Trapshoot triggers friendships

When organizers of the Inland Empire Handicap trapshoot talk about their event being a family affair, they don’t necessarily mean that kids are around.

For the 500 or so shooters blasting more than 400,000 rounds at clay pigeons this weekend, the event almost becomes a family reunion, where old friends gather to catch up on news, play cards at folding tables, or exaggerate their shooting scores. And yes, children are more than welcome.

“We have an instant community,” said Chris McClure, an organizer at the event, which started Wednesday and continues through Sunday at the Spokane Gun Club in Greenacres. “We’re probably the biggest event in Spokane right now, but nobody in Spokane knows we’re here.”

Every year since 1916, save for breaks for World War II and the Mount St. Helens eruption, shooters from around the region have met in May to compete. The rules are simple, with courtesy being the ultimate guideline. And above all, competitors enjoy the company of others.

For some, like Navy veteran Dave Fried, the trapshoot is more than a competition. Fried is paralyzed from the waist down, and has joined 12 other shooters from around the state to compete.

“What makes it fun is the sport and the people,” Fried said. “You meet a lot of guys, and you learn something.”

This is Fried’s second year of competing, even winning some money Wednesday. Last year, he met Mike Davis, the shooting sports director for the Northwest chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America, who encouraged him to try the sport.

“It’s a great sport for people in chairs,” Davis said. “Clubs are bending over backward to make their facilities accessible.”

Davis’s organization pays for entry fees, and they’re always looking for more vets to join.

“I know there’s a lot more out in Spokane,” Davis said. Many disabled veterans stay in their homes and rarely leave, often by choice, he said. “We’re presenting an opportunity. Most people who are up walking have no concept of what it’s like.”

The trap shoot welcomes people from all areas of life, said participant John McLendon, who was selling raffle tickets Thursday afternoon. Lawyers, dentists, truck drivers, corporation owners and teachers were all present for the shoot.

“It’s a cross section of American society,” McLendon said. “We pretty much have anybody and everybody west of the Mississippi”

A fortress of RVs filled a parking lot outside the club, and beyond a wall of shade trees, dozens of shooters took aim at flying clay pigeons. The snap of 12-gauge shotguns cracked repeatedly, and rarely was there a break from the arrhythmic firing. Shooters are highly precise, with winners often hitting 99 out of 100 clays in a competition.

Any novices are always welcome, too.

“We can always find a shotgun for people trying to learn,” McLendon said. “Everybody tries to have fun.”