Regional Veteran's Tournaments

[JEC]

Yesterday, I attended my first Veteran Tournament. I just graduated to the class. I attended the 5th Fete de Lune tournament in Houston. Mergs, Schlager7 and I competed among the field of 34 veterans huffing and puffing. D'art and his wife were taking photographs and used my video camera. The tournament was very well organized. Congrats to Schlager7, well done! In Epee, we had at least 6 B's and 8 C/D's.
My observations:
Compared to Open tournaments, there was a much more relaxed environment, plenty of spontaneous laughs, and great camaraderie. Fencers spent considerably more time warming up and stretching, and there was more usage of taping and braces. There were a lot of mixed styles and variability of techniques. Some mixing old and newer techniques and I even saw a couple of classic fencers, but when it came to bouting it was very competitive in a nice manner. Occasional corps-corps but no touting (even non-verbal). There were quite a few acknowledgments of great touches. I enjoyed the experience despite that the Silver medalist (a tall B02) eliminated me 10-9 with last point being infighting.

After enjoying so much, I looked at the Calendar and couldn’t find other Veteran Tournaments. Where are they?

The USFA Veteran website, just like other USFA websites have shortcomings. But here is the list of “Local Veteran tournaments”

http://veteransfencingusa.org/id31.htm

August 23, 2003 Houston TX Fete de Lune (3W, MW)

October 11-13, 2003 Boston, MA Veterans Challenge III (3W, MW)

October 26, 2003 Santa Fe, NM New Mexico Open (Vets Epee)

[Peach]

Congratulations on reaching the veterans! I really enjoy those competitions. The camaraderie is key.

For example, at the Keystone State Games in Pennsylvania just past, I saw that an acquaintance who fences sabre was concentrating on coaching his son in the Open instead of competing. I asked him if he was going to compete in the Veterans event next day. He said he didn't have his equipment. I got a teammate of mine to lend him the necessary stuff, and he had a blast. When it came our turn to fence each other, we were both saying, "Boy, that was fun!" afterwards. After the event, he said he had been staying away from sabre because of an injury and we were happily swapping advice for veteran footwork and training.

BTW: Since the Veterans Committee (unpaid volunteers all) is just in the process of putting up this website, anyone who wants to let the webmaster know of any veteran tournaments coming up should e-mail :

webmaster@veteransfencingusa.org

with full information (date, location, time of events, directions, registration information, contact information, and URL if one is available).

The website we had before was also volunteer but run by someone who didn't have regular contact with the committee.

[Dee EffEll]

I much prefer the veteran events. Like you say, the comraderie is great, and we are all there for the love of our amateur sport. While winning is fun onto itself, being around these great masters is fulfilling in a way the kids (and "kids" are anyone under about 34 to me now) don't seem to appreciate. There is much more classical jousting, and like you say, it is nice to hear "nice touch!" on the strip. I seldom hear that outside the vet events at NACs or nats.

I went to Columbus last year just for the vet event, and will primarily go to Palm Springs for that reason as well. See you there!

[Mergs]

JEC, it was great to meet you at the FdL! Sorry we didn't get a chance to fence each other, but welcome to the more mature aspects of fencing! It wasn't until my wife went to the Max Wright in New Orleans that she began to understand the sport and decided that going to tourney's as a spectator wasn't so bad.

BTW, there will be a Veteran's tourney at Salle Mauro on 29 Sep and the Max Wright is normally the third weekend in January.

Hope to see you in DC next time you're up here.

[D'Artagnan1673]

Yes, the Fete' de Lun was definately the most exciting tournament I ever attended.... and I did not even fence! As JEC mentioned, there were many different styles exhibited in this tournament. The comraderie was great. I have never been to a tournament where people were so friendly towards each other. I got to visit extensively with JEC, Mergs and Schlager7... I guess you could say it was a little Fencing.net meeting!

[schlager7]

Thanks for the kind words, JEC, but I have to say (and I'm sure Mergs can confirm this) that my wife, Nicole (who is too young to play in veterans' events for awhile) and many others in our club are the one who really worked and put it all together.

The funny thing was the tremendous amount of work done by all our 20-something & thirty-something fencers, who can't even fence in the event (yet).

John

[mollusk]

There is supposed to be a Vets tourney at the Belview Biltmore Hotel in Clearwater, FL February 21 and 22. I don't know any more than that except that the hotel is a VERY nice place. The website for the hotel is http://www.belleviewbiltmore.com/.

[schlager7]

Salle Mauro in Houston is holding a combined Veterans and Open foil & epee tournament September 28th in Houston. I didn't see anything on the Salle Mauro site, but I've got what they sent me posted up on my page: Gulf Coast Division: The Rogue Site

[Peach]

I hope you folks are e-mailing these events to the webmaster of the Veterans Committee website at webmaster@veteransfencingusa.org

Then I'll pester him when I see him in Palm Springs if he doesn't post them

I ain't gonna volunteer meself to send 'em on--school started today and I am as of now BURIED.