Participants hack and blast their way through Plains

Shots rang out at the trap club and the golf course on Saturday as Plains played host to the annual “Hack n’ Blast” event. Participants from as far away as Missoula, Kalispell and Libby competed in trap shooting and nine holes of golf during the unique event.

Sixty-eight contestants in teams of four began the day at the Plains Trap Club. Shouts of “pull” followed by the crack of shotguns firing filled the air as competitors competed in pairs, covering each other in the case of a miss.

Competitors with special glasses that block peripheral distractions and pouches to hold shotgun shells stood up to the line, called for the clay pigeon and took aim as the disc came flying out at around 90 miles per hour.

As the pigeon could be tossed in a variety of directions and heights, shooters had no way of knowing which direction the fragile clay discs would travel. Competitors had around two seconds to fire off a round before the pigeon flew out of range and crashed onto the field.

Scored in similar fashion to golf, the goal was to get the lowest point total.

Competing in pairs, if the primary shooter hit the target zero points were scored. If the primary shooter missed and the secondary shooter hit, one point was scored.

If neither shooter hit the target, two points were allotted. Playful banter and heckling was encouraged among the competitors.

According to contestant and Plains resident Barry Gilpin, the key to trap shooting is hand-eye coordination. Gilpin said he has been competing in the “Hack n’ Blast” for around 30 years. The event has been held in Plains for the past 13 years coinciding with the establishment of the Plains Trap Club.

“If you are going to shoot trap, you have to make the gun shoot to the center of where your eye is looking. It’s dynamic, not static because the birds are moving constantly. It’s hand-eye coordination. You lock your eye on the target, move the gun through it and fire,” said Gilpin.

Gilpin was sporting an over-and-under model of shotgun with a modified and fully adjustable stock made by the Italian gun-maker Perazzi. Perazzi is known for manufacturing precision shotguns that are widely used by Olympic athletes in competition.

After the trap shooting competition, lunch and a brief rain shower that delayed the event for about an hour, the event moved to the Plains Golf Course for the second phase of the “Hack n’ Blast”. In contrast to the traditional structure of the trap shooting competition, the “hack” phase of the event strayed from normal rules of golf.

Golfers teed off from a sitting position, traded a golf club for a baseball bat and had to drive the ball using a reverse stance and an opposite-handed club. The added challenges combined with the traditional obstacles including trees and sand traps provided a unique experience on the course.

The competition was close with five teams battling for third place. The tie was broken by a team chip-off and won by the team of Jack and Jeff Revier, Ben Bache, and Scott Rice.

Team “Plains Auto Parts” comprised of Tony, Tanner and Ty Colombo with Beau French took second place. Team “NW Energy” consisting of Lloyd and Lisa Rice, Barry Gilpin and Gary Revier posted the lowest score of 33 to take first place.

Event organizers Cookie Kunzer and Sean LaDeaux, said the event was a fun way for people all over the area to gather and spend an afternoon with friends and family.

“It’s a great tournament. It’s fun for everyone. Some people are stronger shooters, some people are better golfers. It’s a unique competition,” said LaDeaux. The event concluded with the award ceremony at the VFW in Plains. Living up to its name, LaDeaux said a “blast” was had by all participants.