Beaverton man breaks archery record with bare hands (and feet)
18 hours ago
- #engineering
- #archery
- #world-record
- Alan Case, a Beaverton engineer, broke a 54-year-old world record in flight archery by shooting an arrow 2,043 yards, 1 foot, 7 inches.
- Case used a footbow he built in his garage, achieving an arrow speed of over 800 feet per second at the Smith Creek Dry Lake Bed in Nevada.
- The previous record was set by Harry Drake in 1971, who shot an arrow 2,028 yards using a footbow he designed himself.
- Case's lifelong obsession with flight archery began at age 10 after reading about Drake's accomplishment in the Guinness World Records.
- Despite setbacks, including a misfire that injured his foot, Case persisted for decades, refining his designs and testing them in Oregon's Alvord Desert.
- Case's achievement was confirmed by USA Archery, setting a new national record and bringing him within 4 yards of Drake's absolute world record.
- The event was a sanctioned USA Archery competition, with each arrow inspected and registered beforehand, ensuring the legitimacy of the record.
- Case's success marks a crowning moment in flight archery, with plans to return next year to attempt breaking the absolute world record.