Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

dekko · 08-11-2004, 04:27 PM

Looking for feedback on what people think about getting equipment for prizes instead of a trophy or medal or the like.

I am thinking of hosting a tournament with the winner of each event getting equipment instead of the aobve listed.

Let me know your opinions.

Rolls · 08-11-2004, 04:37 PM

I think it would be awesome.

But I would try to make sure it's generic enough so that anyone could use it. I'd hate to win an XS glove that I could never use or a mask that is too big.

Maybe you could do gift certificates to a vendor instead... Or you could get items like tips, blades, etc there pretty much anyone could use. Even if it's not your brand blade, you probably wouldn't complain too much about it.

Another item that pretty much anyone would be happy with is fencing DVD's.

Just my thoughts.

Rolls.

swordsen · 08-11-2004, 04:50 PM

Equipment is alot more expensive than trophies. I alwasy try and find something a bit unusal or different for awards. Not the same old cheap medals all the time.

noodle · 08-11-2004, 05:28 PM

equipment is a nice thought
gift certificates is a better idea

dvds fall under equipment in my mindset. believe it or not, not everyone can use dvds. some people are still stuck in the vcr age.

if i were you, though, i'd just spend the little extra cash and put a little more brainpower into it to make a very nice, original prize. it'll keep some people coming back if the prizes are worth it.

grotto · 08-11-2004, 05:32 PM

the Schmitter Epee open gave an Epee from Santelli for first, and leon paul body cord for second and third. Gear or gift certs for gear are great prizes hell I would trade in any number of plaques, medals, engravings for a new blade, bell, or body cord as a prize!

noodle · 08-11-2004, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grotto

the Schmitter Epee open gave an Epee from Santelli for first, and leon paul body cord for second and third. Gear or gift certs for gear are great prizes hell I would trade in any number of plaques, medals, engravings for a new blade, bell, or body cord as a prize!

not i
if i won an epee, it would:
a) not be my primary one
b) not be very expensive and more likely, therefore, to break under heavy use
c) not have the grip i like which would require me to buy a new grip
d) be french grip and i like pistol or vice versa

great bowyer · 08-11-2004, 06:13 PM

i have been to a tournamnet where they gave a wired maraging blade with german tip for both the top finisher in epee and foil (both cut for french grip) and a complete sabre (uhlmann parts and BG blade) for the top finisher in sabre.

dekko · 08-11-2004, 06:17 PM

I hosted an event last season that gave a wired blade to first for men's and women's events, complete sabre for the sabre events, and gloves for 2nd place. I was lucky we had a vendor on site and the 2nd place folks could walk over and get a glove that fit their hand and went on the right hand.

My current idea is to have an event where the winner would get a FIE jacket. Since no vendor will likely be there then a gift certificate kind of letter would be given to the winner and they can call or email their size and hand to a vendor and get the jacket sent to them free of charge.

I like different awards but it seems as though better fencers care less about another trophy, bigger, shinier whatever and would like to have something useful. An RYC, give medals and trophies but for an open event that I want to attract higher level fencers it would be easier, I think/hope, to attract them with good equipment for winning instead of another random kind of trophy.

greenchick · 08-11-2004, 06:18 PM

(note to self: get out to more of dekko's tournaments)

noodle · 08-11-2004, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dekko

I hosted an event last season that gave a wired blade to first for men's and women's events, complete sabre for the sabre events, and gloves for 2nd place. I was lucky we had a vendor on site and the 2nd place folks could walk over and get a glove that fit their hand and went on the right hand.

My current idea is to have an event where the winner would get a FIE jacket. Since no vendor will likely be there then a gift certificate kind of letter would be given to the winner and they can call or email their size and hand to a vendor and get the jacket sent to them free of charge.

I like different awards but it seems as though better fencers care less about another trophy, bigger, shinier whatever and would like to have something useful. An RYC, give medals and trophies but for an open event that I want to attract higher level fencers it would be easier, I think/hope, to attract them with good equipment for winning instead of another random kind of trophy.

to be honest, an FIE jacket is nice, but what about the people who have one already?
your best bet, if you're giving out equipment, is to give away a top of the line blade or a gift certificate for one.
and if you do, i'll be there

fixxmyweapon · 08-11-2004, 06:25 PM

an FIE jacket? talk about hottness. what about finding an olympic team jacket or national team jacket from back forever ago from whatever country had the most kicken one. that would be awesome. or old, hard to find, awesome tournament shirts. fencing dvds would be cool or fencing pictures/poster. just a few thoughts....

oiuyt · 08-11-2004, 08:03 PM

Meh, I like hardware. Trophies, medals, whatever. Anything that I get as a prize is likely to get put with the rest of the prizes, even if it is fencing equipment that I could otherwise use (okay, FIE whites I'd probably use, but then I'd feel a bit bad that I didn't also have something to stick with the other prizes). Uniqueness is a huge plus. I definitely favor tournaments where the medal/trophy/whatever is likely to be different from any other that I have (or at least one that I don't have 10 of). I have used that as a deciding factor for what event to go to or whether or not to travel to an event in the past and it has definitely increased my satisfaction level from a number of tournaments (as well as decreased my satisfaction level when, after travelling, I've ended up with the same style generic fencing medal that my division recently changed away from and I had a number of already).

