| The fifth annual ESPN Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge will be held in Madison, Wis., July 8-11, 2004, the first time the popular event will be held in the Midwest.
The Games were held in Lake Placid, N.Y., from 2000 to 2002, and then moved to Reno, Nev., in 2003. Both venues attracted crowds of about 60,000 spectators during the four days of competition, and Lake Placid enjoyed an estimated $10.5 million economic impact, but ESPN thinks Wisconsin has even more potential as the event’s host.
Jay Barrs, director of promotions for the Archery Trade Association and its ArrowSport foundation, coordinates the archery competition at the ESPN Great Outdoor Games. He agrees the Games should attract more interest in Wisconsin because of the state’s abundant natural resources and well-known outdoors heritage. He also noted that during the 2003 Games in Reno, Wisconsin sent 21 athletes, the largest contingent from any sport. The state was especially well-represented in the timber events, including log rolling, wood cutting and pole climbing.
Of even more interest to the archery industry is Wisconsin’s rich heritage in archery and bowhunting. Each year the state sells about 250,000 archery deer licenses, which consistently puts it in the top four states in bowhunter numbers. In addition, in 1934 Wisconsin became the first state in the country to establish a separate bowhunting season for deer.
The ATA also has its roots in Wisconsin. The organization, originally called the Archery Manufacturers and Dealers Association, was launched during the 1953 NFAA National Tournament at Two Rivers, Wis., when 45 archery manufacturers and dealers met. In fact, its first president was a Wisconsinite, Larry Whiffen of Milwaukee, who was elected in 1954.
“Archery has a long, fascinating history in Wisconsin, so we think it’s a great place to hold the Great Outdoor Games,” Barrs said. “Plus, Madison is strategically located to draw a lot of people from across the Midwest, and it’s within driving distance of major metropolitan areas like Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul. It seems like a natural fit, not only for archery, but for all the 20-some events in the Great Outdoor Games.”
Of course, no matter where the event is held, it provides unprecedented national TV coverage for archery, courtesy of “The Eliminator” competition. Barrs said this archery competition receives 30 minutes of airtime during the initial broadcasts of the Great Outdoor Games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. In addition, the network’s 30-minute Gold Medal show — which features all the 2003 Games’ championship rounds, including archery — were aired repeatedly the rest of the year.
“The Great Outdoor Games broadcast archery into more than 2 million American households the past six months,” Barrs said. “In fact, the shows that included archery were the highest rated Great Outdoor Games shows on ESPN and ESPN2, earning ratings 22 percent higher than the Games’ overall ratings. For tournament archery, there is no competition that gets this much television exposure. Once every four years, the Olympic Games’ archery coverage reaches more households, but airtime is always far less than the half-hour the Eliminator gets from ESPN. There is no way we could buy this much exposure for our sport on our own.”
Barrs is also impressed with the Madison venue, which features the 165-acre Alliant Energy Center on the city’s south side. This large site features a park-like setting with ponds, ample parking, and a variety of facilities to accommodate almost all of the Great Outdoor Games’ competitions. The only events that won’t be on site are bass fishing and fly fishing. As in Reno, all the other events, including target sports — archery, rifle and shotgun — will all be together in the main venue. Barrs credits this for greatly boosting attendance for the target sports.
“By ESPN’s count, we had at least 500 people watching the archery competition in Reno, even though we held it in the middle of the afternoon in 100-degree heat,” Barrs said. “It’s a huge help to have the target sports included in the main venue. Plus, the spectators like it, because it’s far more convenient. At Lake Placid, our venue was difficult for people to find. But at Reno, they could just walk a few yards and join us. It was more fun for everyone involved, whether you were a competitor or a spectator. Plus, every year we’ve made our event more fun and easy to follow.
To make the archery competition even more intriguing, Barrs said ArrowSport will introduce a new target station into its competition for 2004. Barrs said the new station will feature a risk/reward accuracy shot that emphasizes careful aiming and pinpoint accuracy instead of speed.
“One thing we heard in 2003 was that all four stations stressed speed more than accuracy,” Barrs said. “This new station will stress accuracy. We’re still tinkering with the concept, but it will probably give shooters 30 seconds to make one precise shot. They can play it safe with a larger target and get fewer points, or they can take a risk on a smaller target and score more points.”
Even though Barrs devotes his energies to the archery competition, he keeps an eye on the overall interest in the Great Outdoor Games. He thinks Madison will provide the best venue so far in the Games’ five-year history.
“This is still a growing venture, and I think Madison will give the Great Outdoor Games a bigger boost than it received in Lake Placid and Reno,” he said. “Wisconsin seems to be a natural place to hold them. It always sends a large contingent of athletes to the Games. Wisconsin is also home to many leaders in our industry, including Mathews Inc., which is only about 90 miles away. Plus, people rave about Madison. It’s always been a great site for Glenn Helgeland’s Deer & Turkey Expo. I’m just really thrilled at all the potential. This should take the Great Outdoor Games to the next level.” |
