For twin sophomores David and Karesa Hui, everything comes in sets. When David started piano, so did Karesa. When he started badminton, so did she. So when the two went to Palomo Archery Range in Palo Alto with a couple of friends, it wasn’t a surprise that both were interested in pursuing the sport.
“When we started we put balloons up, and it was just really satisfying to shoot stuff,” Karesa said.
David and Karesa found themselves immediately captivated, and after learning the basics from the owner of the Palomo range, they knew the sport was something they wanted to pursue. After trying out other sports, Karesa says she was particularly drawn to archery because it semed to be less of a mainstream sport.
“There’s a huge community in [sports like] basketball and soccer where you compete with everybody, [whereas] you can choose a smaller playing field and less competitiveness in archery,” Karesa said. “It’s really unique; that’s what I really like about it.”
David explains that he appreciated the friendly environment. Karesa adds that the sport helped her get out of her comfort zone and interact with more people. Sophomore Zachary Chow, who introduced the twins to archery, shares the twins’ appreciation for the atmosphere at the range.
“No matter where you go, you can talk to anyone and they’ll be fine with it,” Chow said. “Especially if it’s your first time, they’ll be more willing to help you, because it’s like a welcome to the sport.”
For now, David’s focus is mainly recreational. Due to the sheer amount of time that competitive archery requires, he knows that playing at that level in high school is not an option for him. Chow, however, plays competitively, and the twins know that he is required to commit to around three hours of practice per week, on top of competitions that often last entire weekends.
“If you do it [recreationally], you can do it on your own time,” David said. “Initially, you need to be taught once, and that’s it. And then you just gotta keep on doing and doing and doing until you get better.”
David and Karesa admit archery has brought them closer. Karesa recalls one competition when she and David, along with one other friend teamed up to beat Chow in a shooting contest. However, she does admit that it was three against one, with the odds stacked against Chow.
“We made [Chow] take off all his equipment, so he was ‘barebow’ just like all of us,” David said. “And we actually beat him. Without [his] other ‘gadgets,’ we were better.”
Experiences like these are what drive both David and Karesa to continue their passion for archery. David is interested in playing competitively in college, and he hopes to attend competitions when he has more free time.
Karesa, however, also plays badminton, so she has to balance her time between the two sports. She doesn’t plan to continue archery in college as she considers archery to be more of a hobby.
When it comes to the downsides of the sport, David says that his least favorite part is shooting by himself.
“If you go and shoot alone and you have no friends, then it gets boring,” David said. “It’s better to have friends in archery.”
Luckily for both David and Karesa, at least for the time being, they will always go to the archery range together, and they will continue to pursue the sport side by side. As David said, “Since we’re twins, everything is doubled.”
