Spring Coronet Tournament 1977

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Balin and Lorissa
Information
Location: Arroyo Seco Park,Pasadena, CA
Date: Apr 30, AS XI (1977)

Balin of Tor, fighting for the honor of Lorissa du Griffin won the coronet list.

Highlights

Memories

  • In those days Viscount (later Duke) Gregory of York and I were "tourney bums" and "war dogs"; as well as inseparable friends. We spent every weekend traveling from Calafia to any war or tournament available, including driving nine hours to the Bay Area for West Kingdom home events (we were still part of the West, and you needed to get well known up there if you wanted any chance of being knighted). I don't think he or I missed one weekend event in my first 3 years in the SCA. When in Angels for an event we usually drove up from Calafia on Friday, spending the night at Griffin Freehold. It was “the” gathering place for the Angels elite; which is to say the “establishment” elite of the Principality in those days. Angels was the heart of Caid, and Griffin Freehold was, arguably, the heart of Angels... It was a double-elimination tournament. After a couple of early rounds which I don’t really remember very well, my third draw was my friend, Gregory of York. I walked out to face him with a jaunty confidence; which concealed an underlying nervousness... Bam! Never has their been a sweeter blow! Clean, hard, directly to his left temple. The sound of wood slamming into steel rang across the tourney field. I imagined that a hush fell over the audience, and a second later Greg took two steps forward, brought his sword up in salute, and then fell forward onto his face! Applause and cheering greeted my victory, as much for the Greg’s showmanship as my unexpected win...
    As I look back, I recall that from that moment I felt somehow transcendent. In a 10 second fight, I had beaten one of the top contenders, and done it with one shot! At some unconscious level I knew if I could defeat Greg I could defeat anyone! My next fight was against Sir Hugh, Caid’s Paladin-of-Paladins... . I was younger than Hugh (he an old man of 31, while I was a sprightly lad of 21) and as he was attacking relentlessly, he tired quicker than I. At some point I went over to the offense, and using shield hooks of my own, combined with a very fast series of inside cuts and a blow I had recently perfected, what would be later called a “scorpion wrap”, I took Hugh down... As if to put a damper on my good fortune, in the next round I drew Guy of Castle Kirk. Back then I think he was Guy de Montfort still, and though not yet knighted our future Duke was even then a dominant tourney fighter, and had been since his very first days... After a couple of furious minutes, I caught Guy squarely with a back-hand shot to the face, and I had defeated yet another of Caid’s champions!
    There was an electricity around the field, as the populace and fighters now out of the tourney gathered in various states of shock and surprise to watch a scrappy unbelted, fighting for a 10 year old girl, go into the final round of the Caid Coronet list. I would be facing the very-noble Sir Morven of Carrick, who had been Prince just one reign earlier. He was fighting for Mistress Bevin Fraser of Stirling, the beautiful “grande dame” of Caid... John ap Griffin was the herald on the field (one of the best Caid has ever known, for my money), and Sir Hugh was marshalling the final fights. We were called upon to salute the throne. I looked over where Prince Martin sat beside his consort, Princess Arabella. Seated on Arabella’s other side was Duke Deaton Claymore, visiting King of Atenveldt. Duke Siegfried of the West was sitting beside Martin, a guest of honor... At some point he (Morven) did what no one else that day had done: he laid a killing blow on me. I remember feeling stupid, that I’d gotten over-confident and underestimated Morven... I think I spoke to Lorrisa, but can’t be certain. I was in a funk. Then Duke Siegfried came up to talk to me. We’d spoke once earlier in the day, after I’d beaten Sir Hugh. He’d commented that I was doing what few fighters were comfortable doing, which was fighting close; and that I should keep that up. This time, the final fight, I started cautiously at first, letting Morven throw a few long shots. Then I rushed upon him. Morven, like others earlier in the day, was unable to withstand my close-quarter onslaught. I don’t remember much of the details. Only that, in the end, I defeated a very worthy adversary who gave me the best three fights of the day. The rest is very much a blur. I vaguely remember much of the Brotherhood coming out to congratulate me. Did they take me up on their shoulders? I sort-of remember that happening. Lorrisa was brought out to the center of the field, and I remember kneeling before her. Fiona/Natalya was beside her, teary-eyed with joy. Lorrisa, all of ten-going-on-thirty, summed up this most unexpected day: “You weren’t supposed to win!” - condensed from the recollections of Viscount, Sir Balin of Tor

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