Is fencing important in your country

[seven6ty]

Whatchu talkin about??? Beer bets are the bestest!

[KD5MDK]

Originally Posted by poor_nizzie

Hey, according to George Carlin, fencing's not a real sport either because you can't bet on it. He also dismisses field hockey, lacrosse, and ice hockey.

We now return to the regularly scheduled programming.

Need I bring up the Sports Illustrated article?

[wahrman]

Someone from Connecticut who refers to "ice" hockey?

Imposter.

Ahh, you're just upset because the Whalers moved. I understand.

Originally Posted by poor_nizzie

Hey, according to George Carlin, fencing's not a real sport either because you can't bet on it. He also dismisses field hockey, lacrosse, and ice hockey.

We now return to the regularly scheduled programming.

[Phrogger]

Originally Posted by D'Artag-NOT

Go into an American sporting goods store and ask to see fencing equipment. To reach the sales associate--who will give you a blank look--you'll pass equipment for four different racket sports, a display of seven kinds of snowboard wax, and several dozen pieces of gimmicky fitness gear. Then you'll go home to turn on your computer and order your fencing kit from a mail-order house several hundred miles away.

I was pretty disappointed on a recent trip to Italy not to be able to find anything fencing-related ANYWHERE. I guess I was under the illusion that I'd be able to at least maybe find some masks or shoes in a sporting goods store, but nope, nothing. I even went into a fairly large store on the order of a Dick's or REi ("Decathlon") and while they had mountain-climbing gear and even saddles and equestrian items, they had nothing for fencing. I drove far, out of my way to get to a fencing store in Livorno only to find out that I needed an appointment for them to even be open. I don't think that Fencing is all that even in a country like Italy. Pretty disappointing. It makes me wonder about its future in the Olympics.

[larkmaj]

Originally Posted by wahrman

Someone from Connecticut who refers to "ice" hockey?

Imposter.

Ahh, you're just upset because the Whalers moved. I understand.

I the distinction was made seeing as field hockey was also referenced, which is a somewhat popular women's sport in CT high schools.

There are a great many Connecticut residents that pine for the Whalers. Even though they left because nobody was going to their games.

[schlager7]

Originally Posted by D'Artag-NOT

Go into an American sporting goods store and ask to see fencing equipment. To reach the sales associate--who will give you a blank look--you'll pass equipment for four different racket sports, a display of seven kinds of snowboard wax, and several dozen pieces of gimmicky fitness gear.

I recall a visit some years ago to my local Academy Sports & Outdoors store. A sales associate assured me they had equipment for every sport. I inquired (just out of idle boredom) for their fencing gear. I got the requisite blank look. I had a shoulder patch with my club's logo (depicting a modern fencer) in my jacket pocket, which I had picked up the previous evening.

Once the associate understood, she assurred me they did not carry such equipment and likely would not since that sort of gear would be "dangerous."

Allow me to add that she explained this to me in the midst of the hunting/fishing section with guns under glass, bows and crossbows on the wall, and display cases filled with sundry knives designed to peel skin from flesh.

Fencing, however, is "dangerous."

[the ancient one]

Originally Posted by D'Artag-NOT

"...

Go into an American sporting goods store and ask to see fencing equipment. To reach the sales associate--who will give you a blank look--..."

The strange thing is that I USED to find fencing equipment in sporting goods stores. When I was starting out I walked into a Cullem & Boren shop at a mall in Fort Worth Texas in 1974 and found Castello masks foils and all 3 (dry) weapons. Later that summer I found another store in Seattle that had inventory.

Getting the quick fix of some equipment at the right time probably helped keep me in the sport back in those pre-internet days.

The odd thing was that the AFLA had not much more than 6000 members at that time, and the NT Division had 68 members in 1981 when I was Chairman, and that was the year we hosted Nationals. Now with 20,000+ USFA members we have to rely on the internet to find equipment, without a few stores to pigue one's curiosity. What made the sport grow in spite of this?

Is fencing "big" enough now? For decades the AFLA/USFA magazines always had sort of a whining tone to them, constantly wondering why fencing wasn't more popular.

Later on in France, I found the recognition of the sport to be only slightly better than in the US, at least in the smaller towns.

[lemon__fresh]

Originally Posted by poor_nizzie

Hey, according to George Carlin, fencing's not a real sport either because you can't bet on it.

