Knights of Mayhem

[Sand]

New reality series on NatGeo about former performance jousters from Medieval Times and ren faires who try to make jousting the new competitive extreme sport of the 21st century.
Watched the first three episodes. While full contact jousting is cool the "conflicts" seem reality tv tired and dated.

Seems they also have jousting leagues in Europe, but they wont compete here in the US or let US jousters compete in European tournaments because they think Yanks are insane for going full contact (ie no break away balsa tips, the whole lance is solid wood).

NY Times article about modern jousting with explanations about the EU versus US thing. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/magazine/11Jousting-t.html?pagewanted=all
Review of series on NatGeo: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/knights-of-mayhem/

[Numtini]

My partner found this (violent femme, she's the one that took her dad and I to a boxing match) and we've watched it. I agree, they should just go more into the jousting stuff which is interesting and avoid the cliched reality crap. But even with that, it's worth watching. It's no worse than the posturing stuff in Darkon.

They are crazy though. I can't believe they are able to get insurance or anyone would let them compete on their property without it. When the first head goes flying off the shoulders, they'll either all end up in jail or the sponsors will be lining up around the block. Possibly both.

[Ragnoros]

Neither here nor there, but I got dragged to the Renaissance Fair near Houston during Thanksgiving weekend and these guys were preforming. Missed them the first day we went, but made a point to see them the next day after watching a lame choreographed jousting show instead. Apparently one of the knights of mayhem had managed to dislocate his shoulder the day before. So mohawk man pictured above ended up sparring with some newbie linebacker who had been training with them. The show was fairly cool, if short, and the newbie held his own, breaking spears with mohawk man like a boss, but it felt like strikes happened so quickly you kinda missed the real impact. Instant slo-mo replay would have been a definite plus.

Also neither here nor there, but mohawk man claimed that we were the first public to hear that he had signed a contract with the FOX Fuel channel for a real sports show, with, I guess, tournaments and such, rather than manufactured drama. So yay them!

[Tebonas]

Eddard Stark really let himself go after his decapitation and Mohawk guy looks way too serious.

[Sand]

The show was fairly cool, if short, and the newbie held his own, breaking spears with mohawk man like a boss, but it felt like strikes happened so quickly you kinda missed the real impact.

http://youtu.be/9XILi5K8nSc

[Ragnoros]

Yeah, I know. Thought about changing it, but a pointy stick is a pointy stick.

[rattran]

Ren Fairs used to have full contact jousting more, but accidents happen. One guy (named Lance coincidentally) at the Bay Area Ren Fair in '91 got a lance shard through the eyeslot of his helmet, destroying his eye and putting bits of wood through to the back of his brain. Lance recovered, but the jousts from both the big joust troupes have all been more choreographed until these bozos showed up.

I liked Lance, these clowns I will laugh at when they're injured.

[Numtini]

The head guy was on NPR today in an interview that suggests a few more non-impacted brain cells than the series does.

Big contract with Fox Sports apparently.