Steel Challenge

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The Steel Challenge is a yearly pistol match founded by Mike Dalton and Mike Fichman.[1] The targets, made of steel, range in size from 10" round plates to 18"x24" square plates. The match is held every year in Piru, California and draws shooters from around the world.

Contents

[edit] History

The Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships have grown to one of the largest professional pistol competitions in America.[2] In 2007 more than 220 competitors from the United States and around the world competed for a portion of the $390,000 in cash and prizes - the largest purse in competitive pistol shooting.[3]

Competitors are scored based solely on the time it takes them to shoot each stage. The last target that is shot is known as the "stop plate", which stops the timer. If a competitor fails to hit a target before the stop plate is struck, the competitor's run is not counted. Each competitor shoots each stage five times, with their best four runs counting. The competitor's best four out of five runs are averaged and added to the average of the competitor's runs on the other stages. The winner is the competitor with the lowest overall time.

Founded in 1981, the first Steel Challenge saw just 70. John Shaw who claimed the first title of ‘World’s Fastest Shooter’ along with his share of the $20,000 in cash and prizes.

In the winter of 2007, Dalton and Fichman sold the Steel Challenge to the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA)[4] which is the US sanctioning body of IPSC.

[edit] The Steel Challenge Stages

The Steel Challenge is comprised of 8 courses of fire called 'stages.'[5] They are:

[edit] Steel Challenge World Records

Stage Shooter Time Avg. Run Year
Pendulum KC Eusebio 10.81 2.70 2006
Roundabout KC Eusebio 8.35 2.08 2007
Showdown BJ Norris 8.11 2.02 2007
Five To Go Max Michel 9.58 2.39 2007
Speed Option Max Michel 10.06 2.51 2007
Smoke & Hope KC Eusebio 7.39 1.84 2004
Outer Limits BJ Norris 11.40 3.80 2007
Accelerator Max Michel 8.94 2.23 2007

[edit] Past Champions

Year Top Overall Top Woman
2007 Max Michel Jessie Abbate
2006 JJ Racaza Kay Clark-Miculek
2005 Max Michel Kay Clark-Miculek
2004 Tatsuya Sakai Kay Clark-Miculek
2003 KC Eusebio Athena Lee
2002 Rob Leatham Athena Lee
2001 Doug Koenig Kay Clark-Miculek
2000 Doug Koenig Kay Clark-Miculek
1999 Doug Koenig Julie Goloski
1998 Jerry Barnhart Cathy Levanza
1997 Ross Newell Kay Clark-Miculek
1993 Jethro Dionsio Valerie Levanza
1992 Jethro Dionsio Valerie Levanza
1991 Jerry Barnhart Judy Woolley
1990 Jethro Dionsio Judy Woolley
1989 Angelo Spagnoli Shirley Hamilton
1988 Chip McCormick Suzan Cooper
1987 Jerry Barnhart Michelle Griggs
1986 Chip McCormick Jo Anne Hall
1985 Rob Leatham Lee Cole
1984 Nick Pruitt Lee Cole
1983 Mickey Fowler Linda Zubiena
1982 J. Michael Plaxco Pamela Morris
1981 John Shaw Melba Pruitt

[edit] Press Coverage Over The Years

Since at least 2003, the Shooting Gallery show on the nationally syndicated Outdoor Channel has produced a summary of each Steel Challenge championship. It has also been covered in other press, including notable articles in Amercian Handgunner,[6][7] GunWeek, [8] and Outdoor Life.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ May 2003 issue of American Handgunner magazine http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-99130368.html
  2. ^ January 2000 issue of American Hangunner http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_144_24/ai_57886948
  3. ^ About Us http://steelchallenge.com/about/
  4. ^ USPSA press release http://www.steelchallenge.com/uspsa_acquires_scsa.html
  5. ^ Steel Challenge Stages http://steelchallenge.com/stages/
  6. ^ American Handgunner January 2000
  7. ^ American Handgunner May 2003
  8. ^ GunWeek July 2001
  9. ^ Outdoor Life 2003

[edit] External links