For the past 50 years, few competitive archery events have come close to matching the magnitude, the level of competition, and the bragging rights that characterize The Vegas Shoot. Much like its namesake host city, the event has glitz, glamor, a special pizazz — and prize money — unequaled in head-to-head bow-and-arrow shooting.

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/image_archive/2252570.jpg> Bob "Jake" Jacobsen when he won it all at The Vegas Shoot in 1974.

And the 2016 event holds a special place for those who have taken part in the largest and most prestigious indoor archery tournament in the World at one time or another during the past 50 years – because there's nothing to compare with competing in The Vegas Shoot.

Outside of winning it, of course.

Bob "Jake" Jacobsen is one archer who can certainly attest to what it's like to experience the pressure and excitement of standing on the same shooting line with hundreds of other high-level competitors. That's because this weekend at the South Point Hotel and Casino it will mark the 50th time Jake has stepped up to the line with his bow and a quiver full of arrows.

And not only has Jacobsen competed in every Vegas Shoot, he reigned as champion of the event one year.

Shooting his Carroll recurve at 10-ring face targets in 1974, Jacobsen won the Pro Division with a score of 899 out of 900 — marking the last time a recurve archer won the pro event.

Outside of his shooting prowess, Jacobsen's is a familiar name to those who've been involved in the business of archery any time during the past half-century. He first began selling archery equipment out of his Utah garage in 1962. Over the years, it grew into Jake's High Country Archery, a 20,000-square-foot store and archery gear distributorship located in Orem, Utah.

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/image_archive/2252572.jpg> A dedicated instructor and archery enthsiast, Jacobsen continues to teach Olympic style archery to students today.

Jacobsen and his wife, Karen, are well known among the sporting goods and bowhunting community, especially in the Western U.S. And it's probably safe to surmise that practically every archer and bowhunter who grew up along Utah's Wasatch Front would admit to being positively influenced by Jake to some degree. Today, he continues to teach Olympic-style archery at the range located in his business.

National Field Archery Association (NFAA) and Vegas Shoot President Bruce Cull told The Archery Wire he's not aware of another archer who matches Jacobsen's longevity in Vegas Shoot participation, but says there may be a few who have come close.

"I believe (PSE's) Pete Shepley may have attended every Vegas Shoot, but got too busy and was distracted – and never got around to shooting a couple years," Cull said.

Anniversaries aside, this year's Vegas Shoot is on target to surpass other milestones in addition to the half-century mark. Participation is expected to reach or surpass a record 3,000 archers, with thousands more on hand as spectators. It will offer the World's largest indoor purse with a 2016-projected payout of $350,000 in cash and prizes, and the Championship Male Freestyle receiving a record $50,000. In addition, all Championship Division archers shooting a score of 900 will be guaranteed a prize of $2,000.

The Vegas Shoot runs January 29-31 and also includes the fourth and final stage of the Indoor Archery World Cup tour, the Archery World Cup Final (the evening of Jan. 30) and the World Archery Gala (Jan. 29).

So, if you're in Sin City this weekend taking it all in and would like to meet some authentic Archery and Vegas-Shoot History, head down to the South Point -- and be sure to say hello to Jake!

-J.R. Absher