National Slingshot Championship 1980, Toulon, Illinois

For many years the National Slingshot Championship was held in Toulon, Illinois, population 1200. This event brought notoriety and tourists to this community every Summer. This story is a somewhat comical look at the event through the eyes of its biggest promoter. I shot this story while a TV Photojournalist for "Weekday Magazine" on WQAD-TV 8, Moline, Illinois.

[@GZKBAND]

Amazing. Thank you for recording this precious piece of slingshot history!Greetings from GZK, a reporter and shooter

[@buskingkarma2503]

Thanks for putting this on here! I'd really like to see more historical slingshot video's like this on KZbin! So true what that guy said as well,,it's the perfect tool to use to teach responsibility to kids.

[@LordRobere]

This was great to see! The theme music was perfect for this shoot-out. But best was to see this from that era, my era. Never even considered back then sling-shot shooting was ever organized to anywhere near this level. I actually started much earlier as a teen, but continued through that era and still shoot today. Yet it is courtesy of the internet that I have learned I'm not the only "odd older kid", as someone said, to shoot sling-shots in this day and age. Thank you,

[@tomtalbertvideo]

If you see or speak to him, tell him hi from me. I was raised in Toulon and enjoyed going back to do that story. One of the funnest I had the opportunity to do.

[@slingshotwarrrior8105]

A classic tournament!

[@gaboxolo31]

Legend of legends Wish I had the possibility to meet him

[@Genchik98]

Wow! Amazing video! :)

[@charlesskeen8684]

Blue is my uncle , he resides at him home place in Pound Virginia , still going

[@fred081646]

I worked at fisher body in Detroit with both Joe and Blue. I still have a slingshot Blue made for me.

[@racecar157]

rufus hussey

[@walkingviking770]

Fantastisch 👍mit solchen Zwillen hier nicht machbar 😫

[@bowhunt9968]

That reporter should have checked his facts! Stark is NOT the smallest county in Illinois

[@pfshooter]

So what was the fianl out come of the shoot off. How many shots and at what distance. What was the recorded number for 60 seconds?

[@e.whawkins7211]

hey Did you find that out?

[@jonathanyoung9369]

What the hell is going on here

[@seandoyle2983]

I made mine from wire hangers and stationary elastic bands.

[@Paiadakine]

WW of Sports was the best. This teachers way of teaching responsibility is lacking today.

[@rambazamba9575]

Imagine making a worldcup and only fellow americans participate, because nobody knows and then you win. Amazing.

[@mirandabri834]

Awesome to see this old footage and look at how the people were back then; so humble and happy with a simple slingshot. Most people today wouldn't even consider doing such as a means of fun or for pleasure or relaxation. So sad in the times in which we live. I remember back then we'd talk about how "awesome" the future would be and that we couldn't wait to see what its like; .......haha, do I need to say any more.

[@sigmckone]

1:12 Pocket Rockets

[@tgdomnemo5052]

... and a bottle opener to crown the trophy 🤣

[@tomtalbertvideo]

Is Blue still living?

[@matthewcornelison9751]

Tom Talbert he died June 22 2017