pmd Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Thought I'd pass this on: http://steelchallenge.posterous.com/steel-challenge-moves-to-florida-in-2012 SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. — The Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA) the national governing body for the sport of Speed Shooting and organizer of the Steel Challenge, announced that 2011 will be the final year that the Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships will be held in California. Citing the increasingly unfriendly political climate of the Golden State, officials announced that beginning in 2012 the Steel Challenge will be held in Frostproof, Florida, at the Universal Shooting Academy "The decision to move was not made lightly and for the last year we have been in discussions with ranges across the country in search of a new home for the association’s premier match," explained Dave Thomas, executive director of SCSA. In addition to California’s political climate which has often restricted the growth of the match due to the prohibition in the state of certain types of firearms, the need to expand the sport of speed shooting on the East Coast was also a key factor in the move. "We have been working in the last couple years to expand the Steel Challenge format, particularly through the formation of the Scholastic Steel Challenge,” said Scott Moore, director or the Scholastic Steel Challenge. “With such a strong base of practical shooters in the southeast region of the country, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit headquartered in Ft. Benning, Georgia, and the obvious differences in political views you find in the south, the move to Florida in 2012 puts SCSA in a great position to grow over the next couple years." Response to the move among sponsors, who were informed earlier last week, has been extremely positive according to Thomas and Moore who noted that industry support for the Steel Challenge has always been strong. They pointed to the growing list of industry partners for the Scholastic Steel Challenge as evidence of the sport’s long term potential to draw new shooters and the value the program has among manufacturers. While 2012 marks the end of the World Speed Shooting Championships in California, SCSA plans future major matches in the state and is working with Steel Challenge co-founder Mike Dalton to schedule a sanctioned regional championship at the Piru, California, range facility which will host its final world championship shoot this August. "We recognized all along the importance California plays in Steel Challenge competition and are pleased that the tradition of ringing steel in the canyons of Piru will continue as part of the future regional championship series," said Thomas. For more information on the Steel Challenge Shooting Association visit www.SteelChallenge.com, or follow @SteelChallenge on Twitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pro2AInPA Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 That's excellent news. Florida is certainly more gun friendly than CA (not that it takes a lot) and it's close enough for me to get a group together for the drive down the coast to shoot the match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzYooper Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 They really should post something on the Steel Challenge website or even on the USPSA website. I have no idea who posterous.com is. I thought that I would be happy if it moved out of CA, but since I would not be able to afford the trip difference to FL I am not happy. Being able to go in CA is better than not being able to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuyC Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I am glad to see stuff coming to Florida. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkatz44 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I am glad to see stuff coming to Florida. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Florida is much more family friendly also. Frank Garcia's range is close to Disney World, Epcot etc. It might make it eaiser for some people to bring the family for vacation while they shoot the match. Glad to see the Southeast getting a premier match also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slidelock1 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 This is very sad news for a lot of western state shooters and even sadder for those in the western states who have shot the Challenge since its inception but cannot afford the added expense of participating in this special event across the country. I was just wondering why we couldn't have a Spring World Shoot and and Summer or Fall World Shoot, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast, we could call it a Two Ocean Shoot. How hard could that be? This way a lot more shooters could participate and it would encourage more clubs on both coasts to offer Steel Challenge events in preparation for the "Big Shoot" on whatever coast they wanted to visit. Those unfortunate soles living somewhere in the middle of the country could chose which coast to go to: Sunny California or Frost Free Florida (Is Frost Free really the name of a city, it sounds like a brand of freezer? And is it REALLY frost free? Is California always sunny? I'll get back to you.). M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 This is very sad news for a lot of western state shooters and even sadder for those in the western states who have shot the Challenge since its inception but cannot afford the added expense of participating in this special event across the country. I was just wondering why we couldn't have a Spring World Shoot and and Summer or Fall World Shoot, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast, we could call it a Two Ocean Shoot. How hard could that be? This way a lot more shooters could