Downloads
THE GOSSIP PAGE
There is a brilliant definition of news, though I apologise in advance to forgetting whom to attribute it to. "News is something, that someone, somewhere, doesn't want known. Everything else is advertising." We could say the same for gossip, witness the rise of the gossip magazines and televised infortainment.
Whatever definition you give it news/gossip/information is widely sought and avidly devoured. It's dissemination is one of the pillars of democracy for those who hoard information, for whatever mistaken idea, should be rejected by all fencers who believe a bout is a free and frank conversation between two equals.
So this column encourages the spreading of information/news/gossip as long as it can pass the basic tests for slander - truth or reasonable personal belief!
If you have something to say about anything to do with fencing or what is posted on this site then this is the place to say it. Like Letters to the Editor, submissions should be concise and pertinentand may be subject to editing.
9/2/2010: Hanging on for dear life.....
With tape wrapped around his brakes from an earlier fall, former Christchurch fencer Jackson Carter-Smith hurtles down the hill on $12,000 worth of bike at the New Zealand downhill mountain biking champs at Governors Bay, near Christchurch.
The Christchurch Boys High School pupil gave up fencing last year to concentrate on mountain biking and is in training for the Oceanic champs in March. Carter-Smith was 7 th in the 2007 champs and 7 th in the 2007 Australian U17 epee event. He says mountain biking is a more adrenaline inducing sport than fencing and that there are more mountain bike racers in Christchurch than fencers. Just as well he is hooked on adrenaline for he finished his run without any brakes! Jack’s brother Max, also a fencer, will be starting university this year and plans to join the University of Canterbury Fencing Club.
7/2/2010: What's Vegimite and why was Yves Auriol avoiding it? Thanks for your e-mails. Vegimite is the Aussie version of the Kiwi MARMITE and why was Yves avoiding it - you will have to ask him....the gos is that US Customs removed Yves' tub upon re-entry to the States. Have a look here for more about a great fencing master: US Fencing Hall of Fame
Coming up in a day or so, The Magnificent Fourteen!!
31/1/2010:
American fencing maitre Yves Auriol was nicknamed the Vegemite Kid at a training camp he ran in Adelaide back in 1989. In the top photo he is seen backing away from tub of the sticky stuff proffered by a well-known Australian coach (cropped out). The second photo show the attendees at the camp - which one do you think proffered the Vegemite?
The four-times US Olympic fencing team foil coach developed a strange fascination for the salty black spread at the camp he ran for coaches studying for their Australian Fencing Association qualifications in foil. Many of the participants were accommodated thanks to the South Australian Sports Institute.
A left-hander, Auriol, who taught equally well with both hands and who encouraged the Aussie and (solitary) Kiwi coaches to do the same, was a long time coach at Notre Dame University in Indiana. More
Now teaching in Las Vegas, sometimes known as the retirement and entertainment capital of America, he was made a member of the US Fencing Hall of Fame in 2007 – perhaps the vegemite had some impact on his career?? Read more about Maitre Auriol at: Nevada Fencing
26/1/2010: Fencing New Zealand's 2010 tournament list is up. See Here!
25/1/2010: And now some words about governance and democracy.
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of The Canterbury Provincial Amateur Fencing Council Incorporated (Fencing Mid-South) will be held on Friday March 5th in room 101, Cranmer Centre, corner of Montreal and Armagh Streets (entry off Montreal Street) commencing at 6.00 pm. Plus here are the dates of Fencing MidSouth's meetings for the year:
Feb 19
Mar 5 AGM
Mar 19
April 30
May 28
July 2
Aug 6
Sept 17
Nov 5
Dec 9
Jan 28 2011
Fencers can attend the AGM and general meetings, but only affiliated members can vote at the AGM or give their proxy vote to someone else. See here for more: MidSouth
22/1/2010: Ten Years After -have a look at former top foilist Alex Scott in action...mixed martial arts then have a look at the Panther Page and learn more about the sloper,
STOP PRESS: A potential fencer....
20/1/2010: Here's a great excuse for a fencing celebration: ''That's right, this is the 100th year of fencing at Victoria University of Wellington.'' In celebration of this achievement, the uni is running an Over 18 competition on the 3rd and 4th of July 2010. This competition will be for all weapons and will include a dinner on the 3rd of July.
