Rationality | West Coast Fencing Archive

The Salle in the Woods

by Doug Nichols | Sep 30, 2019 | Baker, Jack, Biagini, Gerard, Blog Post, Coaches, Coaches A - E, Coaches F - J, Coaches K - O, Coaches P - T, D'Asaro, Michael, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Fencers P - T, Halberstadt, Hans, Lane, Arthur, Mayer, Helene, McDougall, John, Mitchell, Maxine, Moore-Selberg, Julie, Nadi, Aldo, Nottingham, Jack, Okawa, Heziburo, Piller, George, Selberg, Charles, Shurtz, Skip

In the woods of Southern Oregon off a dirt road and across a valley from the winding I-5 was a fencing salle d’armes built by Charlie Selberg in an old barn. It was stuffed to the rafters with fencing memorabilia dating back decades.

LA’s Greatest Hits, 1936

by Doug Nichols | Sep 23, 2019 | Blog Post, Boyd, Andrew, Coaches, Coaches A - E, Coaches F - J, Coaches K - O, Coaches P - T, Coaches U - Z, Duff, John, Faulkner, Ralph, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Mayer, Helene, Mori, Torao, Nadi, Aldo, Piller, George, Uyttenhove, Henri

When I have the opportunity to visit someone who has fencing memorabilia that I can scan for my collection, I often don’t get a chance to thoroughly take in the significance of everything I’m working with.

Cartoons by Selberg

by Doug Nichols | Sep 16, 2019 | Blog Post, Coaches, Coaches F - J, Coaches K - O, Coaches P - T, Funke, Erich, McDougall, John, Richards, Ed, Selberg, Charles

Charles Selberg, or Charlie as he was more commonly known, in 1966 established the fencing program at UC Santa Cruz, home of the Banana Slugs. More, Charlie Selberg was an artist.

My Forever Summer

by Doug Nichols | Sep 2, 2019 | Blog Post, Cabrillo College, Carnighan, Len, Clark Skillman, Laurel, Coaches, Coaches A - E, Coaches K - O, Coaches P - T, D'Asaro, Gay, D'Asaro, Michael, Ellingson,Joy, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Marki, Ferenc, McDougall, John, Moore-Selberg, Julie, Northern California, Nottingham, Jack, Okawa, Heziburo, San Jose State University, Schools/Clubs, Selberg, Charles, The Fencing Center

You don’t forget your first team, or your first teammates. The fortuitous circumstances surrounding my introduction to fencing couldn’t be more memorable; a time filled with remarkable personalities.

Yet More Comics!

by Doug Nichols | Aug 26, 2019 | Blog Post, Coaches, Coaches F - J, Halberstadt, Hans

If you have ever taken the time to peruse the backlog of stories on this site, you may have run across a few older posts that had collections of newspaper comics that include a fencing reference. Well, it’s that time again!

The Search for Al Snyder, National Champion

by Doug Nichols | Aug 19, 2019 | Biagini, Gerard, Blog Post, Coaches, Coaches F - J, Coaches K - O, Fencers, Fencers A - E, Fencers K - O, Fencers P - T, Halberstadt, Hans, Lane, Arthur, Mayer, Helene, Snyder, Al

Typically, US National Foil Champions are reasonably well documented, particularly in their home town. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Alfred R. Snyder, 1944 US foil champion.

Order from the Chaos