Twenty-nine hearty
souls confronted the blustery fifty degree, no-wind, no-rain but-still-somehow-arctic
conditions and dared match their luck and skill against four stages
designed by crafty, clever, confounding Gene Gelberger.
In keeping with the
theme of the day, the first stage put shooters smack in the middle
of an utterly unfair fight. From behind a Bianchi barricade, each
competitor faced off against two groups of frozen penguins that
looked just a little bit like bowling pins, and had to knock 'em
down while maintaining IDPA-approved cover, shielding themselves
from the nasty, dangerous birds.
Stage two was set in
a ski lift hut, where competitors started out seated behind a
desk with a loaded gun on the table and spare mags or speedloaders
on the belt. At the beep, there were marauding thugs everywhere,
and no time to miss. Woe be it to those who hit the good guy who
had somehow wandered into the middle of the attack.
Stage three was a trip
back to the days of the old wild West. Each marksman played the
part of the good sheriff, taking out the first black-hearted cowboy
with a freestyle strong-handed head shot before switching to weak
hand to smite the remaining foes with head shots made the hard
way.
Stage four, set in
modern times, had the competitor taking the role of an armed commercial
pilot of a 757, grabbing a loaded pistol and flinging open the
cockpit door to shooting every would-be hijacker in sight with
three shots each, tactical priority. The last hijacker looked
a heck of a lot like a yellow popper, but you can never be sure
about these things.
For all those who came,
and all those who missed this season opening match, please join
us at the Riverside IDPA practice and planning meeting starting
at noon on Saturday, Feb.18th.
This practice will
be just like a match, but without any timers or score sheets.
Our practices are designed to build practical shooting skills
useful in matches. The shooting will start at noon, with setup
beginning at 10:00 a.m. Early birds who can volunteer to help
with setup will be doubly blessed. After the practice there will
be a social hour from 4 p.m. -- 5 p.m., followed by a planning
meeting from 5 to 7 p.m.
The cost of the practice
is $5.00. All funds collected during practices and matches are
used to defray expenses and buy new range gear.
Our 2006 shooting season
is off to a strong start. Come to the February 18th shoot, crack
off a few rounds, build some skills, and help us plan this most
promising year of tactical shooting at Riverside IDPA.
See you there, rain
or shine. Some of us are praying for rain, or, maybe even some
sleet and snow because after all, this is New England! See you
in a couple weeks!
Pictures