The venue for the competition has been booked at VUW Kelburn Rec Centre (of
course), the dinner is yet to be confirmed (any suggestions?). More information will be released closer to the time. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, orto put in your entry, talk with Jeremy Peters (Jezza), Secretary, Victoria University of Wellington Swords Club, vuwfencing@gmail.com
See a list of uni fencing Blues (sports award) in the 2008 Archives (April) page!
18/1/2010: Ten Year's After...We know what has happened to two of the four fencers in the picture; Frankie and Hamish, now spies report on Chris McCarthy, second on the left in the pix, and Alex Scott, third from the left. Chris is living in Nelson and Alex is studying in Wellington and doing martial arts - he was spotted on TV by former fencer David Winchester now living in Adelaide, and still with his trademark grin.
Something different to tickle your fancy in the fencing off-season - what is it? 
Yes, it is a motorcycle and not a tiny Fiat or Morris Minor, so anyone know what kind? It was snapped on Kodak Tri-X yonks ago in central Christchurch.
15/1/2010: More grins, but this time from a line-up of oldies - all former national champions, if my memory serves me correctly, and all have worked for fencing and Fencing New Zealand over the years. A small gift for the first person to correctly identify them - contact address below:
13/1/2010: Grin and grips. In the newspaper industry these are what photographers call the shots they take where people are posed smiling at the camera with an award or suchlike in their hands. They are anathema to real hard-news photographers, but to the gossip industry and as a record they are essential - here are some from fencing - are you here??
11/1/2010: Nice touch by the organisers of last weekend's Scottish Open fencing championships in Edinburgh. With the Northern Hemisphere hit hard by huge snowfalls and icy weather (see earlier pix) they provided two phone numbers for fencers to ring the organisers if they were being badly delayed by the weather. The organisers then tried to delay the start of that fencers pool bout until they arrived.
STOP PRESS. Snow on the Forth Bridges. If you look closely at this photo just received from Rosyth you can see the snow on the the Forth Rail Bridge in the background and the Forth Road Bridge, foreground. Thanks Ian!
For more try Scottish Fencing and for general winter happenings The Scotsman Note the story about the privatisation of road gritting and the seemingly deadly results since it happened.
10/1/2010: Is this a paean of delight or defeat?? Its one of our bro's from over the pond. Hint - look at the score.
7/1/2010: Make your fencing plans for 2010.
The Aussie's have published the dates of their major comps here: AFF including Challenge Australia and Commonwealth Fencing Championships.
While, Fencing New Zealand, will publish their list here!
You can view a list of CFC champions Here! and Challenge Australia winners Here!
5/1/2010: Look out you pesky North Islanders, Christchurch fencer Katherine Taylor will be moving to Auckland in early February to live and work. A double national champion, sabre and epee, and long-time member of the University of Canterbury Fencing Club, Katherine says goodbye to training partner Luke Robertson. 
To find out more about Christchurch, try this: the nation's top newspaper and to find out more about UCFC have a look here: ucfc.
1/1/2010: A bit corny, but may your cup overflow in 2010! And a range of cups and fencing silverware from round the world: 
Content prior to this is archived below.
Archived Gossip: 2007, 2008, 2009,
About the photographs on this website.
Gossip Page: The Front Page of The Press, Christchurch and the South Island's largest newspaper, goes to bed in the good old days of hot metal type; Montage at the bottom of this page, Australian foilist Franki Bartolilo; Three-times world veteran foil champion Maurizio Galvan fronts up for New Zealand television; Epee action from Challenge Australia; More epee action from the 02 Commonwealth Fencing Championships; A famous French fencer captured in Seoul; Attendees at a training camp in Christchurch run by Maitre Galvan in 2007.
