Tony Procter can't count the number of times he's been one shot away from a perfect score. Maybe a hundred, maybe a thousand.
Last Friday, he finally stuck his last arrow exactly where he wanted it.
Procter, a 16-year-old member of the Silvertip Archers, got his elusive 300 at the club's indoor range on Austin Road. His flawless performance came during league shooting and made him just the ninth person in club history to accomplish the feat.
"It took me three years to shoot a 300," he said.
"I was really ecstatic over it. It was a great feeling to have."
Procter was shooting from 18 metres with a compound bow, complete with scope. All 30 of his arrows hit either the X or the centre ring, which is about the size of a loonie. Earlier, when he was warming up, he had no indication of what was to come.
"The night started off slow," he said. "I shot a couple nines in practice -- didn't think it was going to be the hottest night out there. But I just kind of relaxed and shot every shot.
"They were all solid. There was nothing iffy about it."
On previous occasions when Procter was closing in on a perfect score, he'd let the stress of the situation get to him.
"The nerves would kick in hard and I'd end up missing that shot," said Procter, who was introduced to archery as soon as he was old enough to hold a bow.
"[This time] there were no nerves whatsoever."
Coincidentally, Procter scored his 300 a little more than a month after friend and clubmate Spencer Schouwenburg, a 14-year-old, got one. Before Schouwenburg's 300, it had been 16 years since a Silvertip archer had gone through a round of shooting without a miss.
Procter said he felt no extra pressure to break through for a 300 after Schouwenburg had done it.
"Me and him shoot together all the time," Procter said.
"He reacted the same way I did when he shot his -- with a good pat on the back."
The other Silvertip members who have perfect scores to their credit are Cory Vandel, Glen Johnson, Shawn Kelly, Wade Krueger, Kurt Johnson, Cec Mehan and Joe Dorion.
Procter, the reigning provincial champion in his age group in the compound class, wants to make Team B.C. for the 2015 Canada Winter Games and so does Schouwenburg. Both have the skills to compete in the Games, but, with a single compound spot available, both could end up as spectators. Or, quite possibly, one will make the team and one won't.
"If I go [to the Games], he'll be on the chair behind me, sitting there cheering, and if he goes I'll be sitting there cheering him," Procter said.
The Canada Winter Games will be held in Prince George next February. The archery competition will take place at the Northern Sport Centre fieldhouse.
