The South Dakota ATA Trapshooting Tournament is in Aberdeen this week and there are plenty of solid shooters in town, including some from different countries and a multiple-time world champion.

Paul Basten is from Mount Maunganui, New Zealand and finds himself in Aberdeen as he makes his way to multiple state tournaments in America.

“I’ve shot here before; South Dakota is always an enjoyable place to shoot,” Basten said. “This is one of the shoots I attend on the way. I start in California, usually shoot in Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Bunker Hill or Brittany Park. … That’s a warm-up before the Grand (in Illinois) in the heavy humid air. Then I come back to Iowa and do the Heartland Grand. … It’s a lot of fun. If you had any more fun, it might not be legal.”

All of Basten’s stops in total take about 10 weeks out of the year.

Basten got involved in shooting when he was a teenager, but it didn’t become one of his passions until later in his life.

“When I was a teenager, friends of the family were hunters, but hunting really wasn’t my thing,” Basten said. “I went with them a few times so I had a shotgun. … One time this family that was really big outdoor people came, and they had one of those plastic things that you can throw balls for a dog, and they put clay targets on them and I tried that.”

Basten enjoyed shooting clay targets, but never fully picked it up. When he was living in San Diego, he met someone who got him to go out to a gun club.

“One of his guns kind of fit me and I tried it and I was like ‘wow, I think I’d really enjoy this,’” Basten said. “But I was involved with cars, among a few other things so you can’t do it all.”

So once again Basten set shooting to the side until a few years later.

“I came back here in 2000 for a visit to see some friends and on the flight I sat next to a guy who was coming down to go game hunting,” Basten said. “I mentioned that I’d tried clay trap shooting and it was like I put in a six-hour DVD. I couldn’t shut him up. So I heard everything about all the different disciplines. … I didn’t sleep. I got off the plane and my eyes were counter rotating. I thought that’s got to be a sign.”

After that, Basten went back to New Zealand, found a gun club, got himself a gun and found a tournament that weekend.

Nowadays Basten does more than just compete in tournaments back home in New Zealand. Basten is now a delegate to New Zealand in trap shooting.

“I run shooting at one of the clubs and then from an officiating perspective help the other three that are now going on down there,” Basten said. “We’re growing it.”

Even with all the time Basten spends shooting, he still finds a way to squeeze in a couple more pastimes.

“It’s all still fun,” Basten said. “I shoot the ATA stuff down here, but I also play golf and I do quite a bit of fishing.”

WORLD CHAMPION IN TOWN

Pat Lamont is a 12-time Grand American World Trapshooting Champion and he made his way to Aberdeen this week.

“I come down here every year for the state shoot,” Lamont said. “It’s a great shoot. The guys put on a great shoot, great group of guys to shoot with. And I always enjoy coming down here.”

Aberdeen is just one of the stops Lamont will make this year for trapshooting.

“We start the year with Canadian National,” Lamont said. “Then we do Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, then shoot a Central Zone in Brandon, and then the Grand American in Illinois.”

Lamont has plenty of experience shooting, as he has been competing for almost 30 years. He started when he was 12-years-old and is now 40.

All of that experience has not only gotten him world titles, it also got him inducted into the Trapshooting Hall of Fame in 2023.

“It’s a huge honor,” Lamont said. “Being inducted into the hall of fame is the biggest honor in the sport. To be recognized by your peers and the executive. It’s a huge honor.”

For Lamont, the camaraderie with his competitors is also a big part of why he enjoys the sport.

“If it weren’t for the guys, it wouldn’t be near as fun,” Lamont said. “South Dakota’s got a great group of guys to shoot with. Everywhere you go, it’s tough to meet a bad person.”

OVERCOMING INJURY TO COMPETE

North Dakota native Lynn Miller is in Aberdeen for the tournament despite having three fused vertebrae in his neck.

Miller’s first surgery was in 1997, and he had another surgery in 2008.

Miller picked up shooting in 2015 after his surgeries when he was 48.

“I guess I’ve always liked firearms for one thing,” Miller said. “I do a lot of hunting, and I just really got to like the people and the camaraderie. Everyone is just one big family in the trap shooting community. That’s what kind of drew me to the ATA shooting.”

Even though Miller loves to shoot, it does provide some challenges after his injury.

“Getting down on the gun at times is a challenge,” Miller said. “So far, the recoil hasn’t bothered me, which sometimes that can happen. Otherwise, it hasn’t been too bad.”

When Miller picked up trapshooting, he wasn’t worried at all that he wouldn’t be able to do it.

“I had really good doctors that did the surgery on me,” Miller said. “I healed exceptionally well. For instance, the last surgery I had done they told me I was going to lose 60% of the movement in my neck, but in the end, I only lost 45%.”

Some people may have given up the sport after dealing with those injuries, but not Miller.

“Well, I have to do something,” Miller said. “One thing about trapshooting is it’s in the summertime. It’s nice and warm and my muscles are a lot better off. They’re more fluid and mobile. That’s one reason I’m able to do the trapshooting. It makes the work a lot easier.”

A BOY AMONG MEN

With all of the veteran and experienced shooters competing this weekend, there are still some competitors that are relatively new to the sport.

One is 13-year-old Brookings native Cody Hanson, who is gaining some valuable experience.

“It feels pretty good,” Hanson said. “It’s a little tough, but just don’t think of what you miss and you’ll be completely fine.”

This is Hanson’s first year, and he got involved because of his dad.

“I just started off getting a trap gun,” Hanson said, “and I was like, ‘Huh, I kind of like this,’ and I just wanted to keep going from there.”

Hanson is making sure he does his best to deal with the warm conditions this week.

“I’ve just been drinking a lot of water,” Hanson said. “It’s really hard; you have to drink a lot of water and just stay calm.”

Hanson’s mindset for the rest of the day and tournament is simple.

“Try to keep calm and don’t get mad at yourself,” Hanson said.

FEMALE SHARPSHOOTER

Kay DeVries is a Custer native and while the field is made up of mostly men, she is representing women in the sport.

​DeVries isn’t new to trapshooting, as she has been shooting since she was 16, but only started doing ATA four years ago.

“My whole family shot,” DeVries said. “I just did it one time and loved it.”

After four years of competing in the state tournament, Devries enjoys coming back to Aberdeen.

“I just love the club,” DeVries said. “It’s a great place to shoot. I love the background and it’s a really nice town.”

DeVries says that trapshooting is able to grow a community.

“You get to know all the people from around South Dakota,” DeVries said. “You get to see them every year and in between at other shoots, too. You get to know them and it’s like a big family.”

DeVries enjoys being able to represent women in trapshooting.

“It feels really good,” DeVries said. “There are a few other women, too and it’s just really nice to talk with them and talk about shooting.”