[Ansteorra] Story from Crown Tourney

[Bree Flowers]

On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 5:19 PM, Tim McDaniel <tmcd at panix.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 12 Jul 2010, Rose <rose_welch at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> The proponents for outdoor fighting makes it sound as though indoor
>> fighting is the worst possible scenario. Well, I've been to plenty
>> of indoor fighting events, and seen even more indoor fighter
>> practices. Do we have any statistics to back up the claim of
>> increased injuries? If so, how to they compare to injuries by heat?
>> Facts are good.
>
> I remember at least one Middle Kingdom tourney in a high-school gym,
> but they do fight outside in good weather.  If you want to research
> it, I would wildly guess that the Middle or kingdoms with similar
> climates could provide good data.
>
> (Weather Underground has climate data, averages and records.  For
> example,
> <http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/DisplayNORMS.asp?AirportCode=KORD&SafeCityName=Chicago&StateCode=IL&Units=none&IATA=ORD>
> gives you climate data for Chicago. Looks like they have to fight
> indoors or else not fight at all for several months per year.)

I lived North of that and if you're implying that the cold makes
people fight indoors you'd be sadly mistaken. My experience has been
that it's the availability of affordable indoor space that dictates
that choice. Our fighters used to fight outside in sub-freezing temps
all the time if there wasn't space provided indoors. Some even
preferred it (not me, I found I bruised more when the weapons are
frozen). We fought in the rain, we fought in a foot of snow, we
stopped when it hailed or there was lightning. And conversely I've
lived places hotter than this (yeah, I know it doesn't seem like
that's possible in the summer) and they never managed to secure a hall
so ALWAYS fought outdoors. The major difference there (Australia) was
that AC wasn't something most people had, so the general population
was pretty heat conditioned.

I'd suggest that if you are someone who likes to watch crown tournies
that you work on your heat tolerance ahead of time. Turn your AC up a
few degrees and try to live at or above 80 degrees. Drive with the
windows down. Sit out on your porch in the evening. On the up side
your wallet will be happier too. There are also a few things that can
be done the day of the event. Stay in the shade. Bring a plant sprayer
to cool down with or soak a rag in water and hang it around your neck.
Wear a hat to keep the sun off. Dress in heat-friendly fabrics and
styles (linen and Roman are good).

As a Canadian who managed to survive the 30th event in the Dallas area
last summer, my first in Ansteorra, at a whopping 8 months pregnant I
can tell you heat-stroke-free events are entirely possible. And that
you don't need AC in your tent to do it (as an aside, really folks???
Is there anything at all more ambiance-shattering than your AC
rumbling away all day and night as you try to air condition the whole
outdoors?)

~Eve