Preview: 2020 Indoor Archery World Series draws to conclusion at Vegas Shoot
Vegas is the crown jewel of the international indoor season. It’s the grand finale of the Indoor Archery World Series – and has been something of a pilgrimage destination for archers, amateur and pro, for decades.
Now in its 54th year, the Vegas Shoot boasts a record prize fund of 490,000 USD, is on course to set a new participation record – news on that to follow – and, for the first time, will showcase live broadcast from the Southpoint Hotel and Casino on linear television stations as well the now-standard live streaming platforms.
(Check the coverage details below.)
There’s something about Vegas that transcends normal competition. For a start, the rules are different – particularly in the compound divisions where the big, recurve 10-ring scores 10 points – and target faces are triangular. Everyone shoots 30 arrows, each of the three competition days. It’s not just a tournament. It’s an event.
And there’s a mysticism about shooting 900 points in Vegas. For compounders, it’s a significant achievement. A rite of passage for the elite. Once you’ve made a Vegas Shootdown, which in the championship open division requires that perfect round, you’ve made it.
The first two days – 60 arrows – of the event count as the sixth and last stage of the Indoor Archery World Series.
The ranking after those two days decides the stage points. The top 16 archers in the elite ranking are then invited to the Indoor Archery World Series Finals, which come to a close in front of 5000-plus spectators in the championship arena on Saturday night.
Steve Wijler, Sim Yeji, Kris Schaff and Viktoria Balzhanova are the reigning circuit champions.
Visiting Vegas? The shoot has put out some excellent guides to visiting the event on a budget, as well as blowing out – and going with a group of friends. There are also these last-minute tips for 2020.
Event details
- Event: The Vegas Shoot and Indoor Archery World Series Finals
- Venue: South Point Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, USA
- Dates: 7-9 February 2020
- Numbers: 3800-4000 archers; 465 in championship categories (59 recurve men, 42 recurve women, 259 compound men, 105 compound women)
- Points: 1000 (top 64 score)
- Format: 60-arrow 18-metre ranking round (normalised for compounds); top archers in elite ranking qualify for series finals after the end of the stage.
Coverage
News, photos and selected results from the Indoor Archery World Series stage and The Vegas Shoot at www.worldarchery.sport and www.thevegasshoot.com. Full results at www.ianseo.net. Coverage on World Archery and The Vegas Shoot social platforms.
A new 24-hour archery channel on the internal South Point network and streamed by Competition Archery Media.
Live coverage of the Indoor Archery World Series Finals from 20h00 local time on Saturday 8 February on NBC Olympic Channel in the USA, Claro Sports in Latin America and on World Archery’s YouTube channel worldwide (not available in the USA). Delayed coverage on Eurosport and on Sony Sports Entertainment Networks in India.
Live coverage of the Vegas Shootdowns from 17h30 local time on Sunday 9 February on World Archery’s YouTube channel and social platforms.
Notes
The second winners of the Indoor Archery World Series team event will be announced on Saturday afternoon and presented along with the individual winners that evening. Squads from Lancaster Archery Supply (recurve) and Mathews (compound) currently lead the ranking.
Flight or championship? The Vegas Shoot epitomises mass participation – combined with a seriously pro element – in its two types of divisions. Championship categories cost more to enter, the prizes are higher and only given to the top finishers; flights see the money distributed across the ranking list and the rules are more relaxed.
Italian archer Sergio Pagni won the Vegas Shoot’s compound open championship competition in 2019. A record 23 archers made the shootdown, which is a sudden-death style event where low-scorers are eliminated each end.
(The event is open because both men and women can enter.)
The separate compound women’s championship category is also getting even more competitive. For the first time, multiple women shot perfect 900s in 2019. Sara Lopez and So Chaewon brought the total number of women to clean Vegas to five.
Vegas has its own, unique rules but the Indoor Archery World Series Finals are shot to World Archery rules. Compound archers are allowed to use larger diameter arrows than normal in Vegas – and those that choose to do so will have to switch back if they make the Finals.
Schedule
Friday 7 February: First day of competition (30 arrows).
Saturday 8 February: Second day of competition (30 arrows); end of Indoor Archery World Series stage and Indoor Archery World Series Finals (medal matches starting 20h00 local).
Sunday 9 February: Third day of competition (30 arrows) and Vegas Shootdowns.
One(s) to watch
There are two major events in Vegas. First comes the finals of the indoor circuit on Saturday night and that’s followed by the title event of the shoot itself. So there are two archers to watch at this tournament.
Paige Pearce has been extremely competitive this indoor season. Having finished second at the Hyundai World Archery Championships in ’s-Hertogenbosch in 2019, an indoor circuit title would be a welcome acquisition for a 24-year-old who has become a consistent contender.
European archers have taken the Vegas Shoot title two of the last three years. Mike Schloesser had it in 2017 and Sergio Pagni in 2019. Canada’s Chris Perkins was sandwiched in between.
This event, the Superbowl of archery, is a matter of national pride for the archers from across 50 states. It’s time for the Vegas Shoot title to come home. It’s going to come at the hand of an event legend, three-time champion Chance Beaubouef, whose experience is unparalleled.
The sixth event of the 2020 Indoor Archery World Series is the Vegas Shoot on Friday 7 to Sunday 9 February 2020.
