Youth fencing

The 2009 Crossroads Youth Classic yesterday featured 65 fencers, representing eleven clubs from five states. Two observations:

• Once again, DMFC's volunteers stepped up and did an excellent job. They were hampered by a couple of poor scheduling decisions (in particular, I should not have put Y12 foil and Y14 foil so close together) but pulled things off as best they could.

• It was my honor to referee the Y14 foil final between William Wharton of Twin Cities Fencing Club and Ryan Zimmerman of Kanza Fencing Club. Both young men put on a clinic; the score was tight, the fencing smart and clean. My one regret was that I didn't think to record a video to share here.
  

Photos appear in DMFC's photo site. Enjoy!

- RJL

Fall Fencing for All

The NAC has come and gone, but Iowa fencers have plenty of opportunities to cross blades over the next couple of months. Register now via AskFRED for upcoming local and regional tournaments.

• Saturday, October 24: Crossroads Youth Classic, Clive IA. This is DMFC's annual youth tournament. About 70 fencers from all over the Midwest are signed up as I write this.
• Sunday, October 25: Sadly, the Maverick Open in Omaha was cancelled, but fencers can go to St. Paul, Minnesota, for Oktoberfence 2009.

• Saturday, October 31: ISU Cantaloupe Open, Ames IA. Guess what you win for first place? Always a fun time.
  

• November 6-9: NAC B (Junior, Cadet, Y14). Kansas City. Two DMFC fencers are taking part: Preston Kirkpatrick in Junior Men's Sabre and Reid Wade in Y14 Men's Sabre.

• November 14-15: Sioux City Challenge, Sioux City IA. A Heartland Circuit event.
• November 15: Athos Youth Tournament 2009, Minneapolis MN. Includes Y10, Y12 and Y14 events in all three weapons.

• November 22: Turkey Meet, Waukesha WI. A Heartland Circuit event.

• December 5-6: KCFC Holiday Tournament, Overland Park, Kansas. Youth and open events, all three weapons. Something for everybody in this -- always a good experience.
  

"Now the Seats are All Empty ..."

Now the seats are all empty
Let the roadies take the stage
Pack it up and tear it down
They're the first to come and last to leave
Working for that minimum wage
They'll set it up in another town...
- Jackson Browne, "The Load Out"

Day Four of the NAC A has followed the first three days into the history books. Congratulations to Sarah Timmons (pictured) of Iowa State University Fencing Club, who took seventh in Division III Women's Epee. The Iowa Division had two fencers on the podium this NAC. Gotta love it.

Will Des Moines host another NAC, ever? Word on the street is positive. We asked a lot of people point-blank what they thought of Des Moines as a venue. Everything said nice things to us. They might have been trying to spare our feelings, though. Whenever I was wandering through the crowd, though, on those occasions when I heard anyone say anything about the venue or the city, it was positive. (Steve overheard one person say, over the phone, "Well, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm in Iowa." As a transplant to this fine state, I've sometimes said similar things.)

Some of the online discussion (see fencing.net, for example) notes the decline in the number of fencers participating from last year to this year. Various culprits are named, but few seems to think it has anything to do with Des Moines; more people cite the economy, or the changes in the cadet event formats. Many people noted the difficulty of flying to and from Des Moines, since it's hard to get a direct flight unless you live in a hub city like Chicago or Denver. Common problem. Those of us who live here and have to do business travel feel your pain.

The event was blessed with a phenomenal corps of volunteers, headed by Local Organizing Committee chair Kevin Fitzpatrick. We delighted many of the USFA regulars by helping them get out of the venue by dinnertime on Thursday night, despite many of us having never set up metal strips before. We seemed to please on Monday afternoon as well, when it was time to load out; our fencers, parents and friends joined in and got everyone out in short order.

But the only time that seems too short

Is the time that we get to play ...

Some of us will see some of you next month in Kansas City. Peace.

- RJL

(Photo of Sarah Timmons by Kevin Powell.)

Purple on the Podium!

Yep, that's a fencer in a DMFC jacket, accepting a medal at a NAC for the first time ever. Jim Musgrave took third place in the Division II Men's Epee competition at the North American Cup in Des Moines today! Jim did the home team proud. He becomes the first member of our club to medal at a NAC. Way to go, Jim!

Preston Kirkpatrick cracked the top 16 in Division III Men's Sabre as well, so today was a good day, results-wise, for DMFC.

The fourth and final day of competition, tomorrow, will feature Jim once again, this time in Division II Men's Foil. Five of his teammates will also participate in various events.

Some photos from the NAC are available on our photo site. Enjoy! We hope to post more in the next day or so.

