Rating inflation is rampant, I think.

[attila]

Just got back from our wimpy sectional/div2/div3/vet qualifiers. Man I am sore. No wonder those guys from new york make fun of California ratings. I fence in a very small divison with only a handful of tough fencers and managed to place third in the foil event. Although it was a B event, it seemed pretty lightwight. I remember it being a lot tougher in the old days.The only tough bout i had alday I lost to the eventual winner, so I got the bronze.Weak. Does anyone else see the same thing. I used to fence in NorCal years ago and it was a brutal fight just to earn a C. Now it seems like anybody can do it. What is up or is it just me???

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"Kill the men, save the women, and by the gods, do not spill the wine"

[Mergs]

I think you're right. I have gotten back into competition and find that even though I'm unrated, I am consistently beating D's and C's in the pools only to beat myself in the DE's (did give an A foilist a run for her money this weekend, though, lost 13-15!). I know it wouldn't be any trouble to get 14 other fencers together and get my D that way, but so what? Would rather get the old fashioned way.

[veeco]

Just to set things straight, I'm not that sure there is that big of a difference between fencing in NY and CA.

I take epee for example: if you look at the results of the last WC in Budapest, you'll see that the top 2 US fencers are Nath Burke and Eric Hansen, both from California.

Another great thing we have here in the Bay Area is called the Bay Cup series. That means that we get at least one tournament a month, and all open men's epee tournaments last year and this year have been Group 1A events. So maybe we have more higher rated fencers because there is a better coordination and more people show up at those tournaments.

Last Pacific Coast Circuit I was at, there was about 30 fencers and 7 of them were A's, which meant that they were the most represented rating, after the U's. And man I can tell you, all those guys were strong, and definitely deserved their rating, for what it's worth.

Next time you fence someone, try to forget what's their rating and you'll see how much difference it makes. Your seed coming into the pools doesn't make any difference at all anyway.

[Peach]

Hmm. . . did it occur to anybody that you might have gotten better, and that's why it's easier to beat these people? Nah, couldn't be.

In small local (and some regional) tournaments sometimes I do feel as if the other fencers have gotten worse rather than that I've gotten better. But then I realize it took me a year and a half to re-earn my rating. I've had to fight like crazy to stay in the running nationally, too.

[Gabriel]

well veeco, that is some valuable insight for epee, but I think that atilla meant foil. The competition for foil is ALOT stiffer over here on the east coast than on the west. Not to say that there are no good fencers or coaches in California, there is just a higher concentration of them over here.

[attila]

Gabriel

Ya ,I was refering to foil. And I agree ith you that east coasters are tougher. Especially the NY metro guys. A lot more fencers and really good coaching can make quite a difference on the quality of the rating.

[Foil Girl]

There's a national coach in Cali, and many tough, top rated fencers.

[ 09-29-2001: Message edited by: Foil Girl ]

[space_cadet]

Even though it may be easier to get an E, D, or C rating in some divisions/regions due to the pool of fencers in a particular area, the proof is the pudding so to speak when those same fencers need to achieve a B or A rating in events that draw fencers from a wider area.

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Cadet à Space

[arcon]

[ 10-19-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]