Have you seen the Olympic shooter who looks more like he’s picking salami at the deli counter?
It’s hard to avoid viral photos of Yusuf Dikec, the Turkish sport shooter who’s cooler than the other side of the pillow. His laid-back style got me thinking about my time in Bhutan, where archery is more than just a sport—it’s a national pastime and a way of life.
In Bhutan, archery competitions are like a mix of a family reunion and a frat party—complete with traditional garb, dancing, and yes, a fair bit of drinking. The shooting range is 145 meters long—twice the length of an Olympic range.
The Bhutanese archery target is also only 31cm wide, compared to the Olympic target’s 122cm.
On top of this they use traditional bamboo bows called Zhu, which are basically sticks with strings, unlike the high-tech Olympic bows with detachable limbs, stabilizers, sights and clickers.
Imagine trying to hit a target that looks like the width of an iPhone from a distance longer than two Boeing 747s using a bow construction that has remained unchanged for over 500 years!
I wanted to find out so I joined a friendly competition. While I gave it quite a few shots (pun intended) let’s just say, the target has never felt safer.
Despite the challenge, I saw locals hitting the target consistently while half-drunk.
Yusuf Dikec might have gone viral for his surprisingly no frills shooting, but I think we’re missing the point. It’s not about what’s possible; it’s about what we’re exposed to.
There are countless skills and talents out there that seem impossible simply because we haven’t seen them in action.
There’s also countless challenges that seem insurmountable only because you haven’t tried them.
As they say, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take (drunk or not).
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