Tournaments in 2023-2024

All fencers, no matter what level or BFA membership status, are always welcome to compete in tournaments for fun.

Brand New and/or Not Sure About Competing? Dates TBA

Several times a year we will schedule an evening “Earn The E” Tournament for those (13+) who are ready to take on the challenge. We also occasionally hold Swordfight Socials where events or teams are balanced as much as possible to maximize fun and fencing time for all skills. Visiting fencers are $20 and should contact us before arriving, but are welcome. There is no charge to MSU or BFA fencers.

Earn Your E Tournament: Sept 21

Earn Your E November 9

December 9 Team Tournament

Bozeman January Swordfight Social

Earn Your E - TBA

Earn a D TBA

Spring Team Tournament TBA

Pretty New or Not So New and Excited About Competing?

All of the above PLUS Any of the Following

The following events are generally for local events $15 with pre-registration, $20 for walk-ins. MSU fencers fence free.

August 12th Bozeman Cup #1: Epee: Open, Unrated, Y12 Congrats to Kai, Jaxson, and Jacob!

October 21 Bozeman Cup #2: Congrats to Atty and Jacob!

November 9 Bozeman Cup #3: Open, Earn Your E, Y12, Y10

November 9 Bozeman: Inland Empire Qualifier for Junior Olympics Epee: Cadet, Junior

January 18 Bozeman Cup #4: Open, Earn Your E, Y12, Y10

February 22 Bozeman Cup #5: Open, Earn Your E, Y12, Y10

March 30 Bozeman Cup #6: Open, Earn Your E, Y12, Y10

May 4 Bozeman Cup #7: Open, Earn Your E, Y12, Y10

May 4 Bozeman: Inland Empire Qualifier for Summer Nationals Epee: Div II, III, Y14

June 12-13 Bozeman Cup #8: Open, Earn Your E, Y12, Y10

Denver: Colorado Youth Cup TBA

For Experienced Competitors or To Compete Regionally or Nationally

Any/All of the above PLUS Some of these

*Sept 30-Oct 1 ROC Colorado Springs, CO Div IA, Div II, Junior, Cadet

*October 6-8 AFM ROC in San Jose California

*October NAC Orlando, FL October 26-29 Div I, Cadet, Div II, Para

*Inland Empire Division Epee Qualifier for JOs November 17

November NAC Ft Worth TX Nov 10-13 Junior, Cadet, Y14, Junior team

*January NAC San Jose, CA January 5-8 Division I, Vet, Junior

January 27-28 Div IA, Vet Battle in Seattle, ROC of Ages

*April TBA: Bozeman Inland Empire Division Qualifier for Epee Div II, III, Y14

*Division I Championship and April NAC Salt Lake City, UT April 21-24 Division I, Div I Team, vet, Junior

April 5-7 Denver ROC Division IA, Division II

*Summer Nationals and July Challenge Columbus, OH June 29-July 8

Local Tournaments

We are in the Inland Empire Division (Montana, N Idaho, Western Washington). Once local event dates are finalized and posted, you can register and find results for any of these tournaments at askfred. This schedule is generally created in late summer/early fall and events may be added at any point. We coordinate scheduling of events throughout the division and try to consider the timing of relevant regional and national events as well. Local level events outside Bozeman that are close-ish and fun are in Missoula, Salt Lake area, Pocatello, and Spokane.

ALL local tournaments are welcoming and relaxed events. New, recreational and competitive fencers are all made welcome.

Regional Tournaments

We are in region 1. Registration is through USFA. These events are designed to field a level of play between local and national events. You can fence at regional events in any region of the country. They also serve as qualifiers for national level championships: for kids and teens to use these events as qualifiers, you must be fencing in our region.

ROCs: Specific to Div IA, II, or Vet, to qualify for national championship events or to simply to try out fencing other people from other regions. Unlike youth events, ROCs are not limited to our region. The closest are WA and CA this year.

RJCCs: Cadet and Junior to qualify for Junior Olympics or July Challenge. RJCCs for our region are in Portland and Seattle. You qualify based on your best two RJCC results or total number of regional points. JOs will be in Salt Lake in February 2022, fencers ages 13-19 may wish to travel to several of the fall/ early winter RJCCs if they are interested in competing in JOs or at Nationals.

RYCs: Y12, Y14 to qualify for Nationals and for the March Y10 and Y12 NAC or to gain experience fencing other kids outside our division for those kids who have been fencing for a couple years and/or who wish to fence nationally in high school. We encourage our youngest fencers to fence and compete locally for at least several years before traveling further in order to keep competition in a healthy perspective.

National Level Tournaments

For the North American Cup (NAC) schedule and registration, see USFA. These are larger than the regional events with an often higher/ more intense level of competition.

SYC and SJCCs: another much bigger option for Y10, Y12, Y14 and Cadet/Junior to qualify for National Championships. Bigger than RYCs or RJCCs, you aren't limited to ones just in our region. The closest are in OR, WA, and CA. If your fencer has been fencing for at least 3 years and is in the older year of his/her age bracket and doesn’t mind meeting other fencers who may be high drama, these can be interesting events to fence. SJCCs are newer and are the equivalent to SYCs but for Junior and Cadets.

Most NACs are for Cadet and older age groups. There is usually a NAC in March for Y10, Y12, Y14. You don't need to qualify in order to go to Y14 and older NACs, you do for Y10 and Y12 as that can be a lot of pressure for a young kid.

Junior Olympics are the championship event for Cadet and Junior and will be held in …. Qualify at RJCCs, NACs or Divisionally.

Championship for Division I is usually in April.

Summer Nationals are usually the championship event for all except Cadet, Junior, and Division I. Cadet, Junior and Div I July Challenge Invitational events are usually held simultaneously as part of the qualifying path for JOs/Div I Championships the following year. You do need to qualify to fence in Summer Nationals and Invitational events.

International level events

The USA fields teams in Cadet, Junior, Div I, and Vet. To qualify, you compete in the national level tournaments for points.