Winter atlatl throwing is a lot more challenging than summer atlatl throwing, partly because it's more difficult to hold the thrower, but partly because the darts would sometimes choose to submarine themselves beneath the snow, making them very hard to find. It was Norris' first time with the atlatl and, despite the challenges, he was a natural.
We decided to take a walk in the green space near my house, taking practice throws in the clearings along the trails. I always forget how frustrating it can be to take Nanuq along when we're throwing darts. He likes to chase the darts and, when three throwers are all aiming for the same target, accidents are bound to happen.
(No animals were harmed for the taking of this photograph.
Sometimes that "play dead" command really comes in handy!)
It's amazing to think that the simple atlatl was able to take down mastadons and can punch holes through car doors (not that we've done either of those). If you've ever wanted to throw a stick the length of a soccer field (the distance of the throw, not the length of the stick), get in touch with Atlatl Mike!
No comments:
Post a Comment