# Memories of archery at the CNE?



## hoody123 (Aug 11, 2004)

I don't remember at the CNE, but I do recall Chappy shooting at the Sportsman show (at least, I <think> it was the Sportsman show?)


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## rdneckhillbilly (Jan 25, 2010)

hoody123 said:


> I don't remember at the CNE, but I do recall Chappy shooting at the Sportsman show (at least, I <think> it was the Sportsman show?)


Beat me to it hoody. 
I remember an archery demonstration at the Sportsman Show back in the late 70s early 80s.
Not sure who the guy was but he would do some shots that would astound.
For his grand finale he would climb into the stands about maybe 80-90 yards (at least it seemed that far to me at a young age) and pop a balloon on the target face. 
There would be 2 or three balloons all blown up and nested in side one another. 
He's pop one at a time. 
I just remember being amazed!!!


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

Um, that was me.


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

As for the CNE shoots, I shot in a few outdoor ones in the '70s, in a field near the Dufferin Gate. I don't remember much, except I did lose an arrow that probably went into the parking lot behind the targets, but mostly we wanted to finish early so we could spend the rest of the day at the beer pavilion.


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## rdneckhillbilly (Jan 25, 2010)

Stash if that truly was you....Thank You! 
You managed to get a young kid hooked on archery from that point forward. 
I hit every booth that had anything to do with archery at the show that year.
I peppered my parents with questions the whole way home.
I'd ask my dad to stop at outdoors stores to see if they had archery gear. 
There should be more public outreach programs like this to grow the sport. 
:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

Yes, it really was me, at least for several of the years. That actually makes me feel good to hear that. Thanks.

I got started doing it (I think) in 1979. I was shooting at the U of Toronto (Hart House) and had just made my first international team the previous fall and they asked me to do some shooting in the arena at the Sportsmen's Show. I got a few club members to help me out. There were several of us shooting, but most of the others got really nervous and the first couple of shows frankly sucked, but we refined it over that week. One shot I remember really grossing people out - it was supposed to be the standard "shoot an apple off a celebrity's head" shot where you set it all up, then say you want to take one more practice shot "just to be sure" so they stick up a mannequin head with an apple, but you then drill the arrow right between the eyes and declare "OK, I'm ready" and the celebrity overacts and runs away. The celebrity was Bob Macadorey, a Toronto radio personality. But instead of shooting the arrow between the eyes, which is funny, I accidentally shot the mannequin right _*in*_ the eye which for some reason is not funny but gross.

The next few years I did the show with a compound instead of a recurve, and Bill Forham, a local pro, joined me for some of the shows. Here's a pic of Bill and me in the arena, I think 1980. I don't remember when we stopped doing the show - I think I was unavailable for one year and they got Jack Chapman to do it after that. One year someone finally realized we were shooting arrows in a crowd of people, some of whom were just past the targets, and they stopped doing it in the arena for safety reasons.


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## hoody123 (Aug 11, 2004)

I only remember Jack doing it, after all, some of us aren't quite old enough to have many memories prior to 1980


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## Grey Eagle (May 23, 2002)

Good stuff Stan, that brings back memories for me as well.

Also, didn't they hold a 3D tourny at the sportsman show for a few years in the late 90's?


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## hoody123 (Aug 11, 2004)

@GE yeah, it was a pop up 3D.


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

Yeah, that was an expensive experiment, think they only ran it for 2 years.They also had a 30 meter target round for a while, also some sort of demo area (may have been the same as the popup, memory fades, where they shot clay pigeons stuck onto the sides of 3D animals.


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## cc46 (Jan 22, 2005)

Wow! that's a blast from the past. 
I remember being one of those club shooters there....as I recall the Sportsman Show went thru the entire spring break, 9 or 10 days. Anyway the TAHA archers supplied several archers for the several shows each day. 
I remember being there for 3 shows a day. 
And once if memory is right, while Ken Brown was on the microphone announcing, I shot and missed a birthday candle flame, in his smooth voice he said the arrow went too high, I shot the next arrow at the bottom of the candle and bam out went the flame...oohs and awes from the crowd....
good memories


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## cc46 (Jan 22, 2005)

If I may a very dear friend of mine Frank Unbehaun was also one of those club shooters. We were 15 or 16 at the time and we were hassled by the TTC and CNE security because we carried cases that looked like gun cases. Each time we talked our way thru it and often told them we were in a band. Frank looked the rock star part and I told everyone I played bass. But the Sportsman show was great fun for us. He shot an early Jenings compound, I had a Black Widow recurve. 

Once, during a show I realized I was missing my tab, I quickly ran to the back behind the curtain to get to my case. Well I was chased out by the fashion show people for the next show...oooops


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

It was a long time ago, but I think you and I shot there in different years, Chuck. My group was from the U of T, not TAHA. You were probably there doing the demos before I was, since I remember shooting with you in around '75-76. Remember that trip to Harrisburg?


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## cc46 (Jan 22, 2005)

True Stan. I don't think I was there after the spring 77 Sportsman Show.


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## cc46 (Jan 22, 2005)

Btw Stan is that White Bear Tamberlane still around? looks similar to Jack's bow...


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

I think everyone had a white Tamerlane at one time or another. I have no recollection of where I got it from or where it ended up.


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## ArtemisToronto (Jan 2, 2013)

Wow. This thread has taken a REALLY interesting turn. Stash, CC46: can I take you out for beers?! Redneckhillbilly and Hoody123, you're totally invited, too


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## FiFi (Dec 4, 2002)

I remember shooting outdoors at the CNE by the dufferin gates as a teenager. Stash I think you are right , we only shot there for a few years,I think because we took up too much space. In fact I think the last year was a Junior Invitational for the Ontario & Quebec Canada Summer Games teams in ?1986? As for the Toronto Sportsman Show, I remember doing demonstrations as a kid with my parents (as a member of TAHA), and then manning the booth during March Break as a teenager. Somewhere in my late teens, early 20's archery was dropped from the show and then we were invited back where we actually had a range where people could try shooting along with the pop up 3D competition, and the 30m Challenge to drum up interest for the shooting range


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