STUNTMAN ENJOYS TAKING A BOW : HALL HAS BEEN ABLE TO INCORPORATE SPORT OF ARCHERY INTO WORK.Byline: Daniel Lazar Special to the Daily News Many people take up archery archery, sport of shooting with bow and arrow, an important military and hunting skill before the introduction of gunpowder. England's Charles II fostered archery as sport, establishing in 1673 the world's oldest continuous archery tournament, the Ancient Scorton to add excitement to their lives, take their minds off a sedentary desk job and get a little exercise. Not Randy Hall. The Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. resident does find thrill in the sport, no doubt about it. But when you consider his profession, you understand that adrenaline is part of his daily diet. It's what Hollywood stuntmen like Hall thrive on. ``I'm afraid of everything,'' he said, ``so everything I do is kind of scary.'' Falls from buildings, rolling cars, bar fights - Hall's been doing all that stuff for the marquee actors ever since he came to Hollywood from Iowa in 1978. But the 37-year-old isn't just any stuntman stunt·man n. A man who substitutes for a performer in scenes requiring physical daring or involving physical risk. stuntman n → especialista m stuntman . He's one of few who has incorporated archery in his work. ``It's a sport I don't think is for everyone,'' Hall said. ``I was immediately bitten and I have never lost the love for it, nor will I ever lose it.'' Hall got into bows and arrows as a 13-year-old, when a TV adventure took him on vicarious vicarious /vi·car·i·ous/ (vi-kar´e-us) 1. acting in the place of another or of something else. 2. occurring at an abnormal site. vi·car·i·ous adj. 1. bowhunting Bowhunting is the practice of taking game animals by archery. Technique In contrast to a rifle hunter, who may shoot effectively from ranges in excess of 200 yards (about 180 m), archers will usually restrict shots to 45 yards or less, depending on factors such as trips all over the world. His mother soon bought him a second-hand bow, which he used to hunt rabbits, squirrels and deer in the woods around his hometown of Dubuque. But as Hall broadened his interests, he put his bow away . . . until five years ago, when his interest was rekindled and he bought a top-notch recurve bow A recurve bow is a form of bow defined by the side-view profile; in contrast to the simple longbow, a recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is unstrung. . Within a year he ``was pretty much winning every tournament (he) entered.'' Hall later hankered for a bigger challenge. He switched to the longbow longbow Leading missile weapon of the English from the 14th century into the 16th century. Probably of Welsh origin, it was usually 6 ft (2 m) tall and shot arrows more than a yard long. - a more traditional tool made of wood and void of any pulleys or sights - and has never looked back. ``It's more organic,'' he said. ``Many people who shoot longbows do it because they want to get back to their roots.'' Hall, a bow-hunting safety instructor whose wife Laura, 34, is expecting their first child, has won several tournaments with his longbow. He is also becoming known for his prowess wielding a bow in front of the camera. Hall had a gig on ``Married: With Children'' shooting an apple off of a dummy's head. His arrows also zipped through a moving target and put out a candle's flame. Not a big deal? Well, hitting the dummy would have cost the studio more than $10,000. In the movie ``Hard Target,'' Hall shot a glass lantern that burst into flames only inches away from another stuntman. ``The other stunt guy had done so many fire gags he wasn't nervous about being set on fire,'' Hall said. ``He was worried about being shot.'' Count that particularly stuntman fortunate; work used to be a lot riskier. Hall said that stunt shooters used to actually shoot the stuntmen, who were fitted only with a block of wood for protection. ``I think any time you've got someone's life on the line it would be very unnerving un·nerve tr.v. un·nerved, un·nerv·ing, un·nerves 1. To deprive of fortitude, strength, or firmness of purpose. 2. To make nervous or upset. ,'' Hall said. ``There's always that chance that the arrow flies off an inch.'' It might be a tough way to make a living, but Hall wouldn't have it any other way. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1--color) Randy Hall of Thousand Oaks is an arch er and a stuntman. Sometimes he can combine the two. (2) Stuntman Randy Hall, who has won many archery tournaments, likes using a longbow, which has less gadgetry gadg·et·ry n. 1. Gadgets considered as a group. 2. The design or construction of gadgets. Noun 1. gadgetry - appliances collectively; "laborsaving gadgetry" than some other types. Evan Yee / Daily News |
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