Archery and art, speaking and shooting -- all were part of the first-ever Beaver Lake Games, a competition for high school students organized by the Association for Beaver Lake Environment.
Events took place at two sites Saturday, with 4-H members and six high schools participating.
"We really want the kids to take an interest in the lake," said Mark Curtis, an association board member and volunteer at the Prairie Creek Campground site at Beaver Lake, a man-made reservoir constructed in the 1960s. About 85 students participated at the site about 3 miles east of Rogers.
The events offered a unique opportunity for some to try unfamiliar activities outdoors. Abby Lane, a junior at Har-Ber High School in Springdale, entered a canoeing competition.
Her trip with classmate Allie Uribe ended with both in the water after the canoe tipped over.
"Holy moley, I'm never doing this again!" Lane exclaimed while making her way to the rocky shore. About 25 volunteers and participants clapped as the girls made their way to land.
A big smile replaced her mock exasperation. With a towel draped around her shoulders, Lane said she was already looking forward to next year.
"I'll come back and teach a class," she said.
Lane didn't have to wait that long, however. She was back on the water later in the morning.
About 16 yards from an archery target, an arrow flew from the bow used by Matthew Moore, a 12th-grader at Rogers Heritage High School. It landed right near the center.
He said he's been practicing archery since he was 12 years old, but there aren't many competitions in the area.
His father, Brett, attended the event, as did a few other parents.
"This is great for the kids," Brett Moore said, adding that he wished young archers had more opportunities in the area.
Other events included fly casting and an air gun shooting competition. Sponsors Daisy and Ozark Mountain Trading Co. provided equipment.
Also scheduled was a "reduce, reuse and recycle" regatta featuring student-made boats, such as a craft made by Eureka Springs High School students using plastic buckets and piping tied together with twine.
Students from the Bentonville and Elkins high schools also participated in the events at the campground.
Elsewhere, at Northwest Arkansas Community College, students used their creativity to come up with logos and lake-themed art. Among other academically oriented contests, students performed a short skit based on a historical photograph of the area.
James Gately, president of the Association for Beaver Lake Environment, came up with the idea for the Beaver Lake Games in part as a way to encourage young people to try new things.
"We're hoping they feel closer to the lake and more willing to help protect it," said Gately, a retired schoolteacher. Saturday marked the culmination of about three years of work, including visits to superintendents and school officials to sell them on the idea.
Gately went so far as to write a manual for the event, relying on his own ideas to put the competition together.
"We tried to do a search to see if anybody in the country has done this. We couldn't find anybody who had done an athletic and academic competition about a watershed like this," Gately said.
In addition to volunteers from the Association for Beaver Lake Environment, Gately said other environmental groups, also helped, including Ozarks Water Watch.
Gately and others also recruited judges for some of the events, like Carrie Perrien Smith, a judge for a speech event.
"I love the fact that we're empowering kids and having them search for information on their own about the environment," she said.
Stephen Tate, a senior at Har-Ber High School, was among a group giving short speeches about the decision to create Beaver Lake.
"The main benefit is having to learn more about the lake to give the speech," said Tate, a debate team captain.
The students from Rogers Heritage High School took the overall trophy, but they weren't the only ones pleased with the event.
Tate's debate coach at Har-Ber High School, Ta-Neisha Marshall, praised having an event with such a local focus. "We'll be back next year," she said.
NW News on 09/21/2014