Pants Please?

[Fireball]

Ok ok, so it should come to pass that as sports evolve with time, so do the technologies that allow us to produce the lightweight, breathable, and tight under-armor/ nike suits that many people have taken quite a liking too. The material's great and all, and for the most part people look spifft, but now we're running into a problem, specifically with the netherfar regions of the wearers.

Some people need to put on some g** d*** pants.

I'm all for being comfy and well ventilated, but the stuff is meant to keep you cool under whatever gear it is you're wearing, and I'm sorry but every competition, whether it's a NAC or a local open there's always someone attempting to warm up in nothing but the full body mesh, molded perfectly to the wearer's form. As this number grows, it's downright nasty to watch. Who needs to see every curve on some dude's lower body, and wounldn't it take longer to warm up that way, as the material wicks away sweat quickly? If not to save your fellow fencers, and others the eyesore, at least wear some pants so that you'll actually warm up.

I shuddered today as on man at a competition I was in actually did his footwork drills in his under armor suit. LUNGE drills, drills that leave an outline of BALLS imprinted into your retinas. This is not something you look for guys, the suits just throw it into your sights.

PANTS! I DEMAND PANTS!

[fencerontheline]

Amen!

[MyrddinsPrecint]

{snip}
PANTS! I DEMAND PANTS!

you seem to be very upset about being subjected to the male form.......


upset beyond reaonsable boundaries.....


do you, perhaps, have gender/sexuality issues??

[whtouche]

upset beyond reaonsable boundaries.....

That is inaccurate.

[Poulet]

I think everybody has witnessed the [obscene] Hunter Mosely at national events. That is one of the worst experiences of anyone's life.

[tallntender]

I'm with MP on this one. Relax!

[Morion]

Well, I must admit I would not object to watching a pretty young female warm up in such an outfit so I certainly can't object to letting the ladies have their turn. However some discretion please! Some things are simply not meant for the eyes of man (or woman)! Please objectively consider your state of physical conditioning before wearing such an outfit.

[Ordway]

Yikes, I guess I'll have to watch out for the Anti-Spandex League the next time I'm warming up in my skintight shorts & top...

Seriously, for men or women, get real. We are athletes getting ready to compete, not participants in some sort of beauty pageant. You also just have to get used to seeing the (gasp!) different shapes that people come in, naturally. Some are more appealing to your eye than others... that's your issue, not theirs.

Lycra/spandex form-fitting clothes are great to start a warmup in, because they offer complete freedom of movement, and allow you to get your muscles warm all the way through without getting soaked in sweat. (Being sweaty does not equal being sufficiently warmed up.) After I *get* warmed up, I will put on an additional layer, like my warmup pants, to make sure I don't cool down again, but it's definitely more pleasant to not be all sweaty at that point.

[Mr Epee]

We are athletes getting ready to compete, not participants in some sort of beauty pageant.

Clearly, some people have taken this more to heart than others.

Fence well - Look good

Contrary to apparent belief, these concepts are not mutually exclusive.

[Peach]

Clearly, some people have taken this more to heart than others.

Fence well - Look good

Contrary to apparent belief, these concepts are not mutually exclusive.

But neither do they necessarily correlate. In fact, I'd say that often they are independent, if occasionally intersecting. Some remarkably attractive specimens can't fence worth a dern. I enjoy admiring the male form divine, but am quite capable of averting my eyes when exposed to variability of physique. And being of a certain age, I'm likewise pretty much invisible to most of the males at a tournament, and if I'm not they need to get a firmer grasp on reality.

[Mr Epee]

But neither do they necessarily correlate.

And yet they share several common factors

Self Awareness + Environmental Awareness + Attention to Detail + Desire to Improve + Respect for Others.

Certainly, not everyone is destined to be an Adonis, but Medusa can be sidestepped rather easily.

[Peach]

And yet they share several common factors

Self Awareness + Environmental Awareness + Attention to Detail + Desire to Improve + Respect for Others.

Certainly, not everyone is destined to be an Adonis, but Medusa can be sidestepped rather easily.

golly--Medusa as in an inadvertently pink uniform, for instance Methinks your criteria for others are a tad persnickety.

[trazom]

On the other hand, I recall a fencer of a certain age who insisted in the 90s on still wearing the 70s and 80s short shorts. Knee high white socks, super short shorts, skin tight T-shirt. He would warm up right in front of the mirrors we had on one side of the salle, where he was the first thing you would see when you entered the room. And you would see him from 4 angles, thanks to the mirrors on the sides behind dummies.

He needed (needs?) warmup pants. Badly. When the guy's junk is hanging out, please put on pants.

[Gav]

And there was me hoping for something a little more ... controversial.

Perhaps Mr Fireball prefers his sport sans frills. Nothing ... thong with those sentiments Mr Fireball (and with a name like that I think you need something a bit more ... gauzy).

[Poulet]

And there was me hoping for something a little more ... controversial.

Don't worry, I'm sure Peter will feel the urge to contribute later.

[Fireball]

Hah. The tone of the post was just a joke I had set up with a few friends of mine. I'm not really that crazed about it, but it's come up as an issue when there are young children at competitions bothered by the grown people walking around and such. Whoever brought up Mosley was probably at a competition where he was yelled at because some children and their parent's were quite angry with him. But even without the name dropping the point stands.

We are all athletes, and so the semi nudity stuff isn't that big of a deal, but hey it's a matter of consideration for your peers. It's pretty much nudity. Is that ever appropriate on any venue?

[Peach]

Some of the Europeans tend to be immoderately casual about nudity in the venue. You might say US fencers are excessively prudish.

[Wafath]

I'm likewise pretty much invisible to most of the males at a tournament, and if I'm not they need to get a firmer grasp on reality.

Ahah! I knew there was an invisible sabre fencer tripping me up durring my bouts at the CB!

(Oh wait, where is that reality I need to grasp?)

W

[achilleus]

Hah. The tone of the post was just a joke I had set up with a few friends of mine. I'm not really that crazed about it, but it's come up as an issue when there are young children at competitions bothered by the grown people walking around and such. Whoever brought up Mosley was probably at a competition where he was yelled at because some children and their parent's were quite angry with him. But even without the name dropping the point stands.

We are all athletes, and so the semi nudity stuff isn't that big of a deal, but hey it's a matter of consideration for your peers. It's pretty much nudity. Is that ever appropriate on any venue?

Well, yes, nudity is appropiate at a multitude of venues...

And, considering that at international fencing events, changing rooms can be somewhat lacking, some of the venues are fencing related...

If you don't want to see something, don't look.

And as someone who loves the spandex stuff, you'll never see me warming up in it. To me, it's called Under Armour for a reason...

[Captain Hook]

Finally

a reason to take a video camera to tournaments