Greetings from Alaska!

[Vol_907]

Where we fence with icicles!

But in all seriousness, I was introduced to the sport when I was a student at Western Carolina U. and did a bit of informal sparring. Took it as a P.E. during my senior year, but haven't raised a blade for over a decade. Recently, I got a little extra money, and decided to invest in some gear, and get back into the sport.

jth

[esskreemr]

Welcome back. Hope you continue to enjoy as much as you did in the past.

[Vol_907]

Originally Posted by esskreemr

Welcome back. Hope you continue to enjoy as much as you did in the past.

We had a junior high class do a production involving one kid brandishing a sword, as if vanquishing imaginary foes. The staff knew I had some fencing experience, so asked me to give him some pointers. That got me thinking about getting back into it.

The gear I ordered should be coming in any day now (2 full sets). And I've got a few friends here in the middle of nowhere that would be interested in seeing what it is about.

jth

[Inquartata]

Well, I just hope those icicles you ordered don't melt before they get to you...bummer being weaponless before you can even begin!

Welcome.

[Schiavona]

Ieasu Christi! There's fencing in Delta Junction? What, are the bison fighting again?

Check out the Alaska division website-it lists contacts for all the USFA clubs in the state. Even Fairbanks

John Matus, Anchorage Fencing Club

[Vol_907]

Originally Posted by Schiavona

Ieasu Christi! There's fencing in Delta Junction? What, are the bison fighting again?

Check out the Alaska division website-it lists contacts for all the USFA clubs in the state. Even Fairbanks

John Matus, Anchorage Fencing Club

Well, it could be the only ones fencing here will be me and a handful of others. With icicles, practicing on bison. Maybe spearing your occasional salmon making its way up the Delta River.

Thanks for letting me know about other fencing groups in the state. Who knows, you might even find yourself face to face with me on the piste one of these days!

jth

[Zilverzmurfen]

Oooh, he speaks danish...
Welcome!

[Lefty1]

Welcome!!

Good luck with fencing!!

[Vol_907]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

Oooh, he speaks danish...
Welcome!

Nemlig norsk, men jeg forstår også dansk og svensk.

I'm learning the Scandinavian languages (starting with Norwegian), and know a couple of others (some French, some Spanish) but I'm strongest in German.

Ha det bra!
jth

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by Vol_907

Nemlig norsk, men jeg forstår også dansk og svensk.

I'm learning the Scandinavian languages (starting with Norwegian), and know a couple of others (some French, some Spanish) but I'm strongest in German.

Ha det bra!
jth

Ah, pardon. *hangs head in shame for not getting norwegian right...*
Jeg syns det er kjempegöj till och "höre" litt norsk på forat.

Ha det bra själv! (That was swedish.)

[Vol_907]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

Ah, pardon. *hangs head in shame for not getting norwegian right...*

Not a problem. Danish and Norwegian are very, very similar, even written (although the Danes seem to want to put a "g" where nordmenner want to put a "k")

Swedish, however, is just a tad bit more challenging for me to read, still, I understood this...

Jeg syns det er kjempegöj till och "höre" litt norsk på forat.

Ha det bra själv! (That was swedish.)

...Well enough. (Takk! Du også!)

Do many Swedes fence? It's not a terribly common sport here in the USA (say, in comparison to american football, basketball, or even soccer).

jth

[Zilverzmurfen]

They're all very similar languages and we can easily understand each other, both in text and spoken word. So, just get your norwegian right and you're halfway into swedish...

And no, fencing is not a big sport here in Sweden. I don't know any exact number but a good guess would be somewhere between 2 000-2 500 fencers. (Bear in mind that we just passed the magic number of 9 million inhabitants this summer...we're not too crowded over here!) Although far from that many are competetive fencers. At nationals you'd probably have about ~50 participants (Womens Épée) and you know basically who everybody is.

I'd guess that football (and I mean football, not "American Football"! ) is by far the most popular sport in Sweden, together with ice hockey, floor hockey and handball. Field hockey however isn't very common for some reason.

[Vol_907]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

They're all very similar languages and we can easily understand each other, both in text and spoken word. So, just get your norwegian right and you're halfway into swedish...

I had some experience with that this summer. I help with a state park (www.rikas.com) which features a Roadhouse that was owned and operated in the '40s-60s by a Swedish woman. I've only come across a couple of Swedes, and at that time I didn't know Norwegian, but this past summer we had a tourist come through who was from Denmark. We understood each other pretty well.

And no, fencing is not a big sport here in Sweden. I don't know any exact number but a good guess would be somewhere between 2 000-2 500 fencers. (Bear in mind that we just passed the magic number of 9 million inhabitants this summer...we're not too crowded over here!)

Well, for being the largest state in my country, we have yet to pass the 1 million mark. But I think we're about 3/4 of the way there.