participate and it would encourage more clubs on both coasts to offer Steel Challenge events in preparation for the "Big Shoot" on whatever coast they wanted to visit. Those unfortunate soles living somewhere in the middle of the country could chose which coast to go to: Sunny California or Frost Free Florida (Is Frost Free really the name of a city, it sounds like a brand of freezer? And is it REALLY frost free? Is California always sunny? I'll get back to you.). M. I hear you loud and clear Slidelock1, but it sounds like that ship has already sailed. But at the same time, it would enable alot of East Coast shooters to attend something they might never had a chance to before. And Yes .... Frostproof is the name of the city, and Yes it generally is Frostproof down there. Except for this Winter and last, the temp. rarely drops below 40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind bat Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I know where I'm vacationing next year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Well that blows! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 SUUU-WWWEEETTT! I am so skiddish about flying with guns and all that ammo that I would have driven. google maps says it's one day and 7 hours from here to Piru. On the other hand, Frostproof is 17 hours and some change away. you can't please everybody. we have the perfect spot right here in Sparta, IL if there were to ever be a Midwest Regional Steel Challenge Championship. Just look: 12 bays all nicely cut in and lined up. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireant Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Very good, I could never take the entire week plus travel time off work at that time of year to go to CA. Now that it is 4 hours away, no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzYooper Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 I'm sure there are just as many shooters in the East that would like the match nearby as those of us in the West. And I know that there are a lot of shooters in Florida and it is a shooter friendly state, but I wish the major matches would spread out a little. Am I right that the Steel Nationals and the World Championship are both in Florida? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim O'Young Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 The same applies to the tentative date of the last weekend in Oct... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Anderson Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I'm sure there are just as many shooters in the East that would like the match nearby as those of us in the West. And I know that there are a lot of shooters in Florida and it is a shooter friendly state, but I wish the major matches would spread out a little. Am I right that the Steel Nationals and the World Championship are both in Florida? The reason for creating the Steel Nationals was to give shooters on the other side of the country a major steel shooting venue. 2011 Steel Nationals Titusville, FL Steel Challenge Piru, CA 2012 Steel Challenge Frostproof, FL. Steel Nationals??? No venue has been set yet for the 2012 Steel Nats. I wouldn't be surprised to see it in the west or at least in the middle. Just give things a bit of time to shake out. The world is not ending, the sky is not falling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkatz44 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) I'm sure there are just as many shooters in the East that would like the match nearby as those of us in the West. And I know that there are a lot of shooters in Florida and it is a shooter friendly state, but I wish the major matches would spread out a little. Am I right that the Steel Nationals and the World Championship are both in Florida? The reason for creating the Steel Nationals was to give shooters on the other side of the country a major steel shooting venue. 2011 Steel Nationals Titusville, FL Steel Challenge Piru, CA 2012 Steel Challenge Frostproof, FL. Steel Nationals??? No venue has been set yet for the 2012 Steel Nats. I wouldn't be surprised to see it in the west or at least in the middle. Just give things a bit of time to shake out. The world is not ending, the sky is not falling When is the 2011 Steel Nationals in Titusville? Edited January 22, 2011 by jkatz44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Anderson Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I believe the dates are March 25-27, 2011 but I could be a day off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkatz44 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Griffin Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I'm sure there are just as many shooters in the East that would like the match nearby as those of us in the West. And I know that there are a lot of shooters in Florida and it is a shooter friendly state, but I wish the major matches would spread out a little. Am I right that the Steel Nationals and the World Championship are both in Florida? The reason for creating the Steel Nationals was to give shooters on the other side of the country a major steel shooting venue. 2011 Steel Nationals Titusville, FL Steel Challenge Piru, CA 2012 Steel Challenge Frostproof, FL. Steel Nationals??? No venue has been set yet for the 2012 Steel Nats. I wouldn't be surprised to see it in the west or at least in the middle. Just give things a bit of time to shake out. The world is not ending, the sky is not falling Good point, they should send it out to Vegas. Still gun friendly, easy to reach, cheap lodging, and plenty of room at the range. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninemmbill Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 From what I hear, it will be in Florida for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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