Durango – He took the name Evil Roy in 1993 and became a world champion Cowboy Action Shooter a year later. He knows his competitors by alias only and operates a traveling gun-shooting school.
Gene Pearcy is a member of SASS, the international Single Action Shooting Society, with more than 65,000 members. He is one of 60 who belong to Four Corners Gunslingers, the Durango chapter of SASS.
On the third Sunday of each month, the Gunslingers don period clothing and become characters from the Old West, shooting planned scenarios for points. With enough points, competitors continue to state, regional, national and world championships.
A typical scenario: steal the baby from the cradle, toss it in the gunnysack, shoot 10 “bad guys” left to right with a pistol.
Competitors must shoot quickly and accurately to receive a high score. Any unsafe or unruly behavior earns penalties for the player.
Taking an alias is a requirement to join SASS. Durango members use names such as Rough Cob, Holy Terror, Texas Tubby and Durango Kid.
“We’ve known people for years and have no clue what their real name is,” Pearcy said.
Wearing appropriate attire also is required. Some people buy clothes from Goodwill, said Jennifer Stewart, also known as Piedra Kid. Men often wear suspender pants and long-sleeve shirts. Women dress in skirts and peasant tops, bloomers and ball gowns.
Wardrobes cost as much as the wearer is willing to spend, she said. But most will spend about $2,000 between clothes, leathers and guns when they first join. Members need two pistols, one shotgun and one rifle. Buy antiques and the bill rises drastically.
Founded about 25 years ago, SASS has chapters as far away as New Zealand and Australia.
“The Old West was such a short period of time that it’s still unbelievably popular,” said Pearcy. He added that Durango may draw people because the area developed during that time. Some shoot for fun, some to be social. Some are highly competitive, some like the sharp smell of shooting black powder.
It’s hard to know exactly why people join the sport, but one SASS member has an idea: “Everybody wants to be a cowboy,” Michael Wrights said. “The mystique of that just goes on and on, I guess.”
