Amaron Battery Philippines Holds First-Ever Amaron Challenge

The hot Saturday of March 25, 2023 became even hotter in the city of Marikina as it became the hotbed of activities for the first-ever Amaron Challenge! Gun and shooting enthusiasts, particularly pistol owners, converged at the multi-bay open-air firing ranges of the Armscor Shooting Ranges to experience one of the most unique and exciting shooting competition in the country.

“We organized the Amaron Challenge not just to promote our line of automotive batteries but to promote camaraderie among our customers, clients, dealers and friends”, said Brian Kaw, the Sales and Marketing Head of Pollux Philippines, the exclusive distributor of Amaron batteries in the country.

Outside-the-Box Activity for an Automotive Battery

“After going through the pandemic, we wanted to come up with activities for our brand and our products that was beyond the usual car or motorcycle show. We thought outside-the-box, and with our partners, we came out with this unique shooting event, which we plan as the first among many varied challenges that we will come up with in the future”, Kaw added.

Aside from their pistol shooting skills, participants in the Amaron Challenge got to test their T.A.P.S. – tactics, accuracy, power, and speed – in a course of fire (COF) designed by firearms expert Danilo “Snooky” Cruz. There were six stages where the first two Basic stages were designed to test the participating Beginner or First-Timer if he or she can safely handle a firearm before he or she could go on to the next Challenge stages, which involved practical shooting scenarios and moving targets.

Real Life Shooting Scenarios

Unlike in usual gun competitions, there was no walk-through for the shooter to observe and assess his or her targets first to plan a strategy. Before each of the enclosed 4 Challenge stages, the shooter was asked to pick a ping-pong ball that would indicate which balloon color (red, yellow or blue) to shoot. To make the shoot more realistic, the wind, aided by electric fans, moved the balloon targets in unpredictable ways. After all, in real life shooting scenarios, the bad guy ducks and weaves and does not just stand still waiting to be shot.

The shooter is allotted 8 bullets and 3 minutes to finish each Challenge stage or until he runs out of ammunition. A point is added for every successful hit on the designated balloon color while a point is deducted for every balloon burst that was not the target (collateral damage). A point is also deducted when a green balloon is shot because green is the color of Amaron batteries. Since the shooting scenarios in each Challenge stage was a complete surprise and unexpected to the participating shooters, everyone appreciated how tough the course was, even if you were an experienced shooter.

More Than Just a Shootfest      

Unlike other shooting competitions, the Amaron Challenge featured several displays that were not just about firearms. Participants went around the display tents to look at and inquire about the latest Ecooter electric scooter models, Wespro air compressors and equipment, Kress power tools, Adelino pumps and control equipment, Workpro tools and tool chests, Dartek professional tools, Prestone automotive fluids and car care products, and of course, Amaron batteries, the tagline of which somehow challenged the participants to “Last Long, Really Long” during each shooting stage.

Aside from participating in the competition, shooters made the Amaron Challenge a fun day for their family, friends, and even business associates. There were shooting bays that were rented by some groups so they can have more fun and time to bond together while practicing their gun handling, marksmanship, and aim before and after the competition. Several participants, including members of the media, who never shot guns or pistols before, enjoyed the basic training and the experience of shooting a Philippine-made Rock Island Armory (RIA) Rock 1911 Standard FS and Ultra FS 9mm pistol, which were the “house guns” provided for those who didn’t bring their own firearms.

New and Liberating Experiences

A first-time shooter commented that it was very liberating to get to fire a handgun, engage in a new and entirely different hobby, and remove the unfounded but common fear that guns are inherently dangerous. “A gun is basically a tool”, explained Bob Sajot, the General Manager of Armscor Shooting Center. “Any tool that is handled properly is useful. Any tool, even as basic as a screw driver or hammer or even a car battery, when handled improperly can be dangerous. As a hammer drives a nail, a gun delivers a projectile to hit a target. Once you learn how to handle guns, it becomes a useful tool – for sport, for hunting, and for protection or self-defense.”

To add to the experience, each participant was given a Challenge Coin, which mimics the gold coins used by assassins belonging to the High Table in the “John Wick” movie franchise that stars Keanu Reeves. The Challenge Coin can be used to “challenge” other coin holders in games, during friendly activities, and even challenge those who have no coin to pay for a group meal. Fun and games aside, the Challenge Coin entitles the bearer to get a discount when purchasing Amaron batteries and products from participating vendors.

Aside from the guns, Armscor also offered the opportunity to practice using traditional weapons such as crossbows and arrows, knives, axes, and shurikens, which are popular weapons of the mythical Ninja warriors. “We wanted to create an activity that would enrich the experience of the participants, remove the everyday stress, and treasure fond memories for them to ‘Last Long, Really Long’ as our Amaron batteries tagline promotes”, Brian Kaw joyfully added. “Everybody can look forward to more fun, exciting and liberating activities and experiences with Amaron batteries!”

AMARON CHALLENGE WINNERS       

(Photos by Roy Eusebio unless indicated otherwise.)