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Show local wwim Eistt oiatiooial even May 14, 2003 - The Springville Herald - Page Eleven 5 r by Marie C. Knowlton Sun glints off shields and broadswords as battle cries fill the air. The warriors, clad in brightly colored tunics, armor and chainmail, rush forth to vanquish their enemies. After the clash, fallen comrades lie scattered on the ground as the victors celebrate their might. A scene from "Brave-heart" "Brave-heart" or some medieval romance novel, perhaps? No. Anyone who passes by Pro-vo's Pro-vo's North Park any Saturday Satur-day afternoon can observe and even participate in, such a battle. The combatants are members of a national organization orga-nization called Belegarth Medieval Combat Society. The local realm Ered Duath, meets at North Park every Thursday and Saturday to prepare for national competitions competi-tions held each spring and summer-and to have some old-fashioned, swashbuckling, swashbuck-ling, sword-brandishing fun. The sport, which attracts men and women of all age groups, is growing in popularity. popu-larity. Over 3500 participants nationally are divided into realms of 100-400 members. Smaller units, called kingdoms, king-doms, range from a handful to a hundred or so in number. num-ber. .While a substantial number of local members are high school youth, there are many veterans with families and careers, who have found the sport provides lasting benefits. On a blustery spring day, 30-year-old Tim Buck (known as "Beorn") of Salt Lake fastens his handmade leather armor and secures his billowing brown cape. "What do I like about this?" he smiles as he swings his sword. "I can beat people up and not get in trouble for it. " Buck has also parlayed his decade-long love of medieval combat into a profitable sideline. He owns a costume-making costume-making business at www.rav-ensmoonreplicas www.rav-ensmoonreplicas . com. Others are drawn by the athletic nature of the pastime. Jeremy Tuck, 25, a network administrator, says, "It's a cross between rugby, football and a pillow fight." Nathan Shumway, 30, a UVSC student who loves fencing and archery, agrees. "It's a lot of fun. " Eighteen-year-old Jason Holt of Springville, pausing for a brief interview between skirmishes, says, "This whole medieval things is awesome. I've always been into this." Teenagers with pent-up frustrations can vent their anger in constructive ways, adds Nathan Bohan ("Zeha-va"), ("Zeha-va"), a 10-year veteran of the sport. "They get exercise, anger management and have a fun hobby." Also, he notes that the anti-drug and anti-smoking anti-smoking policy helps keep teens from forming bad habits. STATE FARM INSURANCE Local warriors pause during medieval a.m. to 6 p.m. battle re-enactment at North vo. The public is invited festivities of the Belegarth bat Society on Saturday, May 31, from 8 Andy Schaffner, leader of Ogden's Band of the Red Hand, dons chain mail as he explains that the sport is ideal for those who don't have a lot of money. "We make all our own weapons, and we keep 35-40 weapons on hand for those who don't have their own. " Padded weapons are inexpensive and fairly easy to make, using supplies such as PVC, a fiberglass rod and some closed-cell foam, like that found in the camping department of local stores. Most groups, like Schaf-fners's Schaf-fners's have a cache of weapons weap-ons available and hold weapon-making workshops regularly. regu-larly. Erd Duath leader Andrew Snyder of Springville Spring-ville stresses safety, noting that swords, pikes and other gear must have protective padding to avoid injury. In combat a warrior struck on an arm or leg, loses the use of that limb. He can keep fighting, but if he receives a body slash or blow, he's "dead" and must drop to the ground, immobile, immo-bile, for the rest of the bat- JC A, " ' -"W r - JT 1 Andrew Snyder of Springville, or King Andrek as he is known in the Belegarth Medieval Combat Society is shown here during a heated battle at North Park in Provo. The national society will meet in Hobble Creek Canyon for three days May 29-June 1. Dean H. Bowen Insurance Agency, Inc. 330 North Main, Springville flDfljxsmi Mrj)TjriS(s - May 15-KB Come see our new office ,! ' i . V ' Providing Park in Pro- in Hobble Creek Canvon. This is a nation- to observe the ai event being Medieval Com- days tie. Head shots are strictly illegal for safety reason. The team with the last man stand-, ing wins. Training exercises, such as the "Circle of Death" and "Spy vs. Spy," provide fun variations. To ensure safety and payability , a herald remains on the field at all times. Yestare, a national event, will be held in Springville, May .29-June 1, at Camp Jeremiah Johnson in Hobble Creek Canyon. Warriors will kick off with a campout May 29 and participate in scheduled sched-uled events such as the Assassin As-sassin Tournament, the Knight's Knig-ht's Tournament and the Warrior's Tournament on May 30, 31 and June 1. Combatants after embarking on a 4-hour Quest, will enjoy a medieval feast and Royal Roast under the stars on the 31st. Without help from local companies, such as the Springville Spri-ngville Meat Company, and the support of Springville City, Snyder acknowledges, it would be impossible to host such events in the local area. "I wish more people Pi 1" P- C1 I , I 4 Si'-- ML fiatte ?sirm DimsdoiraoDce Insurance and Financial at Camp Jeremiah Johnson held in Springville for three knew about the sport. It's great for all ages." said Snyder. The public is invited to observe the festivities on May 31, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at no charge. "We'd like everyone to come out and see what we're all about," says Snyder. Anyone wishing to participate in events should contact him at kingandrekhotmail.com to register. Most people have one foot the is larger than the other. I l in the old Pizza Hutbuildinq I r - i Ft A:'. ."T' . i ft I If o 0 A On May 3 fourth grade students from Mapleton School planted two Honey Locust trees at the new Hobble Creek Elementary. The students studied about Arbor Day and the importance of trees. They shared their knowledge with their class. The classes made posters for the Arbor Day Poster Contest. The theme this year was Trees are Terrific from Acorn to Oak. Because of the participation in the poster contest Mapleton School received a voucher to buy trees. The students decided to plant the trees at the new Hobble Creek School where they will be fifth grade students. Shown in the photo are Tab McLain, Tosh Dowling, Cory Johnson, Custodian Stan Littlefield and Michael McQueen. 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