Blog: Action woman

Slings and arrows

Our very own Action Womanl Claire Morley embarks on a new occasional series for Cyprus Today, seeking out various sporting activities available here in Cyprus and reporting back on her experiences whilst participating in them. This week follows her exploits at taking up archery…
Like many people I’m sure, I have passed the Octopus Aquapark on many occasions and seeing the targets set up, thought to myself that I would quite fancy a go at being Robin Hood, albeit for half an hour or so. So when the opportunity came up to report on sports in the TRNC, archery was immediately added to my list.
Tony Walsh, owner and archery instructor, moved to Cyprus in 2004 with his family. A year ago he decided to turn what had been a hobby for him in the UK, into a business.
“No one else was offering it as an activity here, so after discussions with Billy Abdullah, owner of the Aquapark, it was decided that this was a good location, near the main road and with enough space to set up the targets.�
Tony patiently started by explaining the different parts of the equipment that are required to shoot an arrow. The minimum area necessary to start with is 10 metres, which is the distance a novice will stand away from the target. There are two types of bow, apparently, we were using a re-curve training bow, which comes in various lengths starting at 54 inches and goes up by 2 inch increments to 70 inches. The size used is dependant on an individual’s height and draw length – the distance you can pull the string of the bow, held with a straight arm, to your chin.
The first thing to ascertain is whether the potential Robin Hood is left or right handed and then which eye is dominant in order that the appropriate eye is used to view the target.
Tony uses a very simple test for this he stands in front of you, whilst you hold your arms outstretched and form a triangle with your thumbs and index finger and the eye that he can see is your dominant eye.
There are three parts to a bow, the hand griff and the upper and lower limbs where the arrow rest is located. Then there is the sight to help with aim. The string is made up of 10 layers of elastic wound together and on it are two brasses, the knocking points, in the middle of which is where the arrow will be clipped. Being right handed, Tony strapped an arm guard to my left forearm and a finger tab to my right hand. We were ready to approach the target!
Tony explained the importance of foot positioning, before he showed how the arrow is attached to the string and bow, then he demonstrated the simple art (well he made it look simple) of drawing the string back to touch your chin and nose then letting go so that the arrow finds it’s way to the target 10 metres in front of you. Then it was my turn.
I picked up the bow from it’s stand and rested the string on my hip as instructed, then taking an arrow from the quiver (oh yes I know all the jargon), with a fletching (now I know what a fletcher was – a maker of arrows, whilst fletchings are the three veins at the blunt end) to the left, the right and straight up. Having clipped the arrow to the string and rested the other end on the arrow rest, I tucked my thumb and little finger into my palm and placed my index finger to the right of the arrow and the other two fingers to the left, now it was time to raise the bow to the vertical position. With my bow arm outstretched, I drew the string back, elbow up, until it touched my nose and chin, aim, then – release. Ouch! Not only did the arrow miss the target, but the arm guard did little to stop the string finding the inside of my left elbow, boy, does that sting!
When I reached the “end�, the term used after six arrows have been dispatched, I had hit the target five times and my inner elbow six! Despite Tony explaining my problem was that I was turning my elbow inward, the string found it’s target each time with varying degrees of sting.
Tony retrieved my arrows and I set about improving my aim. Although I didn’t hit the cross in the centre of the target, which counts as a “strike� like in bowling, I did manage to score a nine with one of my arrows, the maximum being ten and a total of eight out the twelve actually found the target, which I was satisfied with, unfortunately the sting had a slightly better strike rate on my arm and I retired with laudable battle wounds, which the next day had metamorphosised into a 10cm x 5cm gloriously purple and green bruise.
Despite my injury, I thoroughly enjoyed my first attempt at archery and will definitely be returning to try it again, with a good deal more concentration on turning my elbow out next time.
Thank you to Tony Walsh for his excellent instruction and patience and for pointing out to the photographer who had wanted to take a picture stood in front of me whilst fully armed. “Although in the main a safe sport as long as approached properly, those arrows can kill you!�
Tony can be found at the front of the Octopus Aquapark six days a week – Monday is his day off – from 1030 until 1800. The minimum age is 10 and it is “an easy sport that anyone can do, it can be as easy or complicated as you want to make it.�
The cost is 5YTL for an initial 12 arrows to see if you like it, then 15YTL for 30 minutes or 25YTL for an hour. For more information contact Tony on 0533 846 7463.

by Claire on 14:19 on 8th May 2007