| Veterans Challenge IV
If you missed it, don't miss it next year. This is one fantastic
tournament.
It was held at Boston Fencing Club October 9-11, with team and
individual events in al weapons, strictly for veterans. Every time
I've gone it's been well run, and it's at a wonderful time of the year
for Massachusetts--the weather was great and the trees are beginning
to turn.
There were team events and individual ones, with cool engraved glass
plaques for the team winners, plus engraved glass bowls for the
individual winners and nice medals. There were special medals for all
of the categories including the highest over-40, over-50, over-60, and
in some cases over-70 finisher, and an award for the oldest overall
competitor. I competed in the individual sabre, in a composite team
for the open, and also in a thrown-together team for the women's
sabre, and it was excellent fencing and a lot of fun. I saw friends
from all over the country and made some new ones.
The best thing, though, is the clambake afterwards. There's nothing
like sitting with a couple of plates in front of you carrying a whole
lobster, a few ears of corn, a bowl of butter, salad, chicken, and
everything else after a full day of fencing!
Oh, yeah, and excellent T-shirt.
Bill Hall and all the others involved with setting this up deserve a
huge amount of credit.
Only one suggestion for improvement: Remember that the eyesight and
hearing really do deteriorate after a certain age. Some of us can't
fence with our glasses on because we're far-sighted. We can't read
the pool sheet and we can't make out the names on the seeding list,
pool sheets, and DE tableaux. Call the current bout and the on-deck
bout LOUDLY and say your commands LOUDLY.
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