Blake Novice Tournament December 2024

IMPORTANT: Blake, SPA, and Holy Family fencers should NOT pay at the end of registration. Please click "save and pay later" and your school will pay for you.

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Eligibility

You are eligible for this tournament if all of the following are true:

1. You live in Minnesota or fence with a club or school located in Minnesota
2. You are in grades 7-12
3. You have never competed in any fencing tournament in any weapon
4. You do not have a USA Fencing rating
5. You did not start fencing prior to September 1, 2024 (exception: participation in up to two one-week summer camps in 2023 or 2024 allowed)

This tournament is intended to help brand-new fencers get started with tournaments by fencing against other people in the same boat. If you aren’t sure whether you are eligible, feel free to email using the link on this page to ask. You can also ask your coach for guidance. However, the criteria above will be applied to all fencers with no exceptions. All fencers and parents are welcome to come to the presentation regardless of experience level.

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Schedule

The schedule will be:

1. 8:00—Doors open, and check-in, payment, and equipment check begins (west entrance)
2. 9:00—Critically acclaimed presentation about fencing and tournaments for fencers and parents (auditorium)
3. 10:00—Check-in closes for people not attending the presentation
4. 10:30–Move to gym for tournament
5. 11:00—Fencing begins
6. TBD—Awards (medals for the top 4 finishers in each event)

We won’t know start times for individual events until we see how many people register. 

Note: There will be no food provided and no concessions. Feel free to bring food, as there will be no lunch break.

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Location

The event will be held at The Blake School Minneapolis Campus at 511 Kenwood Pkwy Minneapolis, MN 55403 (near Parade Ice Arena; note this is not at the Hopkins Campus, which many people are more familiar with). You can park in the Blake parking lots on the east and west sides of the building, but you will need to enter through the west doors. Allow plenty of time to find legal parking and then to walk to the school in case the Blake lots are full.

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Registration and payment

You must register via AskFRED (this website) prior to 11:00 PM on 12/4/24 (check the “Who’s coming?” page to make sure your registration went through properly)

Please be aware of the following:

1. The individual prepaid (online payment) entry fee for competitors is $42.00 for those paying online and for school programs that pay for their teams with a single payment.
2. Blake, SPA, and Holy Family fencers should NOT pay online or in person; your school will cover your entry fees.
3. If you do not prepay online and are not a Blake, SPA, or Holy Family fencer, you can pay $50 cash or check on the day of the event.
4. You must be pre-registered via AskFRED (no on-site registration is permitted).
5. If you don’t check-in by the close of check-in (10:00 a.m.), you will not be allowed to compete.
6. Each fencer may only compete in one event. 
7. Cash or check only (no credit cards or electronic payments, and there is no ATM on site). 
8. Checks can be made out to “The Blake School.” Note that if your school or team pays for its team members, you will not need to pay at the door; check with your coach if you aren't sure.
9. Parents are welcome to attend the educational portion at 9:00, and they need not pay or register.

Please make sure you are registering under the correct AskFRED-listed high school team or club. Check with your coach if you are not sure which one is yours. In addition, make sure the email listed on your AskFRED account is current and checked regularly; there will be an announcement email sent out a few days prior to the tournament.

In general, there will be no refunds for people who pay in advance and do not show up. However, extenuating circumstances may be taken into account (e.g., snowstorms) and full or partial refunds may be issued after accounting for fixed costs such as awards.

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Equipment rules

All fencers must have

1. knickers
2. socks that overlap the knickers
3. a jacket
4. an underarm protector
5. a fencing glove (for saber, 800 NW FIE gloves are required)
6. for foil and epee, a weapon that passes weights and shims.

These items must be in good condition and free of holes.

All weapons will be fenced electric, so each fencer will need a working weapon and a body cord as well as a lamé/etc. for foil and saber.

All women must have chest protectors; any chest protectors used by men or women in foil must have neoprene padding.

Masks will be inspected. They must (1) be free of dents and defects (2) pass a punch test (3) have a working back strap (the new-style Velcro strap system is not required, but there must be a strap in good working condition, tight enough to secure the mask to the back of the head).

Weights and shims will not be inspected for foil and epee.

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COVID policy

 As of this posting, masks and vaccinations are not required to participate or attend. However, if you are ill or have a fever, you are asked not to attend. If you have tested positive for COVID, please do not attend unless you have a negative test or have been fever-free for at least 5 full days.