Drizzt
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Aberdeen American News (South Dakota)
May 23, 2003 Friday
SECTION: C; Pg. 1
LENGTH: 958 words
HEADLINE: 'Shooting Star' aiming for Aberdeen audience;
Professional shooter to perform at May 31 event
BYLINE: By Eric Burgess; American News Sports Writer
BODY:
In the days of the Wild West, Billy The Kid and Doc Holliday were just two names associated with men who knew how to handle their guns.
But these famous gunslingers were lucky that Tom Knapp wasn't around in their time or he would have been the talk of the town. That's exactly what Knapp is these days; the talk of the town.
Knapp, a professional shooter who performs between 80 to 100 shows annually around the world, will be in Aberdeen on May 31 to perform one of his shooting shows during "Benelli Day" at the Aberdeen Gun Club. Knapp's 2 p.m. show is one of many attractions at the inauguralevent.
As always, Knapp is looking forward to his upcoming performance. The varied reactions he receives during his shows is part of what draws him back time after time.
"The reaction of the audience is varied and unexpected and remains the most intriguing to me," said Knapp. "Sometimes they are awestruck and remain silent. This took some getting used to because I didn't understand that the silence was awe, rather than disappointment. But the fun starts when I get the audience laughing and responding.
"The most rewarding for me is when I get the youth involved with my 'Egg Toss' routine," added Knapp. "My passion for involving the youth in a positive shooting sports environment and relaying my point of view of safety, responsibility and good sportsmanship are at the top of my list of importance."
Known as "The Shooting Star," Knapp began his professional career with Benelli (one of the world's most popular firearms manufacturers) in 1993. He began by setting a world record by tossing nine standard clay targets into the air and then striking each with a single round from his Benelli M1 Super 90 semi-automatic shotgun in just 2.3 seconds. In 2000, he set another world record by breaking eight clays with a single round using his Benelli Nova Pump shotgun. The latter of the two records was previously held for 50 years by one of the world's greatest exhibition shooters and Knapp's idol, Herb Parsons. Parsons was Winchester's premiere exhibition shooter during the 1940s and '50s.
"As a young shooting sports enthusiast, I was always interested in seeing what was possible," Knapp said. "The historic accomplishments of past exhibition shooters remains awesome even considering the equipment of their era. Today's technology and improved equipment should (in theory) make it possible to extend those possibilities. After learning that the target presentation is most important and becoming familiar with the art of throwing the targets, I pushed myself (assuring safe gun handling and safe practice areas) to achieve the maximum."
Apart from the time he spends performing shows, Knapp balances his time making appearances on three popular outdoor TV shows. He regularly makes appearances on Benelli's American Bird Hunter with host Dave Gruber (The Outdoor Channel), Outdoorsmen Adventures with host Gary Howey (The Outdoor Channel) and American Shooter with host Jim Scoutten (Outdoor Life Network).
Add to Knapp's busy schedule the countless flying hours he logs traveling from one destination to another, the numerous outdoor shows he attends, running his personal Web site and online store and spending time with his wife Colleen and yellow lab Abby, and it's simply amazing he can do some of the things he does. With and without a firearm.
But Knapp says it's his busy schedule, particularly performing around 100 shows a year, that keeps his skills in tune. But most of the time, Knapp makes things look so easy that it seems like he runs on pure shooting instinct alone, like when he tosses objects such as tiny pebbles or aspirin into the air and shoots them with a .22 rifle.
For the reader who doesn't know just how difficult it is to pull off stunts like Knapp's .22 rifle and pistol tricks, try keeping count of how many clay targets an average shooter misses using a shotgun which fires off a patterned spread of many BBs. Now try to imagine someone hitting something as small as an aspirin with a single projectile such as a .22 bullet and rarely missing.
Professional shooter or not, it's simply amazing.
"The first thing is to make sure of your background and where you know the bullets will fall," Knapp said. "Many other safety factors need to be addressed as well. Once I'm convinced I have the proper shooting area, I will provide the audience with a fast paced rimfire show, starting with large objects (potatoes, apples, etc.) and work my way down in size to an aspirin tablet, striking each with a single projectile from mid-air. This comes from nearly a lifetime of plinking for my own entertainment. There may be a special gift involved as well. The secret of being able to hit airborne aspirin tablets is quite simple, the center of the aspirin is exactly the same size as the center of a potato!"
Nevertheless, it took Scott McIntire, owner of SoDak Sport & Bait in Aberdeen, nearly three years to book Knapp for a performance.Seeing Knapp perform one of his shows is something that he and many other outdoorsmen in the Aberdeen area have been anticipating for some time.
"His schedule fills up pretty quickly every year," McIntire said of Knapp. "We had to go through Benelli to set it up since he is essentially promoting their firearms. The first year we tried to get him here, we were just too late. And then last year, the dates that he was available didn't work out for us. But this year, we ended up going ahead and getting in the dates that would work for us in September. But we didn't find out until February that he was going to be here for sure.
"Just from talking to people, there is a lot of excitement about his coming here," McIntire added. "He puts on a great show."
