Imagine sitting on top of a horse in full medieval armour, barely being able to move, charging head-on towards your opponent, and getting slammed as a wooden lance hits your body.
This is the very rare sport of jousting and it害羞草研究所檚 what Josh Tobey of Chilliwack has been doing for the past 10 years.
He害羞草研究所檚 part of a full-contact jousting troupe called Knights of Valour which puts on Renaissance festivals and brings jousting shows to places across North America.
Tobey calls it an 害羞草研究所渆xtreme害羞草研究所� sport.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 like driving into a brick wall every single time.害羞草研究所�
It takes about 1,800 pounds of pressure for the 11-foot long wooden lances to break.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 basically the force you害羞草研究所檙e getting hit with every time you snap it, and that害羞草研究所檚 right near your chest, over your heart,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e been told by a lot of EMS they害羞草研究所檙e surprised that none of us have had a heart attack or something, because you害羞草研究所檙e basically just re-jumping your heart every time you get hit.害羞草研究所�
Do people think he害羞草研究所檚 crazy?
害羞草研究所淥h yeah, all the time,害羞草研究所� he said.
Once his 120 pounds of armour is on, Tobey can barely move and he can hardly see through the quarter-of-an-inch eye slits cut into his helmet. He害羞草研究所檚 like a statue. He drops the reins and has no control of horse 害羞草研究所楽uperman害羞草研究所� as he holds on with only his legs.
Superman gallops about 30 kilometres an hour towards the other knight coming at the same speed down a 220-foot long run called a 害羞草研究所榣ist害羞草研究所�.
害羞草研究所淎ll you can see is your opponent. You watch that lance coming to you every single time.害羞草研究所�
And then it hits him.
His opponent害羞草研究所檚 wooden lance rams into the metal target that sits over his heart. His body bends backwards like a scene from The Matrix as wooden lance pieces fly through the air.
Tobey, still atop Superman, pulls himself back up.
What people see with Knights of Valour is real, not staged.
The knights get five passes per match to try and hit the target 害羞草研究所� called a 害羞草研究所榞rand guard害羞草研究所� which is about the size of a dinner plate 害羞草研究所� or knock the opponent off his horse. Points are only awarded if the lance hits the grand guard. It害羞草研究所檚 three points if the lance hits the target and doesn害羞草研究所檛 break, five points if the lance breaks when it hits the target, and 10 points if the knight knocks the opponent off his horse.
Tobey said it害羞草研究所檚 like getting hit with a sledgehammer each time.
So, why does he do it?
害羞草研究所淚 like the thrill of it, the joy, the fame you get at the shows, the spotlight, and the travelling that comes with it. Also it害羞草研究所檚 really cool showing people that a 2,000-year-old sport is still alive today.害羞草研究所�
Jousting has been part of his life for 24 of his 28 years. It started when his dad, Tim, was introduced to the sport in Ontario. He fell in love with it, and soon enough, Josh and his brother Aaron did as well.
He remembers as a kid, he and Aaron would make their own children害羞草研究所檚 suits of armour out of thin tin and his mom害羞草研究所檚 old cookie sheets, and use shorter lances.
害羞草研究所淲e would run at each other on foot害羞草研究所� with half a lance, and we害羞草研究所檇 still have the little target on our armour.害羞草研究所�
Today, he admits he doesn害羞草研究所檛 practice jousting.
Started by Shane Adams and based in Alabama, there are about 10-12 members with Knights of Valour who live mostly in Ontario, Alberta and Colorado. They travel as a group with the horses throughout North America putting on jousting shows and Renaissance fairs.
When he害羞草研究所檚 not jousting, he害羞草研究所檚 pouring concrete for his own business called Tobey害羞草研究所檚 Concrete, although he does get paid to joust. This year alone, he went to approximately 35 shows, 24 of which were over the course of 12 days at the PNE.
The horses they use are Percherons because they害羞草研究所檙e bigger and can handle when the knight gets hit. Reins are not held onto while jousting because if they害羞草研究所檙e pulled, it could potentially rip the horse害羞草研究所檚 mouth.
Tobey has suffered several injuries including multiple concussions, a broken collar bone, two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a torn rotator cuff. His dad retired after breaking his jaw, but Tobey said he doesn害羞草研究所檛 think any injury could retire him from it.
Unlike football or soccer, there害羞草研究所檚 no defence in jousting.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a mental game to sit there and put yourself in an accident every single time.害羞草研究所�
At first, he was not good at putting the fear and danger out of his mind. His dad would coach him and his mom would calm him down.
Now he can do it on his own.
To prepare himself for a match, he害羞草研究所檒l take a nap while sitting in full armour on top of his horse.
害羞草研究所淣ow I think I害羞草研究所檓 just not even doing it. I picture I害羞草研究所檓 on a beach or I害羞草研究所檓 doing something else. I don害羞草研究所檛 think. I shut my brain off and I let my body do it.害羞草研究所�
These days, Tobey helps others get in the zone.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l tell guys, 害羞草研究所楽top thinking.害羞草研究所� And then I always say, 害羞草研究所楬ave fun.害羞草研究所� Because if you害羞草研究所檙e not having fun, why are you doing it?害羞草研究所�
The people he jousts with are family. He said Adams is like a father to him, as was another knight he knew who died in a car crash.
害羞草研究所淚t shook me pretty hard,害羞草研究所� he recalled.
Tobey was only 16 at the time, and he told the knight害羞草研究所檚 wife at the funeral that he was going to start jousting in honour of her husband. Tobey asked her if he could wear her husband害羞草研究所檚 jousting colours. She loved the idea and now he wears blue, silver and gold feathers in his helmet and three gold stars.
And although he was practically born into jousting, he and his brother were never forced into competing.
害羞草研究所淢y dad never peer pressured us into it害羞草研究所� I always had the thrill of wanting to do it and I finally did and haven害羞草研究所檛 stopped.害羞草研究所�
