.....The Raging Cow Atlatl Competition eked out a narrow victory over Iowa Spring weather, with cold unpleasant conditions, including a destructive ice-storm, until about a week before the event, and thundershowers the Sunday evening after. We had 50 people sign up. Since our field was on a major route through campus, we also had a lot of unsigned curious kids from town, wandering students, and various spectators and athletes from the baseball game and track meets going on nearby. Official participants included our faithful students, as well as atlatlists Pat Hashman from Iowa, Russel Richard from Wyoming and Ron Mertz from Missouri, who were all indispensable in setting up and coaching newcomers. Our alumni provided the strongest support. Alex Woods ‘03 and Grant McCall ‘01 led a group of students from the University of Iowa, where Alex has now convinced the University bureaucracy to make Atlatl an official team sport, allowing them to use the U of I “Herky” and Hawk symbols on their t-shirts, and apply for funds. Paul Pasquesi ‘01, teaching high school in Chicago, brought 14 boy scouts and 5 leaders. They worked on their “Indian Lore” and Archaeology merit badges by atlatling, having a flint knapping lesson, and starting fires with flint and steel to cook lunch. I was a bit nervous about having 14 lads building half a dozen raging bonfires in the small space of my garden, but they were well-behaved and well-led, and the only casualty I know about was the hair on my knuckles which was inadvertently trimmed when my tinder caught unusually well. They all had put together kits from Thunderbird Atlatl, and with limited experience did very well. Byl Bryce ‘03, working in contract archaeology in Flagstaff, and Avi Pogel ‘06, cheffing at the Ventana Maya restaurant in Boulder, also returned to old haunts and habits.
..... It was sunny, and a light gusty wind meant no records were set, but we shot the usual International Standard Atlatl Competition target, our fearsome polychrome Raging Cow, tic-tac-toe, and the Megafauna Massacre, which included an ecologically unusual suite of game: deer, turkey, ibex, and the elusive flying pig, our moving target. Last year’s javelina had become extinct from overhunting (its legs fell off).
..... After the events, we had a friendly dinner at the Anthropology building, featuring barbequed pheasant shot and cooked by Pat Hashman, Boy Scout salads (made by, not made of), and less interesting dishes.

John Whittaker

Raging Cow - Grinnell, Iowa

April 22, 2006

The annual Raging Cow Atlatl Competition at Grinnell College was a roaring success and the largest ever. The weather, always chancy in an Iowa Spring, was perfect. About 40 throwers registered, mostly Grinnell students, but including 12 students from the University of Iowa, led by Grinnell alumni Alex Woods and Grant McCall, plus Mary and Lenny Riemersma from Wisconsin, Ron Mertz and Ray Madden from Missouri, and several others from around Iowa. Another 40-50 students, townsfolk, families, visiting parents, and athletes from the other campus events stopped to watch, get an explanation of atlatl archaeology or learn how to throw, and some even ended up participating in the competition. Four new WAA members signed up.
The college track was being used for more mundane athletic events, but our location on the soccer field along a major campus street and across from a dorm complex made the fearsome Raging Cow target quite visible and attracted a lot of attention. The expected Luther College team failed to appear, and Grinnell narrowly outshot the U of Iowa team to return the Raging Cow trophy to its home. No records were set, but Len and Mary had the high ISAC scores for the day. Other events included the Megafauna Massacre with 3D targets and the flying pig, tic-tac-toe, and close range throws at standard pistol targets.
John Whittaker

Ramioul - Belgium

The first event of the European Prehistoric championship took place last week-end, April 22, 2006, in Ramioul (Belgium).The weather was fine and there were 107 competitors for the bow, and 52 for the atlatl. It was a wonderul atmosphere and a good week-end, but It was not great for the ISAC.
Christian Lepers