Sabertooth Tigresses

It having been pointed out that the Fashionistas disproportionately cover foil fashion, at the April NAC in Los Angeles we turned our attention to the saber ladies.

My, what we've been missing. The color! The attitude! The HAIR!

 

The bustiers! (Bustiers? Sure, why not.)

Did we mention attitude?

And, of course, the camaraderie and joy.

The award for best lame goes to Laura Johnson. Yes, she IS a surgeon. (Now Allison wants a needle and thread on her lame. I, of course, want a badger.)

One small beef. Why does Uhlman make an armored glove for saber, but not foil? (Says the foilist with scars from eight stitches on two fingers.)

Also of note: 

Is "excessive color" a cardable offense? Perhaps a lime green card?

What happens if I remove one of the epees?

And last but not least, some clever bits from our friendly armorers.

A seam ripper on steroids:

And a colorful lego base for multimeters. As one does.

That's all for now. We may do a post or two of backlogged gems between now and July. Otherwise, dress your best for Nationals and we look forward to seeing you in Milwaukee!

--Allison and Badger

This is The Way

Just back from San Jose, and very happy to have found my way there at all, given that a few weeks previously I came back from practice with this:

Thank heavens for clever and helpful club mates. RFA's Coach John Tomasi 3-D printed a finger guard to protect the barely healed wound.

Adding yet more tape to the impressive collection that holds my hand together. 

Not that this distinguishes me from all the other ladies holding themselves together with adhesive. 

And yet, despite all our braces and wraps, dents and dings, we all look splendid, IMHO, both in the big picture:

Harriet Eckstein, Vet60WF

And drilling down to details:

Before AND after fencing:

Sharone Huey, Vet 60 WF

While I had limited time for fashion snapping, I did capture a few highlights, including dapper referees:

And snazzy spectators. 

(Points for comprehensive color
coordination including shoes, iPhone case,
headscarf, nails, and hair.)

Spotted on the strip, a smattering of competitors with red lettering on their lames. Many of us (including me) thought the letters had to be blue, but it turns out that, as of 2020, the FIE specifies that "A World Champion has the right to have his/her name and the abbreviation of his/her national federation printed in red. An Olympic Champion has the right to have his/her name and the abbreviation of his/her national federation printed in gold." (m.25.3 h) 

Here's Joe Deucher flaunting the flames he earned by taking gold in Veteran Team Men's Epee alongside teammates Walt Dragonetti, Fred Frank, James Newsome, Jon Normile, and Charlie Schneider.

 

Now Joe's lame lettering matches
his pants :P 

On of the bestest things about vet competitions is the chance to out with friends.

(Note that the AI in the venue correctly
identified Georgie Love, Badger, and
Allison Treloar as "women" 🤣)

Hanging with my Rockville Fencing Academy
ladies. From left: Lynnette Whitt, Badger,
Gemin Channing, Esperanza Alzona.)

That's my report from the January NAC, my friends. Until next time, leaving you with this thought from fellow fashionista Allison Thurman: fence with joy...

Hot Stuff

It maxed out at 115 degrees in Phoenix last week, as over 5000 fencers descended on the city for Summer Nationals. Believe it or not, we were lucky, as the forecast for the coming week peaks at 120.

While the venue was blessedly chill, the fashion and the fencing were blazing hot. As you cool down from the efforts of the 2022-2023 season, here are some highlights from the competition.

Best Team Fashion 

I love the team events because so many folks use it as an occasion for costuming. This years the fashion award for team is a tie between...pirate crews?

The Mid-Atlantic Marauders, a veteran women's epee team, were on-brand with plumed tricorn hats . 

Left to right, head coach Jeff Safko of Modern Duelists Fencing Academy, Charlotta (Lotte) Bowie, Marie Lawson,  Klaudia Shick and Nicole Polanichka.

They received bonus points for wearing one wood-grained sock each (see what they did there?) and for bringing a Jolly Roger flag to the strip:

In foil, the pirate theme was picked up by "Three Elle's and An ARGHH!

Left to right: Monisha Tasker, Margaret Fagan, Monica Morrison and Bonnie Hennig-Trestman. 

