First Annual RAMPS Trap & Skeet Shooting Tournament
The Internet newsgroup, titled "ramps" (rec.arts.movies.production.sound), has become an institution to many in the production sound profession who value sharing and gathering information on equipment, trends, techniques, etc.

Many participate on ramps, and many more "lurk" silently, usually to the benefit of the production sound industry. But every now and then something totally unrelated is born as a result. Somehow, somewhere, on the ramps newsgroup, a gauntlet was dropped by Eric Toline and was picked up by Glen Trew. The dispute, as many feared, would go down in history as the first ever RAMPS posting that was eventually settled with shotguns.

Unknown to Glen at the time, Eric is Vice President of the Markham Skeet, Trap & Sporting Clays Club in Sunrise, Florida. But unknown to Eric was that, as a kid, when Glen wasn't out standing in his field hunting rabbits, he worked for years as a "Pull-Boy" at the Nashville Skeet Club.

So, they met in the desert, around sundown, just outside Las Vegas, and Glen and Eric squared off at a very nice and very active trap and skeet club, Wednesday, April 9, 2003.

To keep the whole event honest, sound mixer and RAMPS contributor Dave Schaaf was present to officiate and take pictures. Our planning was not the best this first time out, so while the club has plenty of lighted fields for night use, the only field available to us was an unlighted field. It was starting to get dark.

Who won? Who knows? (Who cares?). Sparing everyone the excuses that were flung at the respectably few targets that were lost, about halfway through the second round it got too dark to see much of anything.

Since it was widely assumed that all targets shot at in the dark were hit, the official ruling by Referee Schaaf: It was a draw. Translated by Glen and Eric: Rematch!

So anyone interested in participating in this growing tournament, or just sharing the experience as a by-stander, please plan on joining us at the 2004 NAB RAMPS Shoot-Out.