Take Aim: Olympic-Style Archery Range Opens In Cheviot Hills; Free To Public

LOS ANGELES – The city's parks department Saturday unveiled a state- of-the-art archery range for enthusiasts of the sport and future Olympic athletes as L.A. prepares to host the Olympic Games in 2028.

The Easton Rancho Park Archery Range -- located at 2459 Motor Ave. in the Cheviot Hills Recreation Center -- underwent an extensive $2 million renovation to replace a smaller, outdated facility with soaring pavilions and four levels of shooting lanes.

"On behalf of LA 2028, we are delighted to celebrate the grand opening of L.A.'s Easton Rancho Park Archery Range, which will provide Angelenos with increased access to a beloved Olympic and Paralympic sport," said Gene Sykes, CEO of LA 2028. "Today's grand opening underscores two of L.A.'s greatest strengths as an Olympic and Paralympic host city: our city's wealth of world- class sports facilities and Angelenos' passion and deep appreciation for sport."

Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Councilman Paul Koretz, Department of Recreation and Parks General Manager Michael Shull, Oscar-winning actress and champion archer Geena Davis, and Easton Sports Development Foundation founders Jim and Phyllis Easton joined Sykes in celebrating the grand opening.

The Easton Sports Development Foundation built the original archery range in 1983 as a practice facility for the 1984 Olympics. The new open-air structure now features 10m, 18m, 30m and 50m ranges; storage facilities; office space; and an equipment room to serve members of the public who are beginners as well as established clubs, enthusiasts, future Olympians and teams from UCLA and USC.

The project, which took nearly three years to complete, was spearheaded by Don Rabska, vice president of Easton Foundations. "The new range has a special symbolism, and was designed to be aesthetically pleasing and functional in support of those who pursue archery excellence," said Rabska.

The new archery range is one of several projects achieved through a partnership between the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. The Foundation has been supporting the city's 50 Parks Initiative, an ambitious plan to acquire and transform parcels of land into new neighborhood parks.

It is also helping to improve current parks and recreation programs, with the most recent accomplishment being the upgraded Easton Rancho Park Archery Range.

"This new state-of-the-art archery range represents the best example of public-private partnerships," said Judith Kieffer, executive director of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. "We're proud to have worked with the Easton Sports Development Foundation and the parks department to bring this new amenity to the public."

The archery range is available for public use, free of charge. Normal park hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week for those who bring their own equipment. Beginners' classes and equipment are available on weekends on a first-come, first-serve basis.

About Easton Rancho Park Archery Range Originally built in 1983 as a practice facility for the 1984 Olympics, the Easton Rancho Park Archery Range has undergone a massive three-year, $2 million renovation. Thanks to the work of the Easton Foundations, the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Los Angeles Parks Foundation, the upgraded facility will serve the archery community and future Olympians as L.A. gears up to host the Olympics in 2028.

Among the few public archery ranges in L.A., the range, which has 10m to 50m ranges, will serve archery enthusiasts and club teams throughout the area. The facility is free for the public, with beginners' classes and equipment rentals available on weekends.

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--City News Service/Image courtesy of Mayor Garcetti on Twitter