Their red sashes and eye patches enabled them to maintain their tie with the Marauders.

Fashion Head to Toe

Rachel El-Salah demonstrated that you don't need to be a pirate to rock a stylish hat. 

In retrospect, I have to ask, Rachel, what's with the heavy (non-sports-specific) gloves. It was ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN DEGREES OUT!

Much as I love hats, I concede that sometimes hair does even better uncovered, as demonstrated by Laura Mahelani Maychrowitz from the East Bay Fencers Gym. 

T-shirts are a great way to make a statement. See, for example, Harriet Eckstein 

and Melissa Woundy 

My club mate Esperanza Alzona modeled July Fourth fashion

Fellow fashionista Allison Thurman spotted the best shoes--on a referee, of course--totally classy wing-tips (extra credit for wearing sans socks):

Space Savers

Fashion aside, we spotted a couple of practical adaptations to the challenge of keeping gear organized and out from under foot. This tripod could easily be replicated with three lengths of PVC pipe and a collar cut from a larger diameter pipe. 

I'm intrigued by the rolling closet that is Leon Paul's Apex Bag. I'd like to hear from a user how well the velcro-attached "shelves"stay secured. (The dividers in my horizontal LP "Classic Team" bag are forever coming loose, and they are not holding any weight.)

Fencing Keeps Us Young

People sometimes assume I fence in a younger vet decade (I'm vet 60). When that happens, I tell them I inherited my fencing DNA from my college coach,  Henry Harutunian. Henry is 90 years old and doesn't look a day over 70. Coach was in Phoenix mentoring Bill English, another vet Yalie, and I was thrilled to hear him yelling at me during pools.

He also helped me thread a replacement body cord up my uniform during my bout with Georgie Love. Here's Coach doing the same for a Yale teammate in 1979.

Yup, that was a time warp

Until We Meet Again

Thank you, ladies, for all the hugs and smiles and warm regards. Until next time, whenever that may be, may I leave you with the thought expressed by this Phoenix mural:

Salute

Badger

Looking Back to Look Forward

Hello Ladies

It was so great to see some of you in San Jose last week. Your smizing eyes, your laughter, and your camaraderie was a balm to my pandemic-weary heart.

Marie Lawson at the July 2021 NAC/National Challenge

Between the masking, distancing, and the fact that many folks spent as little time as possible in the venue, I did not get any new pics for Fashionista. So today's posts is a nostalgic look at some of my most-beloved images from the past.

One of my all-time favorite outfits is Pam Guntrum rocking color-matched boa and head scarf at the 2018 Portland NAC, patriotically complemented with a red water bottle and foil tape. 

Pamela Guntrum, 2018 Portland NAC

Looking back over my files, I realize I have far more photos of vet women heading into or out of the venue, since I'm usually preoccupied with, you know, ACTUALLY FENCING on the days of my events. Fortunately, you are genius at accessorizing.

                        

Waiting in the armory line, or gearing up, is a good time to document how fashionably bad-ass you are.

                   

I occasionally am able to capture you flaunting your style between bouts.

LOOK AT THOSE SMILES. I miss them so much.

On the rare formal post-competition gathering, you clean up good. (Below, Val Asher, right, with Brazil's Claudia da Costa, at 2019 Vet Worlds.)

I particularly treasure the time we spend socializing and touristing before and after the events.

With my teammate Gemin Channing at the Utah Museum of Fine Art,
Salt Lake City NAC, December 2019

And remember, you don't have to wait for a national event to hang out with a badger! If you are in the vicinity of DC/Southern Maryland, drop by Rockville Fencing Academy for some bouting and we can head out for drinks and dinner afterwards.

With Pam Dressel, center, and Anne-Marie Walters at Al Carbon in Rockville, MD

If you have a plushie mascot, bring him/her/it along, and we can take selfies.

With RFA coaches Katherine Guernsey (Tabby)

and Liz Searles, née Blankenship (aka The Dormouse)

Looking forward to seeing you in Richmond in a couple of months. Stay safe and be well.

Salute, and hugs

Badger