull’s-eye. For answers, look no further than the living room TV, where people feed on action shows such as “Arrow” and “The Walking Dead,” and DVDs of “The Hunger Games” series, the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies and Disney’s “Brave.”

And don’t forget Modesto’s own Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in the “Avengers” franchise and related superhero comic book films.

“In the last five years, it’s come alive,” agreed Vivian Bryant, who left her Florida home for two weekends of shooting among brush and willows near the San Joaquin River between Newman and Hilmar.

Yes, two weekends: the Orestimba Field Archers welcomed competitors in all types and classes, including crossbows and compound bows, at the open on Saturday and Sunday. This Friday through Sunday, the club will host a championship for those with traditional Robin Hood-style bows. Both are co-sponsored by the International Bowhunting Organization.

If you go, look for signs welcoming archers at 26166B W. Kelley Road. The club calls Newman home, but some portable locator devices prefer Hilmar when punching in the address.

“Archery is growing by leaps and bounds,” Bryant continued. “It’s a fun sport for the whole family.”

“It’s relatively inexpensive,” added Modesto’s Curt Stevenot, president of the rival Yahi Bowmen, a club operating at Modesto Reservoir with a tournament coming up May 16 and 17.

Except, they really aren’t rivals. Stevenot was welcomed with open arms at the Orestimba event.

“Shotgun and rifle guys don’t always get along, but we’re good with everyone,” including firearms people, said Bob Mattos of Ceres, who was raised in nearby Gustine. “We laugh and joke and have a ball.”

When it’s time to get serious, they do.

Asked for her talent level, Bryant said, “I’m mediocre.” Several minutes went by before it came out that she’s a five-time world champion in her discipline.

Alan Eagleton, 51, first fooled around with a bow in his teens but didn’t get serious about the sport until seven years ago. Since then, he has competed abroad with Team USA and participated in five national championships, winning four.

“I thought, ‘It can’t be that hard,’” recalled Eagleton, who splits time between Turlock and his Bay Area plumbing business. “But there is a lot more to the thought process. I fell in love with the sport, and now I can’t put it down.”

Archery is not as simple as a stick, a string and another pointy stick. Most archers gravitate to either compound bows, with their modern pulley systems, or the traditional style. Both have lots of subcategories that are further divided into classes by age and gender, giving everyone a shot at winning.

Beyond that, courses can be wildly different. Many events feature concentric-circle targets set at specified distances. Orestimba specializes in simulated hunting, where competitors venture into the brush and take aim at life-size foam targets shaped like animals such as buffalo, elk, coyote or even alligator. Archers shoot from varying markers according to skill and class but must guess to judge distances.

“Our course surprises people,” said Lehr, president of Orestimba Field Archers. Many expect “dead, flat valley,” he said, but encounter challenging shadows, trees, brush and uneven terrain.

“It’s a wonderful place, and I guarantee you, it will grow; it just takes time,” Bryant said.

And maybe a popular movie or two.

Stevenot doesn’t have a favorite. In fact, he said, “I haven’t watched any of them. I have more fun out here doing this.”

For more information, go to http://orestimbafieldarchers.com.

This story was originally published April 12, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "In Newman, archers take to the course."