- RJL

Day Two an artistic success

We heard good things from our guests around the continent yesterday, as Day Two of the North American Cup A wrapped up. Our six fencers (three in their first NAC) handled themselves well. One fencer, a veteran of the youth circuit but fencing in a senior-level event for the first time, won her first bout! That was wonderful to see. Four of our more experienced fencers take the strip today for Day Three, and hoping one of them will crack the ceiling and win at least one direct elimination bout.

Words cannot express our gratitude to the dozens of volunteers who have chipped in to make this event run smoothly and brilliantly! DMFC is a wonderful club, and our friends and family members have done a wonderful job.

The Des Moines Register printed two photos in its Saturday edition, and featured additional photos in an online gallery (follow this link to view).

Children of the Corn?

It was inevitable that one of the T-shirt designs for the North America Cup tournament in Des Moines would feature a sketch of a fencer in a cornfield. But then, what are the other choices? Des Moines is known for agriculture, insurance and state government. I suppose it could have featured a fencer slashing through stacks of insurance claim forms... Actually, it's a very nice design, and I'll certainly be wearing one soon.

Day One of the NAC today featured three men's events (Div II sabre, Div III foil and Cadet men's epee) and one women's event (Div II epee). DMFC's army of volunteers helped the USFA keep everything running smoothly, and we heard favorable comments about Hy-Vee Hall and downtown Des Moines in general. Two of our fencers participated in their first NAC today, and though both exited after their first direct elimination bout, they both handled themselves well.

Tomorrow, six DMFC fencers take the strip, in all three weapons. One will fence not only her first NAC, but her first senior-level tournament (though she's a three-year veteran of the youth circuit). Kicking it all off will be the mother of two DMFC fencers, who will perform the National Anthem.

More soon! -- RJL

Fence for Life program

Yesterday, I wrote here how Steve and I helped the USFA hold its first Fence for Life program, demonstrating fencing for 250 young people from the Boys and Girls Club. Read the full story as it appears on the USFA website, and see photos from the event.

On the eve of the NAC

For the first time ever, a North America Cup tournament is taking place in Des Moines. About twenty DMFC members spent the afternoon helping set up the venue for what promises to be a lively little shindig. Eleven of our members will be among the 900-plus athletes converging on Hy-Vee Hall, downtown, for four days of fencing.

Two years ago, when Scott of the Convention and Visitors Bureau first approached Steve with the idea of hosting a NAC, it was at once a thrilling and frightening prospect. We liked the idea of not having to drive twelve hours to get to a NAC, but we wondered whether we were capable of sustaining the effort of hosting such an event. Right now, it's hard to believe that the big day is almost upon us!

Steve and I also had the opportunity to demonstrate fencing today to a group of over 150 children at the Boys and Girls Club in Des Moines. I wish I'd had the sense to get a picture, but I didn't. It was a fun experience. Steve and I bouted foil, epee and sabre in succession; oddly, though we didn't keep score, I think I outpointed him in epee while he trounced me in sabre. The kids seemed to get into it, and were full of questions after the demonstration. It was a delight!

Tomorrow, four DMFC fencers will take the strip: two in Division II women's epee, and two in Division II men's sabre. Also in the works are Cadet men's epee and Division III men's foil. Stay tuned! -- RJL

World Championships in Antalya, Turkey

The World Championships are in full swing in Antalya, Turkey. Fifteen years ago, when I resumed fencing, World Championships were something that happened far, far away, that we might read about months after the fact in American Fencing, and then only to the extent that we'd hear how the Americans did. If we wanted to know anything about the fencers from other lands, or see how the bouts were fenced, we had to know someone who was there and hope they'd gotten some decent videotape.

Now, thanks to the internet, we can follow Worlds almost as soon as they happen! We know NOW that Mariel Zagunis is the world women's sabre champ! We know that Kurt Getz finished sixth in men's foil. We know that Italy's fantastic female foilist, Valentina Vezzali, was defeated in the round of eight by fellow Italian Elisa Di Francisca, and that the score was 15-10. The video isn't available online as I write this, but it probably will be soon.

For those wishing to keep track, check these out:

* Universal Sports is covering Worlds, with video and standings as soon as they are available.

* Tim Morehouse's Blog. Morehouse is one of four Americans in the tableau de 64 in men's sabre, set to start just hours from now as I write this. He is posting updates as often as he can given the limitations imposed on internet access in Turkey. The updates are personal and entertaining.

* Official sites: The official Antalya site has an English version, and the FIE site has live results in French.

Gotta love it. Go USA! -- RJL