COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Werner Beiter, the archery icon and inventor who has supported archers across the world for over thirty years, was remembered today at a memorial service in Germany. He was 75 years old.
According to World Archery, Beiter - famous for industry-changing nocks, plungers and stabilizers - began producing archery accessories in 1985. However, his career began when he worked as a master toolmaker and designer before founding his own plastic part design office and injection molding companies in 1968.
Tom Dielen, World Archery Secretary General and a longtime archer, memorialized Beiter with these words: "Werner loved to solve archery problems. His fantastic work will continue through the work of his family, and especially through the athletes that use his equipment. Werner loved to compare the tuning of a bow to the tuning of a musical instrument. He has, in his own personal way, composed many great symphonies in archery."
Others in the archery community also expressed sadness at the loss of Beiter, who was well known for his focus on precision.
Olympic medalist and World Champion Rick McKinney posted on social media that Beiter was not only a skilled and passionate engineer, but also genuinely focused on the pursuit of excellence in archery.
"Werner Beiter made a high-speed film to help educate the archers and called it 'The Way to the Center,'" McKinney explained. "The cost for using high-speed film at that time was outrageous but he didn't care. He felt it was important. This video helped archers understand the intricacies of the arrow and how it travels out of the bow and arrow rest. In the mid-1990's, Werner built an archery center right next to his manufacturing facility in Dauchingen, Germany. He called it 'The Werner & Iris Center.' This 70 meter indoor facility was about as advanced as archery has ever seen. Teams from all over the world [came] to the Center to get Werner Beiter's help. Many Olympic and World Champions valued Werner's advice and made an effort to visit."
McKinney also referenced the motivation that drove Beiter's unrelenting pursuit of perfection: to help others. "There is no question that Werner Beiter left an impact on the archery world. His inventions and efforts to offer precise products helped all of us to achieve a higher score. He did this without asking for political favors or personal gain. He only wanted to help."
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