May 23, 2003 Friday
SECTION: C; Pg. 1
LENGTH: 958 words
HEADLINE: 'Shooting Star' aiming for Aberdeen audience;
Professional shooter to perform at May 31 event
BYLINE: By Eric Burgess; American News Sports Writer
BODY:
In the days of the Wild West, Billy The Kid and Doc Holliday were just two names associated with men who knew how to handle their guns.
But these famous gunslingers were lucky that Tom Knapp wasn't around in their time or he would have been the talk of the town. That's exactly what Knapp is these days; the talk of the town.
Knapp, a professional shooter who performs between 80 to 100 shows annually around the world, will be in Aberdeen on May 31 to perform one of his shooting shows during "Benelli Day" at the Aberdeen Gun Club. Knapp's 2 p.m. show is one of many attractions at the inauguralevent.
As always, Knapp is looking forward to his upcoming performance. The varied reactions he receives during his shows is part of what draws him back time after time.
"The reaction of the audience is varied and unexpected and remains the most intriguing to me," said Knapp. "Sometimes they are awestruck and remain silent. This took some getting used to because I didn't understand that the silence was awe, rather than disappointment. But the fun starts when I get the audience laughing and responding.
"The most rewarding for me is when I get the youth involved with my 'Egg Toss' routine," added Knapp. "My passion for involving the youth in a positive shooting sports environment and relaying my point of view of safety, responsibility and good sportsmanship are at the top of my list of importance."
Known as "The Shooting Star," Knapp began his professional career with Benelli (one of the world's most popular firearms manufacturers) in 1993. He began by setting a world record by tossing nine standard clay targets into the air and then striking each with a single round from his Benelli M1 Super 90 semi-automatic shotgun in just 2.3 seconds. In 2000, he set another world record by breaking eight clays with a single round using his Benelli Nova Pump shotgun. The latter of the two records was previously held for 50 years by one of the world's greatest exhibition shooters and Knapp's idol, Herb Parsons. Parsons was Winchester's premiere exhibition shooter during the 1940s and '50s.
"As a young shooting sports enthusiast, I was always interested in seeing what was possible," Knapp said. "The historic accomplishments of past exhibition shooters remains awesome even considering the equipment of their era. Today's technology and improved equipment should (in theory) make it possible to extend those possibilities. After learning that the target presentation is most important and becoming familiar with the art of throwing the targets, I pushed myself (assuring safe gun handling and safe practice areas) to achieve the maximum."
Apart from the time he spends performing shows, Knapp balances his time making appearances on three popular outdoor TV shows. He regularly makes appearances on Benelli's American Bird Hunter with host Dave Gruber (The Outdoor Channel), Outdoorsmen Adventures with host Gary Howey (The Outdoor Channel) and American Shooter with host Jim Scoutten (Outdoor Life Network).
Add to Knapp's busy schedule the countless flying hours he logs traveling from one destination to another, the numerous outdoor shows he attends, running his personal Web site and online store and spending time with his wife Colleen and yellow lab Abby, and it's simply amazing he can do some of the things he does. With and without a firearm.
But Knapp says it's his busy schedule, particularly performing around 100 shows a year, that keeps his skills in tune. But most of the time, Knapp makes things look so easy that it seems like he runs on pure shooting instinct alone, like when he tosses objects such as tiny pebbles or aspirin into the air and shoots them with a .22 rifle.
For the reader who doesn't know just how difficult it is to pull off stunts like Knapp's .22 rifle and pistol tricks, try keeping count of how many clay targets an average shooter misses using a shotgun which fires off a patterned spread of many BBs. Now try to imagine someone hitting something as small as an aspirin with a single projectile such as a .22 bullet and rarely missing.
Professional shooter or not, it's simply amazing.
"The first thing is to make sure of your background and where you know the bullets will fall," Knapp said. "Many other safety factors need to be addressed as well. Once I'm convinced I have the proper shooting area, I will provide the audience with a fast paced rimfire show, starting with large objects (potatoes, apples, etc.) and work my way down in size to an aspirin tablet, striking each with a single projectile from mid-air. This comes from nearly a lifetime of plinking for my own entertainment. There may be a special gift involved as well. The secret of being able to hit airborne aspirin tablets is quite simple, the center of the aspirin is exactly the same size as the center of a potato!"
Nevertheless, it took Scott McIntire, owner of SoDak Sport & Bait in Aberdeen, nearly three years to book Knapp for a performance.Seeing Knapp perform one of his shows is something that he and many other outdoorsmen in the Aberdeen area have been anticipating for some time.
"His schedule fills up pretty quickly every year," McIntire said of Knapp. "We had to go through Benelli to set it up since he is essentially promoting their firearms. The first year we tried to get him here, we were just too late. And then last year, the dates that he was available didn't work out for us. But this year, we ended up going ahead and getting in the dates that would work for us in September. But we didn't find out until February that he was going to be here for sure.
"Just from talking to people, there is a lot of excitement about his coming here," McIntire added. "He puts on a great show."
