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Olympic Fever Spurring Growth Of Bay Area Archery

PACIFICA (KCBS) - In a bit of a surprise, TV ratings are said to be strong for archery. As many as a million and a half viewers in the U.S. alone tuning in - and that's not much of a surprise for some Bay Area athletes who were perfecting their craft long before Opening Ceremonies.

"I like shooting guns. A couple years ago, ammo was hard to come by and it got really expensive," Rob Hensel, Vice President of the Pacifica-based San Francisco Archers, explains how he first got into the sport.

"All ages do archery," chimed in Pat Hensel, the scorekeeper.

Indeed, children as young as four are said to be picking up bows and arrows. Perhaps it's not just because of the Olympics, but recent blockbusters like Brave and The Hunger Games, too.

"Archery's gotten very popular," confirmed Pat Heimsoth with San Francisco Archers. "Especially with all the new movies out about archery."

KCBS' Tim Ryan Reports:

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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