Rant in Lieu of Blog

[Inquartata]

No, otherwise I would assign myself top referees in the VMS50 events.

( Inside joke. )

Well, enough of this frivolity. I am off to the venue to risk the Wrath of Downunder.

Although it will be like the wrath of a teddy bear, I imagine.

[Neinteen]

I wanna see pictures!

[Capt. Slo-mo]

you met inker? How is the fellow?

I wanna see pictures!

Her heart begins to flutter as she suddenly realizes: "Unlike 98% of my male peer group, Inq is unlikely to act even remotely Emo!"

[Neinteen]

i meant of the other guy he talked about.

[KD5MDK]

More like 99%. Unless you've been screening, which does seem likely.

Also, there are certain traces of angst in his dissection of the US V50MS performance. I'm sure it will be in inspiration for next year.

[Neinteen]

did he win yet?

[downunder]

i meant of the other guy he talked about.

Me? I hope not....

4 quarter finals in 4 events today, had a cracking day. Your US referees (Sharon and Damon) are very good company.

[KD5MDK]

Then you've obviously never pissed Sharon off. But yeah, they're great people.

[piste off]

Apostol wins again (V60 MS)!!! Dragonetti (ME50) takes the silver.

Rick

[Neinteen]

Apostle won the whole thing already?

omg...

[piste off]

Apostle won the whole thing already?

omg...

Yup, here are the press releases:

http://www.wvfc07.org/news.htm

Rick

BTW, it is Apostol. Your thinking of "Paul the".

[Neinteen]

omg kick ass.

[Inquartata]

Me? I hope not....

Well, you may be young, but apparently you are perspicacious beyond your years.

Do you have gibbons in Australia, too?

Anyway...

Today I slept in and then hied myself to the venue to watch the VMS60.

All of the US entrants did well in their pools, with Kovacs and Sexton going undefeated, Apostol dropping only 1 bout. Unless I missed something, that is; I was trying to watch four strips at once.

Then came a lengthy wait. It was like that old Paul Masson Vineyard commercial: "We will sell no wine before its time". Here it was "We will start no bout before its time". This resulted in whole rooms full of strips going unused except by the occasional lesson or warming-up epeeists. Great for the coaches, who got chances to go smoke or schmooze. Great for the referees, who got long opportunities to sit around chatting. Not so great for the fencers, if my own experience the previous day was representative: A splendid way to get cold, stiffen up and worry yourself into a funk if you're inclined that way. ( Perhaps this is what things are like in a world where the priority has shifted from fencing to administrative convenience and staff comfort. This IMO is where the USFA, with its urgent desire for smaller NACs, is headed. I looked askance at it. But you already knew that. )

After this hour-long hiatus the DEs began, accounting for a lot of byes. Sadly, Apostol and Calderone were pitted against each other early, so then there were three---but all 3 would make the 8 and 2 would medal. Sexton, seeded #1 out of the pools, was the next to fall. Kovacs and Apostol had to meet sometime, but alas it was in the semifinals, not the final. Apostol, as you all know by now, triumphed and went on to gold over Boite. Eh---you can read the results as well as I.

I didn't watch much else until the final bouts. The VWF60 was more interesting than the 50 final had been. The score was something like 5-2 at the end of the first minute. Still a lot of step-in, step-out, step-in, step out, though this time with absence of blade instead of incessant tap-tapping.

The men's epee more than made up for it, though. Yes, you have heard about the penalties for non-combativity, or whatever they are calling it this year. You may have read Walter Dragonetti's explanation of why it really wasn't any such thing. You didn't see the expressions of disbelief and hurt innocence from both men when the penalties were levied. And you certainly didn't hear the crowd burst into spontaneous applause each time...


Apparently the clueless referee interrupted their brilliant, strategic five-minute plans to set their opponents up for the perfect, riskless touch by maneuverings the subtlety of which was lost on the poor clueless boobs, most of us experienced fencers, watching this display of...of...I know not what.

Or perhaps I do.

In the 14th and 15th centuries in Italy, war had deteriorated to an almost bloodless affair in which armies composed largely of mercenaries concerned with not losing valuable men and horses often decided the "winner" of a battle by manuever alone. Units would be moved around like pieces on a chessboard, and when the generals involved decided that one had attained a superior position or set up a likely winning formation they would declare him the winner. Then they'd go home, all unscathed.

This bout reminded me of that.

But it was VERY exciting in the last 20 seconds or so. Brava to the courageous referee, I say! Maybe this new practice will put some heat into epee, along with the smoke and light.

The VWE50, whether in consequence of the object example of the men's bout just previous, was much more spirited and active. Gee, they both seemed to realize that there is no such thing as the perfect opening, where one can hit without risk of being hit. Both actually took chances...imagine, taking chances in fencing...

OK. Sarcasm off.

The V60MS final was as usual a studied contrast to the pointy-weapon finals: flash and fire, sturm und drang. At first it appeared that Paul might be in for a close bout, after running into a point AIP and a snappy parry and riposte. But only momentarily, as he redoubled his efforts and started smashing attacks through the Frenchman's defense. Another point AIP, a couple more ripostes, but the hole was too deep and Paul ended it convincingly. The American crowd was on its feet, for the first time in the evening. Small wonder, it was sabre!

I spare you all the rest of my mundane evening, and here endeth today's entry...

[fencerbill]

Then you've obviously never pissed Sharon off. But yeah, they're great people.

She's probably different when not in charge. Might even smile occasionally then, although I can't speak from experience.

[jeff]

I've seen Sharon smile and be pleasant on many occasions. Other people's mileage may vary, but I've never seen her impersonating a dragon.

[Peach]

Sharon is funny, acerbic, and interesting. She expresses herself openly when she doesn't like something, and she's been known to enforce a whimsically-selected rule du jour (height of letters on uniforms, etc.) with dogged and startling vehemence, but I like her.

[Neinteen]

acerbic

whimsically-selected rule du jour

with dogged and startling vehemence

What's with you people and big words?

[jeff]

Here's a few more: "dictionary", "vocabulary", "literacy". Try using the first of those to improve your ability with the other two.

[Neinteen]

dictionaries

And

vocabulary

and

literacy

Oh my.

[Army Fencer]

What's with you people and big words?

The fact that she's one of the greatest minds in English literature has something to do with it, too. Or was that "English teacher?"