Interview with EHC 2010 Champion Eric Grauffel
At the 2010 European Handgun Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Eric Grauffel achieved another European Open Division win. Eric first won the Europeans in 1998 and also in 2001, 2004, 2007 and now 2010.
5 in a Row
Five European Open Division Championship wins in a row is something that has never been done before! After the match was over, Practical Handgun took the opportunity to talk to Eric about his shooting career and his preparation for the EHC 2010.Eric, first of all congratulations on your fifth consecutive win in Open Division at the Europeans. When did you start competing in IPSC?
In 1992; back then there were only one division at that time - Overall.
What pistol did you start out with?
A three inch Colt Officers Model in .45 ACP.
When did you start competing on the IPSC match circuit?
Internationally I started to compete in 1995 with the European's inSweden.
As well as winning the big IPSC matches around Europe this season, Eric has increased his winning margin.
You have been winning the top matches around Europe this season. What were your expectations when you came to the EHC 2010?
TO WIN! I like the competition, and can't go away from achieving performance. IPSC is a kind of addiction for me.
Being a top competitor takes a lot of work, time, expense etc; how did you prepare for the EHC 2010 in terms of time spend shooting, reloading, physical and / or mental exercise?
I spent three weeks full time devoted to get prepared for the EHC, from8amin the morning until6pmeach evening. The time was spent shooting and reloading and making sure that I was physically and mentally prepared for the EHC.
We all know that the right equipment is important to winning a match. What kind of gear do you use? Gun, ammo, holster, magazines etc?
Also can you list your sponsors and what they provide you with?
I use a Tanfoglio pistol, with a C-More sight and CR Speed holster. Everything I use is detailed here on this page on my web site.
http://www.ericgrauffel.com/eric/sponsors.html
Serbia
How was your trip to Serbia; getting there, hotel etc?I do a lot of driving to matches inEurope, but for this match we flew in. I knew the place from before; as I have competed in the Delta Cup matches in the past. The Hotel Continental was OK for the match hotel, but the first left elevator in the hotel seemed to have a problem getting to the right floor…
How was the stage design and match organisation as seen from your perspective?
I wish we could have shot more rounds. The stages were pretty much similar to each other in terms of tactics. But they were really good looking and nice to watch.
I can agree with you on the round count; some Level III matches in Europe have a higher round count than the EHC. IPSC HQ are looking at how to increase the round count at Level IV and V matches; without adding an increased work load on the RO’s.
Which stage did you shoot best at the EHC?
Good question! I don't really remember. Maybe Stage 4.
Did every stage go smoothly for you?
I had one bad stage in the match. I called a D in a swinger as I saw the wood flying of the stick that the target was secured to. The target was not set exactly on the part of the stick that I hit; so my shot was in the stick, but not touching the target scoring line. Nothing I could do…
What kind of stage design do you like and also what do you think of the 9, 16 and 32 round stage format?
Shooting on a move and hard technical stages are my favourites.
I am not a big fan of 9, 16 and 32 only stage round counts. Instead I would like to see 14 and 24 – 26 round stages as well as 32 round field matches. The 14 round stage would mean more shooting for everyone and would really suit Production Division and 24 – 26 round stages would mean more reloading.
If you watch Eric shoot a stage he is very focused, but off the stage he is very relaxed and treats match pressure as an associate and not a competitor
Top level competition nerves can often give shooters problems. Every time I seen you and talked to you at the EHC you seemed very relaxed. How do you cope with the pressure, or does it not bother you?
Some people like the pressure, I love it! It's part of the game, so you need to have it as an associate and not like a competitor.
Courses
Are you planning to run more shooting courses and / or do more IPSC related projects on your web site?Yes and a lot of these projects are currently on going.
With the World Shoot in October 2011, what is your next goal / what are your goals for 2011?
I plan to shoot some matches in different divisions. I will compete in the 2011 World Shoot in Open Division, because my goal is to achieve five World Shoot titles in a row, which has never been done in the past. But I know the competition is going to be hard, as a lot of the world's best Open Division competitors will be there also.
The Champ! Eric Grauffel, European Handgun Championship Open Division winner 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and now also 2010!
Practical Handgun would like to take the opportunity to thank Eric Grauffel for taking the time to speak to us and congratulate him on his fifth consecutive EHC Open Division Championship win.
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