The Big Blue Annual 3 Weapon Open/Women's/Youth + Div 3 Saber

The 2024 Forge BIG BLUE Tournament is the perennial NC fencing "season starter" competition. We come together as a community to celebrate the new season and compete for a chance to have your name added to the perpetual trophy. Historically, the "blues" honor NC's NCAA teams: Duke and UNC.

This year we are hosting Senior Mixed Open events and dedicated women's events for foil, epee', and saber. Youth events are Y12 Mixed in all three weapons, and we added a Division 3 (Rating "D" and under) saber event for this year.

*Due to space constraints the Open Mixed Foil will be capped at 49 entries. Since Senior Mixed Foil has reached its cap amount, we will be unable to accept any walk in registrations for that event*

Forge Fencing is known for its world-class facility featuring fully grounded strips and a state-of-the-art flooring and scoring systems. Stephen Pashby is our Head Referee and a dedicated USA Fencing CRO (Certified Referee Observer) so you can expect skilled refereeing as well as regional referee mentorship and development to take place during the event. Interested in officiating and being observed? Please email jeff@forgefencing.com.

Prepayment is required to confirm registration.

Entry Fees: $5 registration fee, $30 for Youth event fee & $40 for Senior event fee.

Registration closes Wednesday, 8/21. All incomplete registrations will be deleted at that time. Walk-ins will be accepted the day of the event, at double fees. College fencing clubs or programs sending 10 or more athletes can apply for a group entry fee discount by emailing jeff@forgefencing.com at least 2 weeks prior to the event. No refunds after the close of registration period on 8/21.

Awards:

Medals for the top 3 finishers in each event (with a tie for 3rd) will be awarded. The winner of each event's name will be added to the Big Blue perpetual trophy for the named event. The Division 3 Mixed saber is a bonus event this season; medals are awarded but there is no trophy.

Equipment Control:

Full USA Fencing uniform and equipment standards will be upheld. Plan for armory control to check body cords, masks, gloves, and lames at the same standard you would expect at a national event. All athletes, coaches, and spectators agree to follow the USA Fencing Codes of Conduct. Questions? Email jeff@forgefencing.com

FRIDAY NIGHT ARMORY CHECK will run from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

Event Flow:

Anticipate that events with 24 or more participants may be flighted. Athletes should be prepared for events to start at the close of registration. Any expected schedule changes will be announced at least 1 week prior to the event.

Visiting Durham:

Durham is an awesome place to visit! Our club is located at 610 North Duke Street, Durham NC 27701. We are walking distance to the Durham Food Hall, Brightleaf Square, and a short hop to our Downtown. Checkout https://www.discoverdurham.com/ to learn more. There are many AirBnb's within walking distance to the club, and we regularly use the Millennium Hotel as an affordable hotel option. Reach out if you need help with recommendations on where to eat or where to stay, we are happy to help.

Event Schedule:

*All times posted are close of registration, our events run on time. The club will be open by 7:30am daily, armory control will be open by 8:00am. Stay tuned for Friday night equipment check times when they are confirmed.

Saturday

9:00am Youth 12 Mixed Foil

9:00am Youth 12 Mixed Saber

11:00am Senior Women's Foil

1:00pm Senior Women's Saber

3:00pm Senior Mixed Epee`

Sunday

9:00am Division 3 Mixed Saber

9:00am Youth 12 Mixed Epee`

9:00am Senior Women's Epee'

11:00am Senior Mixed Foil

2:00pm Senior Mixed Saber