Children can indeed change your life. When Paul and Kerstin Williams’ daughter took up archery in middle school, her connection to the sport brought something new to her parents. It led to their 2016 purchase of High Altitude Archery.
Since their purchase, the business has continued to serve as a hub for the area’s archery community. The converted 16,000-square-foot warehouse on Weaver Road, behind the Great Western Sugar Mill, houses 54 target lanes, classroom space and a pro shop with repair and bow-tuning services. There, archery hobbyists and professionals can enjoy the sport, practice their skills and engage in competitions.
Paul Williams, who owns the business in addition to his full-time job as a program manager for learning programs at Google, said it stands as one of the top three archery ranges in Colorado.
“Even with COVID, we can have up to 19 people shooting safely,” he said. “ We have approximately 2,000 customers who come through annually, with 200 regular students who take three or more classes. A lot of other folks come in just to shoot recreationally.”
A wide range of archers visits the business. The Williams and staff teach students ranging from school-age children who have never picked up a bow to adults who have shot earlier in their lives and are coming back to the sport decades later.
The Williamses run their business based on the philosophy that archery calls for both physical and mental discipline.
“Archery takes a lot of concentration. Every arrow is a new opportunity, it’s on its own merit,”Kerstin Williams said. “We don’t want students to dwell on the super-high or the super-low outcomes.”
Customers, like competitive archer Jason Prock, appreciate what it has to offer. On most days, he can be found putting in between three and four hours of practice time in High Altitude’s lanes.
“I’ve been to a couple of shops, but I came here, and I just felt comfortable,” he said. “Now I’m in every day, and the whole family shoots here, too. My son is in the Junior Olympic Archery Development Program.”
Prock’s experience shows the potential of what can happen when shooters reconnect with archery as adults. He shared that he only restarted in the sport two years ago and found he liked competing. He’s worked his skill to the point that he recently placed 31st in the state championship and ninth out of 1,300 shooters at an indoor competition in Las Vegas.
While the adult programs have standout archers like Prock, younger archers also enjoy competing. The youth competition team is developed and supported by USA Archery, the governing body of archery in the U.S.
“In an average year, we get the opportunity to do six competitions a year plus nationals,” Paul Williams said.
The process also helps the Williamses provide the most well-researched approach to the sport that prevents injuries while offering the best chance for success.
In addition to their other focus areas, the Williamses work to connect with the community. They’ve worked with the Autism Society of Boulder County, finding that the society’s members benefit from archery’s required stillness and focus.
“Archery has been a really good outlet, it allows you the space to focus, but also provides the opportunity to get out with folks,” Paul Williams said.
With the Williamses ‘ goal to expose as many people to archery as possible, the business also has worked with local schools, scouting groups, church groups, and summer camps.
“It’s important for the community to know that archery is accessible to people with all different kinds of ability levels and ages,” Paul Williams said. “We hope that people can come out and give it a try. We think they’ll appreciate it.”
