麻豆社区

Fencing Yukon held their first tournament since the 2007 Canada Winter Games Saturday at Selkirk Elementary School.

It was a nationally sanctioned event for points toward Canadian rankings.

It featured a foil session in the morning and an 茅p茅e session in the afternoon.

In the foil, the fencers have to land a strike on their opponent鈥檚 torso.

In the 茅p茅e, they can land them anywhere, including the head.

Scott Dudiak, a coaching tourney organizer, said the club has been running for about two years now.

Dudiak started the club along with fellow coach James McCullough.

鈥淲hen I moved here, there was no fencing in the Yukon and I鈥檝e been involved my whole life. I fenced for Team Canada,鈥� recalled Dudiak. 鈥淢y partner had said, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you start a little kids鈥� class?鈥� So the City of Whitehorse helped us with funding a little bit of equipment to make that happen. James said, 鈥榳e have the club here and we have all the gear and all this experience鈥� and said 鈥業鈥檇 love to do this together.鈥� So we made it a partnership.鈥�

Fourteen fencers took part in the foil session, and 13 in the 茅p茅e. Their ages ranged from 11 to approximately 55.

鈥淣o one in the club is particularly experienced,鈥� related Dudiak. 鈥淪ome of them have been fencing for almost three years. They鈥檙e very strong. They鈥檙e starting to go to competitions down south.鈥�

Dudiak said the young fencers may not be as strong as the adults, but they make up for it in skill. Because of that, they decided to put everyone together in the same competition.

鈥淚n the current context, it makes for a more exciting event,鈥� said Dudiak.

A good example of that was the foil event in which 13-year-old Carlo Sanchez of Mexico finished second, losing 15-10 to a fencer over twice his age, Casey Buchanan.

鈥淗e had been fencing in Mexico for a couple years,鈥� related Dudiak.

The Star spoke with Kona Turpin, one of the talented young fencers, after he defeated Damien Major 5-2 in the round-robin of the 茅p茅e event.

鈥淚 think it went pretty well. I definitely did not think I would win, cause I鈥檝e had three practices so far, so I鈥檓 really proud of myself.鈥�

Turpin, 14, explained how he got involved in fencing.

鈥淲e had a practice at school that first introduced me to the sport and I really enjoyed it, so that鈥檚 when I started.鈥�

Turpin said, 鈥淚ts been really fun.鈥�

When asked if he thinks he has natural talent for fencing, Turpin replied,鈥滻鈥檝e been told by at least a few people that I鈥檓 pretty quick on my feet and I鈥檓 a quick learner and I鈥檓 pretty good at the sport.鈥�

Heidi Cyr was participating along with her two daughters, Isla Poitras, 14, and Olivia Poitras, 11.

Cyr said she saw an ad for the club on Facebook.

鈥淚鈥檓 been wanting to fence since I was a kid when I watched the Princess Bride. And I鈥檓 just like, 鈥榃e have to do this.鈥欌��

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun. Maybe there鈥檚 a bit of hidden aggression there and this is a safe way to let that out,鈥� she laughed.

Cyr said her girls are 鈥渄oing great. They鈥檙e loving it.鈥�

Isla said it was going 鈥済ood.鈥�

鈥淛ust a little exhausted.

鈥淚鈥檓 not here to win. I鈥檓 here to fence, and that鈥檚 what I鈥檝e been doing all day.鈥�

Isla added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a small fencing community but it鈥檚 getting bigger.

鈥淚 hope to get to the nationals, which would be nice.鈥�

Much like her daughter, Cyr said, 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter that I win or not. This is a great experience. I鈥檝e never done this. I鈥檝e never been a competitive person, so it鈥檚 a new side of me.鈥�

The 茅p茅e final featured Casey Buchanan versus the club鈥檚 assistant coach, Ryan McLennan.

Buchanan won a hard fought match that went down to the wire, 15-13.

鈥淚t feels really great. I haven鈥檛 fenced in a really long time and to get back into it was really a blast. I kind of surprised myself that I still have something left.鈥�

Buchanan hadn鈥檛 fenced competitively for about 10 years.

鈥淚 love fencing with these guys. There鈥檚 so many different styles.鈥�

As for the key to his victory, Buchanan said, 鈥淗onestly, I was given some good advice by our coach (Dudiak) and it鈥檚 just to loosen up and not be too serious and tensed up.鈥�

The Star also spoke with McLennan afterwards.

鈥淚t was intense. It was very close. I had to really push because I hurt my leg early into the match.

鈥淚t was great. I haven鈥檛 been in competition for probably 10, 15 years now.鈥�

McLennan said, 鈥淭his season, we鈥檝e gotten a lot more kids involved, which is great. It鈥檚 a good way to grow the sport. And way more adults that are sticking with it.

鈥淭he club has great energy and we have tons of fun.

鈥淲hen Scott started it up again, I was really excited and really wanted to be involved with it. It鈥檚 a great sport.鈥�

Some members of the club will be going to the Alberta Cup 3, which takes place in Calgary Feb. 25-26.

鈥淭hat will be the first tournament for our club out of the territory as a team,鈥� said Dudiak.

They are also planning on going to the national championships in Saskatoon in May.

The fencers going down south are in the 13-14 year age range. Four will be going to Alberta and six to Saskatoon.

鈥淚鈥檓 pretty excited鈥�, said Dudiak. 鈥淏ecause at this stage, it really is about exposure and fun and there really isn鈥檛 any reason to have an expectation of how anyone will do. I think that all of the kids are very strong for their age. We鈥檙e starting from the bottom up and they鈥檙e doing really well.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no pressure. By just being there, we鈥檙e doing something that Yukon Fencing has never done before.鈥�

Dudiak added that they want to support the fencers to take their careers in the sport as far as they can go.

Dudiak said everyone is welcome to join the club, although they are running out of space.

They currently practice at Grey Mountain Elementary in Riverdale.

Practices are held Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

The Yukon Fencing website is