Article from the News Herald, Sept. 10, ‘04
Area get taste of the Old West
Ohio Fast Draw Association holds event in Mentor
Between President Bush’s visit Saturday, the Great Geauga County Fair,
the Cleveland National Air Show and a host of other Labor Day diversions,
Northeast Ohio has had a busy weekend.
In the midst of it all, some dedicated six-gun lovers found time to keep
the Old West alive in Lake County.
Members of the Ohio Fast Draw Association showed up from as far away as
Marylandthis weekend to the annual Buckeye Rangers’ Northcoast National Gunslingers Championship.
It took place Saturday and Sunday at the U.S. Marine Corps League’s Gunny
Hall on Twinbrook Road in Mentor.
Some folks had their sights set on a trophy and – more importantly – a
year’s worth of bragging rights, while others were just there to watch.
“I love‘em,” said Concord Townshipresident Gary Kern, when
asked about his interest in firearms. “Especially old guns, and I’m definitely into Western Stuff.”
Kern was in the right place Sunday, as the contest consisted of dozens of
experts in the art of drawing and firing their single-action pistols in a fraction of a second.
And as far as the Western stuff goes, these quick-draw artists do it all
in Hollywood-looking cowboy attire which, for people like Kern, bring back memories of their favorite childhood television shows.
“Oh, wow,”Kern said after being asked to list a few of his
favorites.
“Man, there were all the movies – like the Carradines in ‘em. There was ‘Gunsmoke,’ ‘The Rifleman.’ ‘High
Chaparral’.”
Melissa Kern, Gary’s wife, agreed.
“I grew up watching that stuff with my dad and my uncle,” she said.
Believe it or not, the whole gunslinging sport itself has been around for
as long as some of those TV shows.
At 67, Fred“Hondo” Bratton said it was neither television nor the big
screen that got him into the sport.
Bratton, the event spokesman Sunday, draw a pretty quick six-shooter
himself.
I started doing this in 1956, he said. “ I’ve always been a gun nut, and
back then, I was stationed in California with the U.S. Navy.”
He saw an advertisement from a famous gunslinger and decided it was time
to invest in a custom-made quick draw holster.
When he went to the shop to pick it up, he was treated to a quick-drawing
lesson from the man from the ad – who turned out to be a quick-draw teacher to
the stars, Orva Ojala.
According to Ron Paul Duning of Willowick, there are anywhere from 2,000
to 3,000 fast draw enthusiasts from not only the U.S., but also places like
Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and Spain.
“Out of that, there are probably 1,000 heavy competitors,” he said. “And
out of that, you have your top guns who are here today.”
According to Duning, contestants competing in the weekend’s events
measure the time it takes them to draw and fire their pistols down to the
thousandths of a second.
He should know, for four years now, he’s held the title of fastest gun on
earth,” with a quick-draw time of .234 of a second.
He said although the bulk of the quick-draw competitors are in his age
range (he’s 53), a number of the younger enthusiasts are giving the older
quick-draw artists a run for their money.
One such up-and-comer hails from Mayfield Village.
Thirteen-year-old Phil Eneper said he’s been into guns since he was 3.
Ten years later, he’s holding his own against guys three time his age in
the “Rolling Thunder” event, in which shooters have to hit nine balloons with
three different fire arms in rapid succession.
13 year old Phil (Sparky) Enneper, competed in his first contest in
Mentor at the Buckeye Rangers Northcoast National Gunslinger’s
Championship.
Phil & his dad, Rich, are new members to the OFDA.
Three guns are laid out on a table, in front of a simulated bar. There are balloons attached to the
front of the bar and on a wall behind the bar, and contestants shoot each
forearm until they’re empty, and then move onto the next.
Phil cleared out all the weapons –and balloons- in 10.6 seconds. Not bad for his first
competition.
Area get taste of the Old West
Ohio Fast Draw Association holds event in Mentor
Between President Bush’s visit Saturday, the Great Geauga County Fair,
the Cleveland National Air Show and a host of other Labor Day diversions,
Northeast Ohio has had a busy weekend.
In the midst of it all, some dedicated six-gun lovers found time to keep
the Old West alive in Lake County.
Members of the Ohio Fast Draw Association showed up from as far away as
Marylandthis weekend to the annual Buckeye Rangers’ Northcoast National Gunslingers Championship.
It took place Saturday and Sunday at the U.S. Marine Corps League’s Gunny
Hall on Twinbrook Road in Mentor.
Some folks had their sights set on a trophy and – more importantly – a
year’s worth of bragging rights, while others were just there to watch.
“I love‘em,” said Concord Townshipresident Gary Kern, when
asked about his interest in firearms. “Especially old guns, and I’m definitely into Western Stuff.”
Kern was in the right place Sunday, as the contest consisted of dozens of
experts in the art of drawing and firing their single-action pistols in a fraction of a second.
And as far as the Western stuff goes, these quick-draw artists do it all
in Hollywood-looking cowboy attire which, for people like Kern, bring back memories of their favorite childhood television shows.
“Oh, wow,”Kern said after being asked to list a few of his
favorites.
“Man, there were all the movies – like the Carradines in ‘em. There was ‘Gunsmoke,’ ‘The Rifleman.’ ‘High
Chaparral’.”
Melissa Kern, Gary’s wife, agreed.
“I grew up watching that stuff with my dad and my uncle,” she said.
Believe it or not, the whole gunslinging sport itself has been around for
as long as some of those TV shows.
At 67, Fred“Hondo” Bratton said it was neither television nor the big
screen that got him into the sport.
Bratton, the event spokesman Sunday, draw a pretty quick six-shooter
himself.
I started doing this in 1956, he said. “ I’ve always been a gun nut, and
back then, I was stationed in California with the U.S. Navy.”
He saw an advertisement from a famous gunslinger and decided it was time
to invest in a custom-made quick draw holster.
When he went to the shop to pick it up, he was treated to a quick-drawing
lesson from the man from the ad – who turned out to be a quick-draw teacher to
the stars, Orva Ojala.
According to Ron Paul Duning of Willowick, there are anywhere from 2,000
to 3,000 fast draw enthusiasts from not only the U.S., but also places like
Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and Spain.
“Out of that, there are probably 1,000 heavy competitors,” he said. “And
out of that, you have your top guns who are here today.”
According to Duning, contestants competing in the weekend’s events
measure the time it takes them to draw and fire their pistols down to the
thousandths of a second.
He should know, for four years now, he’s held the title of fastest gun on
earth,” with a quick-draw time of .234 of a second.
He said although the bulk of the quick-draw competitors are in his age
range (he’s 53), a number of the younger enthusiasts are giving the older
quick-draw artists a run for their money.
One such up-and-comer hails from Mayfield Village.
Thirteen-year-old Phil Eneper said he’s been into guns since he was 3.
Ten years later, he’s holding his own against guys three time his age in
the “Rolling Thunder” event, in which shooters have to hit nine balloons with
three different fire arms in rapid succession.
13 year old Phil (Sparky) Enneper, competed in his first contest in
Mentor at the Buckeye Rangers Northcoast National Gunslinger’s
Championship.
Phil & his dad, Rich, are new members to the OFDA.
Three guns are laid out on a table, in front of a simulated bar. There are balloons attached to the
front of the bar and on a wall behind the bar, and contestants shoot each
forearm until they’re empty, and then move onto the next.
Phil cleared out all the weapons –and balloons- in 10.6 seconds. Not bad for his first
competition.
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