JOIN USAll the way from Errol Flynn to Kevin Costner, Hollywood has always been all a-quiver about Robin Hood and his trusty bow and arrow.
Now the heroine of a science fiction romp has made archery a cool sport again.
Thanks to “"The Hunger Games," teenagers are queuing up to try their hand and, with the huge media hype, the Olympics are helping to bring archery out of the shadows even more.
America's world number one Brady Ellison, whose American team lost a nail-biting Olympic final to Italy, said: “One of the great things about the Olympics is that it brings a lot of the smaller sports into the limelight every four years.’’
"It's a lot more popular right now. Let's hope it stays that way,’’ Ellison added.
“"The Hunger Games", with Jennifer Lawrence as the feisty heroine with the deadly bow and arrow, was a box office smash when it came out in March.
It was then followed by the Disney Pixar animated movie “"Brave" with yet another bow-wielding heroine to give the sport a further boost.
“I do feel like this year that with all the movies and stuff that has come out, especially in the States, we are getting a lot more recognition for the sport," Ellison added.
USA Archery reports that its membership has grown by almost 20 percent since last year with its youth division now the largest.
Its website is being bombarded with queries from would-be William Tells. On Facebook and Twitter it is the same story -- figures are soaring.