The 2014 Firefighter’s Olympics was hosted by the firefighters of San Francisco and they did an outstanding job of managing the shotgun events. The events started on time, ran smoothly, and the medals were handed out immediately after the event was over. Their record keeping was very thorough and aboveboard. So much so that they when they found that a medal had been inadvertently awarded to a person who did not qualify for that medal, they immediately had it returned and awarded it to the proper shooter. The person who lost the medal was one of their own guys. You just can’t do it any better.
The trap and skeet events were held at the Pacific Rod & Gun Club in San Francisco, and the Coyote Valley Gun Club in Morgan Hill hosted the sporting clays. The Pacific Rod & Gun Club in San Francisco is one of those places that exists where you would least expect to find it. The club has been there since 1922, and considering the politics in San Francisco, it is nothing short of a miracle that it still exists today.
Special thanks go out to the non-firefighter members of the club who came out and assisted the SFFD in the running of the events. Your presence and expertise made the events run as smoothly as possible. Extra special thanks go to the club member who had a Grateful Dead patch on his shooting vest. You generally don’t see many of those at a trap and skeet shoot. It brought back pleasant memories of the 1960’s.
There were several LAFD Trap & Skeet team records set this year that will last forever, maybe longer. Given the age of our members, forever was about five minutes ago, so I think that is an accurate statement. All of these amazing records were set by the same shooter, me – Art Sorrentino. I was able to win the most medals, five, by an individual member of the LAFD Trap & Skeet team in any Firefighter Olympics trap, skeet and sporting clays event since before the turn of the century. Snagged also were silver medals in the single skeet and handicap trap events. A shoot off was necessary in the skeet event to decide the winner of the gold and silver medal. A shoot off is a sudden death elimination when there is a tie for a medal. Bronze medals were won in 16 yard trap, doubles trap and sporting clays. A shoot off was required in the sporting clays event for the silver and bronze medals.
Accomplished also was the most medals won by a member of the LAFD Trap & Skeet team who has been retired for more than 12 years as of 2014. In addition, I scored the highest low score to win the coveted Pink Hat Award. What makes this a truly amazing record is that the winner predicted his win about two weeks before the games began. That would, I believe, place this shooter in the same league as Babe Ruth when he pointed to center field and predicted that his next hit would be a home run. I think I will go buy a Power Ball ticket.
The photo of the medal winner shows an athlete whose intense training regimen has honed his skills to a razor sharp point. You will also notice that he has a chiseled, rock hard body. It’s hard to tell from the photo if this is the Michelin Man or the Bob’s Big Boy statue. This look was achieved after many long years of practice, which obviously didn’t include any push-aways.
If anyone has proof that any of the preceding record statements are inaccurate or flat out false please submit them, along with any supporting documents, for verification. I will submit them to a hand-picked team of expert farmers, who are outstanding in their fields, for authentication. They shall be required to be received within two days of receiving the Grapevine and overnight UPS delivery is required. The decision of the judge, that would be me, is final. Winners will be notified by mail within one year.
If anyone submits documents that prove the above stated records are untrue they will receive an all-expense paid, overnight fishing trip to the other side of Catalina Island. This trip will be provided by Carmine & Nunzio’s charter service . . . if you get my drift.
If you would like to see what trap and/or skeet shooting is all about, come out to Oak Tree Gun Club in Newhall on any Friday morning at ten o’clock and join us for a fun day of making noise and breaking things. We would really like to see you out there.
If you would like more information about us you can contact me at s.skipsor@verizon.net or you can call me at (805) 551 8518.
By Art Sorrentino