Maybe I'm not a "better fencer", but I like getting "another trophy, bigger, shinier whatever". Although bigger, shinier isn't that important. Uniqueness is more important. And just getting bigger isn't good. I've never liked the fact that some fairly low-level events give phenominal prizes... cheapens every other prize awarded in every other event (you got a 4 foot trophy for beating 2 other 10-year-olds? WTF? (and yes, that's a real-life example) you got that awesome light-up trophy for being the best of 6 U's? WTF? (another real-life example from a different division)).

I like prizes. I want something that I can sit on a shelf with my other prizes. I get that many people with my experience don't necessarily care about this. I agree with Dekko that MOST "better" fencers don't get that much thrill out of another "whatever" (and frequently have a drawer full of them). I, for one, do. I even like it when it's something I already have. Something made custom for the event, however, especially if well done, is at least as good as some piece of equipment. I'm not fencing the event as a way to pay for my fencing habit. I don't need a useful prize if I win. I want something that's a prize. Something to commemorate the achievement.

That said, I wouldn't mind winning a DVD as a prize (or part of a prize pack). Useful, but still displayable. Something I don't have 10 of already.

In any case, except as in the above mentioned "plus factor" that cool prizes lend to an event, I'm not going to choose what events to fence in based on the prizes. I care significantly more about who else will be there. Other large factors include distance from my home, cost of the event, and (admittedly in an extremely small number of events) national points availability. Best way to get good fencers to come to an event is to get other good fencers to come. Catch-22, I know, but it's still the primarily deciding factor for a number of good fencers.

-B :)

pacer · 08-11-2004, 08:31 PM

While equipment would be nice, it is hard to match to an individual's tastes. Personally I don't seem to have to worry about winning anything in fencing but when I was a competitive skeet and trap shooter and actually won tournaments, the awards were cutlery (how many sets of steak knives does one need?), crystal or silver plate serving pieces, or gift certificates to a local merchant. I was a little surprised when fencing awards were not so practical

Mo · 08-11-2004, 11:48 PM

If equipment is given it is good to have a choice. When we award prizes the kids line up according to where they come in and pick from a table.
We give body cords, jackets, lames, complete weapons etc but only once a year.
Usually it is for accumulated points during the season. Ribbons are given at the meets.
As far as prizes and goody bags go though I would like to say that the things given out as awards at this summer nationals in Charlotte should cause the people responsible to hang their heads in shame.
The awards were business cards and a pen from a local chiropracter whom the vast of majority of fences would never ever see. Sometimes there was a tiny bad of M&Ms given. I did notice that one or two of the veterans got something decent which also was kind of tacky because they had been singled out to get a shirt or hat.
It was totally pathetic.....

glowstix · 08-12-2004, 12:32 AM

the best idea was to give gift certificates to vendors...there's no way you can please anyone with equipment. how would you know what size FIE jacket to get??? if you give blades with french tangs, then the person would have to cut it themselves...equipment just seems so personal. trophies and medals are the way to go. equipment wear out and blades break. when you win you want something to take home that will last your lifetime.

Saber-Psycho · 08-12-2004, 01:47 AM

I think that candy or chocolate is great for prizes. Especially for youth events. And maybe a ribbon or Medal or something to commemorate the event.

dekko · 08-12-2004, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noodle

to be honest, an FIE jacket is nice, but what about the people who have one already?
your best bet, if you're giving out equipment, is to give away a top of the line blade or a gift certificate for one.
and if you do, i'll be there

Wow, what was I thinking. You are right, a $300+ FIE jacket for first place sucks as an award. Nobody would want 2 of those. What was I thinking.

Funny, everyone I have asked about this in person who has a FIE jacket already like the idea and would like to have a second jacket for a number of reasons. Let's see, their other FIE jacket is old/older; one to practice with, a second to tournaments incase somethign weird happens to their current one, sell the jacket to someone else who would want it for $150 instead of $300+, etc, etc, etc.

But, tell you what, if you show and you win I will give you a wired FIE blade instead. I don't mind saving $100+ on the first prize. As long as everyone knows that is what you wanted while everyone else got the FIE jacket they were promised.

Monkeyboy · 08-12-2004, 02:16 PM

Doesn't matter for me. I don't win tounaments, so it just wouldn't apply. Its not that I suck as a fencer, its just that eveyone else in my division is a former Olympian, a coach with 30 gazillion years of experience, or a lightning fast 16-year-old who's been fencing for 15 years. I think ribbons and trophys are important for the kid's events though. I also like to at least look at the "something different" table of stuff being given away, so I guess for big events the "Special Awards" are best. I don't even think money is an issue, but as was said, something to remember the event.

prototoast · 08-12-2004, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dekko

But, tell you what, if you show and you win I will give you a wired FIE blade instead. I don't mind saving $100+ on the first prize. As long as everyone knows that is what you wanted while everyone else got the FIE jacket they were promised.

Or first prize for a sabre fencer could be like 20 blades.

CvilleFencer · 08-12-2004, 03:11 PM

I think it is a great idea if you can swing it. I think if it were me I would give out slightly smaller prizes/ gift certificates so you could give them to the top three but a big first place prize is cool as well. Most of the events in my division give out medals down to eight which is nice. Bigger tourneys give out win, trophys and cool wall hanger swords for the top places. I think it adds something other than another medal to the shoebox and I really like the idea.