The league was originally set-up in 1984 to offer a Winter 50 metre/50 yard competition open to any shooter belonging to any club in Europe following the request from several dedicated shooters who 1) had moved to another European country and 2) who wanted 50 meter practice/competition so that they could enter the following summer better prepared. Few if any Shooting Associations off the shores of the U.K. offer a postal type competition. So the League, which at that point did not have a name, was organized. The first Winter Competition had nearly 360 entries.

The name “ Polar Bear “ originated from a chance remark by several shooters on Jersey who at the time were having some coaching by the English National Coach. The time had come when they had to shoot the next round of the Open 50M/yd., as it was then called, in spite of the fact the weather was definitely not typical of Jersey, it was blowing and snowing and in fact very Polar. Why Bears? Well, only Polar Bears would normally venture out into that sort of weather but the rules state that each round must be completed by a certain date and if that date, usually a Monday, is imminent that’s it, one must shoot! The National Coach did some coaching in freezing conditions and later related the story to the co-coordinator and the name stuck.

The Objective of the League is to offer a low-key competition with an acceptable entry fee to help alleviate the boredom of practice. All too often during practice it is easier to say ”Oh, that will do” when that is pointless and a waste of money, time and ammunition. But if the resulting hole has even the slightest consequence then the practice is more meaningful and of course proves or disproves a particular alteration. Without persistent and meaningful practice one will never get any better let alone get to the top of any class. From the top of Class D in three years one could represent one’s Country.