Swordplay under a hot sun
Carrying 25 kilograms of armour in sweltering heat didn’t slow down the battling knights at Levin’s medieval market.
Sword fighting was one of the drawcards at the market at the Levin Showgrounds on Saturday, as fighters took each other on one-on-one and in groups.
There was also pony rides, stalls, minstrels, mead and people dressed in medieval garb, but the sword fighting proved popular.
Denny Denski, 31, from Wellington was second overall in the individual competition.
He emerged from his armour sweating but victorious, and qualifying for contests in Russia and Ukraine.
‘‘It’s a good rush, a very good rush,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s mostly that I want to win for myself, that’s what I came into the sport initially.
‘‘But then you see the amount of people that back you to get you there.
‘‘You have to win for them or at least give it your best shot.’’
Denski had a support team with him, including a squire, whose job was to make sure Denski had everything he needed for battle.
Denski competes at tournaments every few months.
In battle he and the other fighters don’t take a backward step, with swords flying, shields used as melee weapons and the fighters even get into a boxers’ clinch.
It would be brutal if not for the heavy armour.
‘‘You can get bruises and cuts or something like that if you’re not covered.
‘‘But we’ve got refs to make sure people don’t get hurt.’’
Denski is a social media marketer, who has been involved with the Felag Wellington Medieval Armoured Combat club for about a year.
Armour smiths made the gear and there was no shortage of swords and armour at the fair.