NEWS
The 1st Annual SASS/WWPAS World Championships in Western Arts competition
was a highly popular addition to the 2009 SASS Christmas Convention.
The World Champions
L to R; Rider Kiesner ~ Ropes, Tombstone Tony~ Guns r., Kowboy Kal ~ Ropes r., Dr. Buck ~ uh..., Pistol Packin' Paula ~ Guns,
Anthony Delongis ~ Whips r., Hotshot Johnny Tuscadero ~ Guns, Dan Mink ~ Whips ~ Knives and All Around.
Send Photos if you got um and we will post um here. Jpg to; info@wwpas.com
Competitors from all over the country and even internationally came together
to share tricks and compete for the 2009 titles and a good time was had by all.
The 1st annual SASS/WWPAS World Championships of the Western Arts were held
during the SASS
Christmas Convention at the Riviera Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, December 3, 4 & 5, 2009.
WWPAS, the Wild West Performing Arts Society has joined the legendary ranks of
SASS, the Single Action Shooting Society to create a performing brand that caries on the traditions
and heritage of the western arts. About 40 contestants from around the country and a handful of international
performers gathered to show off their skills in the arts of trick roping, whip cracking, knife & tomahawk throwing
and fancy gun handling. Contestants had 10 minutes during competition to perform their best routines
in each given discipline and were judged on skill and performance talent. Some of the best of the best
were in attendance; Kowboy Kal, Dan Mink, Rider Kiesner, Tombstone Tony, Bruce Brannen,
Kevin Fitzpatrick, Pistol Packin' Paula, Lariet Larry, Shelby Bond, Leslie & Jim Leone, Cathy Williams,
Hotshot Johnny, Brian Bausch, Anthony DeLongis, Jack Dagger, Judy Taylor and the list goes on.
Judges for this years competition were; Mark Allen ( who headed up the WWAC for so many years),
R. H. "Gabby" Doudell (Stage & screen actor and Gabby Hayes tribute artist)
and "Capt. Jack" Crown (Wild West event marketing and production expert).
These judges had their hands full judging the best of the west as scoring was the closest it has ever been in a
western arts competition!... we are talking just one or two points separating competitors in some matches.
Along with the competition, the Pavilion Stage played host to a Wild West Buffet of entertainers for the entire four days
of the convention. Many contestants performed their full shows and a hit at the event was the
"Sidekicks, Stunts & Sixguns" show, a tribute to the Un-sung Hero's of the Western Movies presented
Thursday and again by popular demand on Saturday. Their were also seminars and workshops in the arts of
trick roping, gun spinning, whip cracking, knife throwing and stuntwork which were well
attended by folks who sought to learn more and trade tricks. In addition, Jack Dagger and Alamo Mike manned a
competition knife throwing station which had constant use by the SASS membership and others. IKTHOF, the
International Knife Throwers Hall OF Fame, will be joining the competition officially next year.
All in all, the event was a rousing success with good times and great talent. Many of these performers had not seen
each other in years and the new blood in the competitive world made a big impression on the old. Often it was hard to tell
if this was a competition or a party, but when the dust settled and the smoke cleared it all ended up like this...
2009 SASS/WWPAS World Champions
OFFICIAL RESULTS:
Bullwhip Champion ~ Dan Mink
Trick Roping Champion ~ Rider Kiesner
Knife & Tomahawk Champion ~ Dan Mink
and a real competition first, a complete tie, even after a show-off on stage,
Gun Handling Co-Champions ~ Pistol Packin' Paula & Hotshot Johnny Tuscadero
All Around Champion went to Dan Mink
and the Joe Bowman, Straight Shooter Award for dedication to the
preservation of the western arts went to Mark Allen.
The 2nd Place Reserve titles went to;
Bullwhip ~ Anthony DeLongis
Trick Roping ~ Kowboy Kal
Knives ~ Dr. Buck?
Guns ~ Tombstone Tony
The combined wranglers of SASS and WWPAS look forward to the regional and national competitions coming up in the
new year and the next World Championships also in 2010 when these performers will defend their titles.
Look for more info in The Cowboy Chronicle, the SASS web site;
www.sassnet.com and of course here at WWPAS central.
Be there next year or you'll wind up cryin about it again.
Christmas Convention at the Riviera Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, December 3, 4 & 5, 2009.
WWPAS, the Wild West Performing Arts Society has joined the legendary ranks of
SASS, the Single Action Shooting Society to create a performing brand that caries on the traditions
and heritage of the western arts. About 40 contestants from around the country and a handful of international
performers gathered to show off their skills in the arts of trick roping, whip cracking, knife & tomahawk throwing
and fancy gun handling. Contestants had 10 minutes during competition to perform their best routines
in each given discipline and were judged on skill and performance talent. Some of the best of the best
were in attendance; Kowboy Kal, Dan Mink, Rider Kiesner, Tombstone Tony, Bruce Brannen,
Kevin Fitzpatrick, Pistol Packin' Paula, Lariet Larry, Shelby Bond, Leslie & Jim Leone, Cathy Williams,
Hotshot Johnny, Brian Bausch, Anthony DeLongis, Jack Dagger, Judy Taylor and the list goes on.
Judges for this years competition were; Mark Allen ( who headed up the WWAC for so many years),
R. H. "Gabby" Doudell (Stage & screen actor and Gabby Hayes tribute artist)
and "Capt. Jack" Crown (Wild West event marketing and production expert).
These judges had their hands full judging the best of the west as scoring was the closest it has ever been in a
western arts competition!... we are talking just one or two points separating competitors in some matches.
Along with the competition, the Pavilion Stage played host to a Wild West Buffet of entertainers for the entire four days
of the convention. Many contestants performed their full shows and a hit at the event was the
"Sidekicks, Stunts & Sixguns" show, a tribute to the Un-sung Hero's of the Western Movies presented
Thursday and again by popular demand on Saturday. Their were also seminars and workshops in the arts of
trick roping, gun spinning, whip cracking, knife throwing and stuntwork which were well
attended by folks who sought to learn more and trade tricks. In addition, Jack Dagger and Alamo Mike manned a
competition knife throwing station which had constant use by the SASS membership and others. IKTHOF, the
International Knife Throwers Hall OF Fame, will be joining the competition officially next year.
All in all, the event was a rousing success with good times and great talent. Many of these performers had not seen
each other in years and the new blood in the competitive world made a big impression on the old. Often it was hard to tell
if this was a competition or a party, but when the dust settled and the smoke cleared it all ended up like this...
2009 SASS/WWPAS World Champions
OFFICIAL RESULTS:
Bullwhip Champion ~ Dan Mink
Trick Roping Champion ~ Rider Kiesner
Knife & Tomahawk Champion ~ Dan Mink
and a real competition first, a complete tie, even after a show-off on stage,
Gun Handling Co-Champions ~ Pistol Packin' Paula & Hotshot Johnny Tuscadero
All Around Champion went to Dan Mink
and the Joe Bowman, Straight Shooter Award for dedication to the
preservation of the western arts went to Mark Allen.
The 2nd Place Reserve titles went to;
Bullwhip ~ Anthony DeLongis
Trick Roping ~ Kowboy Kal
Knives ~ Dr. Buck?
Guns ~ Tombstone Tony
The combined wranglers of SASS and WWPAS look forward to the regional and national competitions coming up in the
new year and the next World Championships also in 2010 when these performers will defend their titles.
Look for more info in The Cowboy Chronicle, the SASS web site;
www.sassnet.com and of course here at WWPAS central.
Be there next year or you'll wind up cryin about it again.
