HHA Sports is a trusted name in the archery world, and has taken its success and given back to those who have so bravely served this wonderful country.
by Mark Kayser
Forty years ago, a Wisconsin hunting enthusiast launched an archery accessories company after years of trying his hand at various products. A stabilizer he debuted was the spark that ignited the company we all know today as HHA Sports. The gentleman was Harry Hamm. Sadly, Harry passed away in 2019, but the legacy he started lives on.
During the early years, Hamm tinker with products, including more stabilizers, release aids, and targets, and eventually conceptualized the single-pin bow sight. This bow sight created a trend that would make the HHA brand one of the most recognized names in the archery world.
Today, the HHA single-pin bow sight has a worldwide following but still bases its roots in Wisconsin Rapids, where the magic started all those years ago. Brothers Brian and Chris, Hamm’s sons, operate the growing business that keeps busting at the seams and is in need of more corporate company space — s0 much so that the company is moving sales and shipping out of their mother’s home to a remodeled facility in Wisconsin Rapids for the first time in its legendary history. Employees are not looking forward to switching from a homey atmosphere to a warehouse environment, but it is for the company’s betterment.
As for myself, I have utilized an HHA Sports single-pin for the better part of nearly two decades. My highest-scoring archery pronghorn, mule deer, whitetail, and elk were all taken with a bow wearing an HHA Sports single-pin bow sight. My testimony may not be as compelling as other world-class bowhunters, but the product is easy to use, takes a mountain pounding, and delivers results in spades at ranges close and far. I make my living in the outdoors, and would not trust my success to any other sight on the market.
The technology intertwined in the various models makes HHA a leader in single-pin sights. A wide array of awards and accolades noting the innovation, including Bowhunting World’s Readers’ Choice Gold Award, signifies their innovation. The latest launch is the Tetra RYZ. It includes a fixed secondary pin and yardage marker, plus the advantage of a sliding sight system to handle the most challenging archery shots. With the fixed secondary pin, archers can adjust their aiming point at full draw if necessary. With two aiming points on a single vertical plane, shooters get the benefit of a second aiming point without the housing clutter.
The Hamm brothers have a lot going on with a booming business and product lines that continue to expand. Even so, younger brother Chris has taken any spare time he can carve out and devoted it to those who have served our country. That need to give back to our service members led to the creation of HHA USA, a nonprofit organization that started in 2019.
A rough patch in his life, beginning in 2010, led Chris to a new calling as he started a new path. One of the roads he went down included being a ground volunteer for Honor Flight in Wisconsin. Honor Flight is also a nonprofit organization that dedicates its resources to transporting U.S. military veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the veteran memorials of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam built in their honor. The organization covers flights and expenses, and an army of volunteers helps with logistics, planning, etc. With HHA Sports now profiting well and Chris looking to expand his service to veterans further, he came up with the idea of launching 3D Archery Shoots to raise money for Honor Flight.
3D archery shoots have always been popular with the stick-and-string crowd, but in recent years, the desire for shooters to pound foam for score has drastically increased.
“I started putting on 3D shoots, and in three years, we pulled off 10 of these 3D archery shoots, Hamm said. “Those gatherings were unbelievably successful, and we raised nearly $80,000. “It was so successful that it made me wonder how much we could raise with a focused effort. And since HHA Sports was profiting well, I felt I could take off my managerial hat even more to serve those that had served our country.”
With the incorporation of HHA USA in 2019, a board of directors, and more volunteers sharing goals, everyone agreed the first mission was to continue funding Honor Flight and raise enough to pay for an entire flight. That is happening this October, with approximately 160 people traveling to the nation’s capital.
In addition to Honor Flight, Chris saw a massive difference in veterans at the 3D shoots. They simply left their troubles behind and immersed themselves in the fellowship of archery and the hunting environment. He was well aware that 22 veterans take their lives daily and the stress PTSD places on those returning from deployment. To help veterans forget about the worst of their deployment, HHA USA now partners with multiple organizations to help that cause.
“We have partnerships with the E3 Ranch Foundation, Kniestedt Foundation, Wounded Warriors In Action, and others, that have allowed us to assist in getting service men and women into the outdoors,” notes Chris. “I have learned much about PTSD and how archery can help with that constant struggle. Our big thing now is getting veterans out hunting and fishing; we are passionate about that goal.”
In 2023, HHA USA will host five events across Wisconsin, starting with a large shoot aided with the help of Vortex in late April. The HHA USA goal of bringing like-minded people together through archery and the outdoors continues to expand. Future plans are in the works to increase events and outreach to other states. Chris hopes the organization someday impacts veterans from coast to coast. Witnessing the passion he has for HHA Sports, there is no doubt HHA USA will continue making a difference in the lives of those that have served our country.
If you are interested in the history of HHA Sports, a series of short videos on their path to where they stand today is found on YouTube.
