
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 7, 1994                    TAG: 9406070502 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C4    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940607                                 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH

ALL FOR ONE: FENCING HAS ITS LURES\

{LEAD} Excusing for a moment the relative handful of fencing diehards in this country, most people can be separated into three categories when asked for their thoughts about the sport:

Those who think about the Three Musketeers or legendary duels of years past.

{REST} Those who confuse it with a way to get rid of stolen property;

Those, like Adrian Carr four years ago, who don't think about it at all.

``I just wasn't interested,'' Carr said. ``Nobody did it, it seemed like a waste of time and I didn't consider it a sport.''

Naturally, Carr wasn't at all thrilled when his mother signed him up for a fencing class. But before that class was over, Carr was hooked. Now, the junior from Salem High School takes the title of South Hampton Roads' top fencer into this weekend's Virginia State Games.

``I really don't know what happened that night,'' Carr said. ``I do know I couldn't wait to get back.''

Fencing at the Virginia State Games begins with the foil competition Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Pierside Gym inside Gate 1 at Little Creek Amphibious Base. Epee and sabre divisions get underway Sunday.

Carr, a two-time participant in the National Junior Olympics, figures to be the top finisher from this area in his division. But it's not like he has a lot of local competition. While Joseph Rinehart, a freshman at Indian River, and a few other high school students take the sport seriously, the majority apparently knows little of fencing's charms. Most of the students and teachers at Salem don't even know Carr's involved in the sport.

Consequently, the 50-60 competitors are expected to fence this weekend will be participating in one of the least-watched of the 34 Virginia Games sports.

One reason is the sports' lack of visibility. Although fencing is one of only six sports that have been part of every modern Olympics, U.S. teams traditionally fare poorly and television coverage is minimal.

But perhaps the biggest reason people stay away from fencing, and even the competitors themselves admit this, is that it's really not much fun to watch.

``Fencing is fun to participate in, but difficult if you're a spectator,'' said Jeff Knutson, the fencing coordinator for the Virginia State Games.

Unlike the swashbuckling scenes in the movies, the motions of actual fencing are less exaggerated and more technical. Some call fencing ``chess with muscles.''

Also, no one gets ``sliced to ribbons'' in fencing. Competitors score by ``touching'' an opponent with the tip of the blade, or, in the sabre division, with the blade's edge.

``It's really not very dangerous,'' Knutson said.

But while fencing may strike people as something less than a sport, Carr, who has participated in nearly 20 tournaments in less than four years, said it's actually similar to boxing.

``Basically, you're trying to hit without getting hit,'' he said.

by CNB