Craig Daily Press

Craig — The lifespan of bowling pins in Craig has been drastically reduced.

No longer is it safe hiding away at the back of Thunder Rolls Bowling Center, occasionally being dislodged from where they stand by a black rubber ball.

Members of the Bears Ears Sportsman’s Club have found a different way to knock down those pins.

Shoot them.

Tuesday marked the opening day for the club’s Bowling Pin Shoot.

Five “reject” bowling pins — as Bears Ears board members Robin and Steve Sloan call them — are set up on two separate tables.

The event essentially is a race between two competitors, as both shoot at the pins with the winner knocking the pins completely from the table the quickest.

“They take as many shots as it takes” to knock the pins from the table, Robin laughed and said. “There isn’t a certain amount of shots you get, it’s about how fast you knock them down.”

Robin and Steve took over the event two years ago, because “our whole family likes to shoot,” Robin said.

“A couple of members started it and we took it over,” Steve said.

“We are a shooting-type family,” Robin said.

The bi-weekly event is for handguns only and has two classifications: .22 caliber and center-fire.

Each classification has a 16-man bracket; the .22 caliber division is a double-elimination format, the center-fire a single elimination.

Club members pay a $1 entry fee, with winners receiving half the pot.

“We don’t do it for the money,” Steve said. “This is totally nonprofit. The little bit of money we make goes to replacing the tables once they are all shot up.”

Many of the participants agreed.

“I come here to have fun,” Jim Hixson said. “I’m too old to worry about winning.”

Hixson brought two guns with him to the shoot, a High Standard Victor .22 and a Colt .45 1911.

When asked how many guns he has in his household, Hixson jokingly responded.

“I’d be considered a terrorist if I told you,” he said. “Let’s just say a lot.”

Kent Nielson sauntered up to the range, black bag in hand, ready to shoot at some pins.

He brought four guns and a simple strategy to the event.

“I just point and pull the trigger,” he said. “I’ve been shooting since I was a young kid. It helps relieve stress.”

As the event began, Frank Sadvar faced off against Herb Parker in the first round.

Sadvar knocked down four of his pins, calmly reloaded his pistol, and one shot later, he was declared the winner.

His clip holds 10 bullets, so Sadvar took 11 shots for the five pins.

“You can tell it’s the first round,” he said. “Later on, you won’t get a chance to shoot out (empty the clip) before the other guys pins are down.”

Sadvar said he was there for “fun” and “practice.”

Practice for what?

“Oh, all kinds of stuff,” he said. “Rabbits, small game.”

“For people,” Parker jokingly joined in and said.

Parker competed — or practiced — for the first time.

He heard about the event from some friends and admitted to having “no clue” as to what takes place at the base of Cedar Mountain.

“All I know is that I have to hit those pins,” he said pointing to the tables. “I heard they give money to the winners and I don’t have a problem with money.

“Just bowling pins.”