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

The 2026 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.

Forge Fencing is known for its world-class facility featuring fully grounded strips and a state-of-the-art flooring and scoring systems. Jeff Kallio is the tournament manager and Stephen Pashby is our Head Referee and a dedicated USA Fencing CRO (Certified Referee Observer). Expect skilled refereeing as well as 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: $35 registration fee, $45 event fee per event.

Registration closes on 8/19. All incomplete registrations will be deleted at that time. Walk-ins will be accepted the day of the event, at triple fees.

Refunds & Withdrawal Policy

Registration fees are non-refundable. To request a refund of events fees (minus any fees that AskFRED.net & Stripe have deducted) and withdraw from an event, email jeff@forgefencing.com by August 15th. No refunds will be accepted after August 16th.

USA Fencing Memberships are required for all events

All the events are sanctioned by USA fencing and require a current membership. USA Fencing Membership information is here: https://www.usafencing.org/membership

USA Fencing is shifting towards a new points system - you can read about that HERE! We anticipate additional details and guidelines once the 2026-2027 Athlete Handbook is published.

All athletes, coaches, and spectators agree to follow the USA Fencing Codes of Conduct.

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; 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.

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. Expect a detailed email in the week prior to the event - now is a great time to make sure you our contact email in AskFRED.net is up to date!

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 7:00am daily. Friday night equipment check is projected to be available from 6:00pm-8:30pm.

Need assistance? Please reach out to jeff@forgefencing.com if you need assistance with your registration, have questions, or just need some help.