{"id":159833,"date":"2017-07-11T14:55:06","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T12:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salzburgerland.com\/en\/?p=159833"},"modified":"2017-07-12T13:23:17","modified_gmt":"2017-07-12T11:23:17","slug":"preber-shoot-traditional-spectacle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salzburgerland.com\/en\/preber-shoot-traditional-spectacle\/","title":{"rendered":"The Preber Shoot – traditional spectacle"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWalt Disney team takes a shot at Prebersee lake\u201d read the title of an article about the traditional Preber Shoot event in Lungau by the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper on 21 August 1957. It was quite the sensation that the \u201cfather of Mickey Mouse\u201d had sent a delegation under the leadership of a certain Mr. Knapp to Austria in order to film the spectacular custom. The reason of the taping was supposedly an attempt at cracking the mystery of the Prebersee lake and to reconstruct it in the USA. The endeavour failed \u2014 the Prebersee lake has maintained its secret to this very day and the shooting only takes place here in SalzburgerLand\u2019s Lungau region or at the Schattensee lake in Styria. The latter is only three kilometres away from the Prebersee lake and is said to be connected to it via an underground water channel. The waters of the two lakes appear to have the same composition and consistency \u2014 the swampy suspended particles deflect the projectiles, which prevents them from sinking and makes them ricochet instead as to \u2014 with a bit of luck \u2014 hit the targets on the shore.<\/p>\n

Longstanding dedication with plenty of manpower<\/h2>\n

Nearly 170 to 200 marksmen participate at the annual Preber Shoot event toward the end of August \u2014 they arrive from various countries across Europe in order to test their skills against those of the locals. The Tamsweg-Prebersee association of marksmen counts 220 members, but only around 40 of them actively participate in the Preber Shoot. The marksmen (and women) aim at the upper part of the reflection in the water, around three metres away from the actual target. The association supervises the event and also introduces new marksmen to the sport. Even the rifles are provided on site. Large wooden beams or breakwaters are used to guarantee calm waters. But that alone does not necessarily guarantee success, as we will see.<\/p>\n

Luck always plays a role<\/h2>\n

Someone who is particularly well-versed concerning the Preber Shoot is Master Rifleman Heimo Waibl from Tamsweg. The trained marksman and hunter has taken aim at the water targets more than a thousand times \u2014 with small-calibre rifles and other historic sports rifles. He speaks from experience: \u201cWithout luck, nothing goes. 60 per cent of the time, the Preber Shoot is won by amateurs. If the sea level changes, for example due to rainfall, it immediately affects performance. Even when the pros come, it doesn\u2019t mean very much.\u201d It took Heimo Waibl forty years until he won a Preber Shoot himself.<\/p>\n

Waibl\u2019s grandfather and father were also Preber marksmen, and now even his own sons participate in the event \u2014 Waibl was eleven when he took his first aim and helped at the event.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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