I dunno im pretty sure that back in the day ppl used to bet on duels, and who knows they prolly still bet on fencing in like russia and france and such

[piste off]

Originally Posted by seven6ty

Oh c'mon, everybody knows that hockey isn't a real sport.

You've got to be kidding. I have a friend that has a son playing in one of the NHL feeder leagues. The amount of training he has to go through would make any fencer puke.

To even get to that league, at a young age prospects are tested with sophisticated analyses (blood, oxygen tests etc.) to see who genetically has the potential to withstand the long, difficult season.

I was stunned to learn the reality behind that sport. When big money is involved, things become serious and there is no such thing as "easy."

Regarding fencing, it will never be a mass-appeal sport. When I lived in France my best friend there was their top junior foilist. His best bud was third in the world. Most people in their own small town did not even know who they were, or at least did not know about their fencing success.

Rick

[larkmaj]

Originally Posted by piste off

To even get to that league, at a young age prospects are tested with sophisticated analyses (blood, oxygen tests etc.) to see who genetically has the potential to withstand the long, difficult season.

Sounds like Gattaca.

[theLuz]

Originally Posted by Carlos37

is fencing a national sport or is it important in your own country?or is it like in Spain,where it doesn´t have too much coverage?

No

[theLuz]

Originally Posted by the ancient one

and the NT Division had 68 members in 1981 when I was Chairman,.

Hey! Were you fencing in Texas in the late '60's? We might know each other. I'm Lusby, now living in Southern California. There's a Veterens tournament down here in September. Come on down!

[the ancient one]

Hi. Actually I started fencing in the spring of '74, but I am sure that we must be acquainted with many of the same cast of characters.

IFCS, Martin Johnsen, Tom Bickley, Lois Goldthwaite, the Towrys, M. Nevot, Dr. Degall, Ed Sims, Spencer Johnson, Dwain Blakley, David Ladyman, Ted Sarosdy, Judy Dename, the Upchurches, Robert Baum, Paul Schmidt, all of those Pentathalon folks, the Houston crowd, the Reeds, Steve Farid .. I could go on.

Actually I thought about starting a "reunion thread" where the question "where are they now?" could be addressed.

[D'Artag-NOT]

Originally Posted by wahrman

There are also portions of the US where Hockey is more important than football.

Like Orange County, California, the new home of the Stanley Cup!!

[wahrman]

I have no knowledge of what you speak.

Originally Posted by D'Artag-NOT

Like Orange County, California, the new home of the Stanley Cup!!

[piste off]

Originally Posted by larkmaj

Sounds like Gattaca.

Weird, huh? But it is not that different from selection processes in other sports. A friend of mine that played semi-pro baseball relayed a story about how he and 400 others had been invited to a high-end development camp while in his early teens.

As soon as the camp started, they timed each guy in running the bases (1 to 2, stop 2-3, stop 3 to home stop). They sat for an hour as the organizers compiled the results. Then they called out 40 names and the rest were told to leave. I often wondered if this was also done for "shock value" to weed out those that were not mentally tough.

The good news for fencing is that we are getting increased numbers at the lower ages, so there is bound to be a Wicas or two in the bunch.

Rick

[D'Artag-NOT]

Originally Posted by piste off

The good news for fencing is that we are getting increased numbers at the lower ages, so there is bound to be a Wicas or two in the bunch.

What's a Wicas? Is it a denomination of Wicca?

[courtneyp]

Originally Posted by the ancient one

Now with 20,000+ USFA members we have to rely on the internet to find equipment, without a few stores to pigue one's curiosity.

I can't speak to the period of time between your story (mid-70s) and the advent of the Internet (mid-90s), but I suspect these days it's simply a matter of cost and efficiency that makes the manufacturers operate (mostly) on the internet. Though you would think that if stores like Dick's and Sports Authority, if they're still around, wanted to truly serve their entire customer base, they would partner with a supplier to at least allow special orders for fencing equipment through their stores. After all, I'm there anyway to buy Under Armour and soccer socks. If I could order a new mask through their partnership with the Fencing.net Shop (for example) and save on shipping costs, I'd probably do it.

[piste off]

Originally Posted by D'Artag-NOT

What's a Wicas? Is it a denomination of Wicca?

Someone who's fencing actions appear to be witchcraft. Not a mere mortal like the rest of us, but someone born with a gift that with proper training becomes a World Champion. Probably made a deal with the devil at the Crossroads* to quickly obtain talents not of this world.

Rick


*See "Robert Johnson"