World Bowhunting Championship
HUGE SUCCESS
Ellicottville Site
Gets A+ Rating
By Jim Gill (8/29/2008)

Maybe it seemed like the night before Christmas, anxious to see what the next day brings for the organizers of the 2008 World Bowhunting Championship organizers, the courses were laid out across Holiday Valley and HoliMont, the 3D targets were strategically placed, the weather forecast looked great yet the question remained; what would the world class bowhunters and visitors think of our community and the ability to host this prestigious event? The stakes were huge as the annual the tournament carries a major economic impact bringing millions of dollars into the community holding the event.

Holiday Valley, the Chamber of Commerce along with the many volunteers weren’t the only ones waiting to see what unfolded. Following a colossal disappointment at last year’s event held for the first time in Indiana, members of the bowhunting community and their families were curious to see what Ellicottville had to offer. After all, these were the best archers in the world many of whom enjoyed the venue at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia where shootout had been held for 7 consecutive years.

As the bowhunters and their families started trickling into town early in the week and started to get a feel for the area and the course layouts, the enthusiasm started building; they loved the area and were anxious for the competition to begin. When the tournament got under way the mountainside terrain proved to be ideal for positioning the 3D targets; world class competitors and the many amateur archers met the ultimate challenge on one of the toughest courses they had encountered in determining the winners in each division. When the tournament concluded on Saturday evening with the presentations held at Tannenbaum Lodge, everyone realized selecting Ellicottville as the site for the 2008 World Championships was the right decision. The following comments from the website archerytalk.com (go to 3D archery) reflect the feelings of most contestants and visitors.

“This was my 12th Worlds and although I love Snowshoe, I would say that this was the best one I have attended yet. The courses were well marked and short walks between targets and great target placement added up to the best Worlds yet. It was also great to have the practice butts right by the ski lifts that you had to take to get to the courses. The people that set this one up deserve nothing but praise for the effort. Can’t wait for next year!”

“I give the town an A+ for all the effort they put into the shoot, every person we met made us feel welcome. Holiday Valley is a great place for an event like this, as they have plenty of space, and lots of local restaurants and hotels in the area. The only thing I would change is where my name was on the final score sheet!”

Yes, our small town more than stood the test, over 6,000 people attended the event having an estimated $1 million economic impact for the area. Many of the bowhunters commented that we can expect more people for next year’s event as they spread the word to their fellow bowhunters back home on how well the tournament went and what the area has to offer.

Hosting the World Championships in bowhunting was a tremendous undertaking on the part of the Brian McFadden and the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce, Dennis Eshbaugh and the team at Holiday Valley and the many volunteers from our community whom gave their time to make this event one of, if not the best tournaments the International Bowhunters Organization have held to date. As the competitors and their friends and families packed up to head home, they were indeed a bunch of happy campers anxious to return for next year’s tournament.