About Me Page: Two top epee coaches at the Giardino Club in Milan. Oleg Putzanov, left, and Gianni Muzio, right. Montage; Kiwi fencer, Andrew Kell, demonstrates the new sabre mask - 2004 A Space Oddity - in Madrid; Top Kiwi womens' sabreur Katherine Taylor; Australian Olympian, Bill Ronald, relaxes on Lygon Street, Melbourne; Hot Man - an interesting portrait from the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Shah Alam; Christchurch fencing physiotherapist Scott Seun bounds in for a hit against a luckless Australian fencer; Kiwi sabreur, Robert Snoep watches the action at the CFC in Shah Alam; A polite discussion takes place among University fencers at the Uni Games circa 1969. Last but not least, a tidy black Morris Minor photographed in Melbourne. A famous Italian Fencing Master and three-times world vets foil champion used my Morris Minor van for his afternoon siestas while running a training camp in Christchurch in 2007. The fact that he went on to win his third title on the trot is no indication of the efficacy, or otherwise, of sleeping in the back of a Morris Minor van named Corrie the Morrie!
Learn To Fence Page: Youngsters, barely taller than the epees they wield, duel it out in the fencing club at Toledo, Spain; Hitting actions - from beginner to Olympic champion - some example of how to hit your opponent; Kiwi epeeist Natalie Fraser fights into fifth place at a national womens epee competition in Vallalodid, Spain. What every competititve fencer needs - an FIE international fencing license - this one from 1973. A promising young sabreur is given a lesson by one of Spain's top coaches, Luis Jiminez, at the Royal Spanish Fencing Federation's national training centre in Madrid. Aussie coach Mathieu at work; A fencing tournament underway in Adelaide, South Australia.
Books To Read Page: Olympic epee champion Marcel Fischer (Switzerland), Rangi de Abaffy and Willie Upritchard (New Zealand) pose against the ivy after a training session in my backyard in Christchurch. The Montage: Aussie Fencer Sarah Osvath recovers from a tumble; The teams line-up at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Malaysia; Top Kiwi women fencers Jess and Les fight it out at the New Zealand National Fencing Championships; Remember when? Kiwi sabreur Keith Mann shows how to fleche during a sabre bout in the 60's! Mann, twice President of New Zealand Fencing and who still competes in local tournaments, received an award for his services to the sport in 2007. Bottom, Hamish McCracken limbers up while some tired Spaniards watch Challenge Australia action and Waimaria and Karita think about what book to read!
Fencing Businesses Page: Top. A New Brighton resident enjoys the nation's top newspaper (The Press) in a local cafe; University Students march through Cathedral Square as part of Capping Day celebrations in the 1960's; A view of the Tagus River near Toledo in Spain; Another shot of University of Canterbury students celebrating Capping Day with a float highlighting Government funding cuts to universities; Chris, the head Reader at The Press, scans reporters copy for mistakes before it is sent for setting in the days before computerisation of the newspaper. Bottom: A Kiwi fencer begs for mercy after being disarmed; Top epeeist and coach David Eccleston at a training camp in Wellington; The last page for the next day's paper is sent to the platers; Ioan Pop, The FIE's Technical Director, captured at the World Champs in Seoul; A photographer from the Otago Daily Times captures the action at the 2006 nationals.
Links Page: Corps a corps or head to head - you decide. The power of acting - Christchurch actor and fencer, Simon Young, attracts the attention of a young admirer during a production in the Botanic Gardens. You need a good sense of balance for inline skating as Christchurch sabreur William Cowper found out. They might look like two grumpy old men, but three-times world foil champion Maurizio Galvan and local coach Rob Sheard were focusing on the actions of fencers at a training camp at the Fencing Institute. Kiwi fencers love beating up their big brothers in Australia and this shot shows Christchurch epeeist Hassan Kamel with the medal he won in Sydney; Gruff young Kiwi fencers ham it up at the Fencing Institute in Christchurch. Action in the mens epee at the 2007 New Zealand Nationals in Wellington where 14-year-old sabreur Alex Chan stole a seven-hit lead on former National champion Chris Nokes. Nokes came back to win 14-7 proving that a good Old Un can beat an uppity Young Un. Aussie and Kiwi coaches who took part in a training camp taken by Ioan Pop, the FIE's Technical Director. Action in the womens epee event at the World Champs in Seoul. Two members of the University of Canterbury Fencing Club fight off in the Duel at Dawn which marks the end of the fencing season. The duel is held at different venues each year, in this case it was the Christchurch Botanic Gardens!
(All photos Copyright Vik Manuge and may not be reproduced without written consent.)
Photos can be purchased as print, via internet or on disc - e-mail me for details and cost.