Is it terribly crowded over there? 9 million might not sound like a lot, but I know that you can't live on every square meter of land. I remember housing being fairly scarce in Germany, and I've heard that's moreso the case in Norway.

Although far from that many are competetive fencers. At nationals you'd probably have about ~50 participants (Womens Épée) and you know basically who everybody is.

I take it you count yourself among those numbers? (*the novice bows before the master*)

I'd guess that football (and I mean football, not "American Football"! )

Whenever I speak to someone from across the Atlantic, and the word "football" is mentioned, I know what's being talked about. Now, I have something of a liking for (american) football--at the college level as opposed to professional ("my blood runs orange and white!"--University of Tennessee slogan), but I go nuts during a World Cup year. However, I usually cheer for Germany (sorry!).

is by far the most popular sport in Sweden, together with ice hockey, floor hockey and handball. Field hockey however isn't very common for some reason.

Now, when I think of "handball," I think of something like racquetball without a racquet. Is that what you're talking about?

Thanks for filling me in on everything. I'll have some questions for you about epée, but I'll save it for another forum (if you don't mind answering them).

jth

[shango]

I was at Delta Junction this summer, and it sucked cause of all the smoke from the fires. No offense, but I got a dry throat and a mild fever from it, and I don't think I want to go back anytime soon.

[Vol_907]

Originally Posted by shango

I was at Delta Junction this summer, and it sucked cause of all the smoke from the fires. No offense, but I got a dry throat and a mild fever from it, and I don't think I want to go back anytime soon.

No offense taken. Unfortunately, when you take a trip, you take your chances, especially in less-civilized areas like where I live. There are always fires burning in Alaska somewhere during the summer (it's not uncommon in Canada or the northwest). This summer was ours to eat smoke, it seems.

It was more miserable time living in it, methinks. Probably even less so with a fire not too terribly far from our property (I could feel the heat off of it for a few days, even before I saw any flames). I was park host over at Rika's a lot this summer. I did not enjoy it, and I could only imagine the tourists' disappointment.

However, the skies are clear right now, and the air very breathable. About a half-foot of snow dropped on us today, and the northern lights have been visible the last few nights.

jth

[Schiavona]

Originally Posted by Vol_907

Well, for being the largest state in my country, we have yet to pass the 1 million mark. But I think we're about 3/4 of the way there.

Now, now don't go pumping the population up too much. I think there were just over 600,000 PDFs handed out this year

[Vol_907]

Originally Posted by Schiavona

Now, now don't go pumping the population up too much. I think there were just over 600,000 PDFs handed out this year

True, but this year's PFD wasn't that impressive anyway. Less than a thousand!

("PFD," for all you in the Lower 48, does not mean "Personal Flotation Device," although it is a means for us Alaskans to remain solvent).

jth

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by Vol_907

Is it terribly crowded over there? 9 million might not sound like a lot, but I know that you can't live on every square meter of land. I remember housing being fairly scarce in Germany, and I've heard that's moreso the case in Norway.

What, you think housing is scarce in Germany? Germany is crowded, people everywhere!

But no, Sweden and Norway isn't very crowded. (Hence why many germans come here for their holidays... )

I take it you count yourself among those numbers?

Yes. That said, with so few fencers it's not a "big thing" to fence in Nationals here. (Am off to Team Nationals this weekend actually.)

However, I usually cheer for Germany (sorry!).

Oh...uh...kay... Well, since you're new to this Forum I'll let you get away with that.

Now, when I think of "handball," I think of something like racquetball without a racquet. Is that what you're talking about?

Nonono...this is Handball!

I'll have some questions for you about epée, but I'll save it for another forum (if you don't mind answering them).

Not at all, my pleasure!

[Vol_907]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

But no, Sweden and Norway isn't very crowded. (Hence why many germans come here for their holidays... )

Grammatical note: Sweden and Norway aren't crowded (plural subject--sorry, once a language teacher, always one. Just helping you sound, uh, write like a native speaker...uh...writer? )

Yes. That said, with so few fencers it's not a "big thing" to fence in Nationals here. (Am off to Team Nationals this weekend actually.)

Still, fencing on a national level does merit at least some bragging rights, nicht wahr?

Hope you do well this weekend. Let us know how you did.

Oh...uh...kay... Well, since you're new to this Forum I'll let you get away with that.

Heh. Deutschland über alles! (Deutschland overalls to the rest of you ) Though I remember reading in Aftenposten a good while back how Sweden did pretty well in the last major European competition.

Nonono...this is Handball!

OK, gotcha (ahhh, enlightenment)!

Not at all, my pleasure!

Thank you in advance for your willingness to share what you know. I'm still waiting for my equipment to come in, and I think I will get myself back up to speed (while training one of my students) on foil first. But epée is what I would really like to focus on.

Hilsen,
jth

[davtsung]

Is it completely dark in Alaska right now?