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含羞草研究社檚 what Josh Tobey of Chilliwack has been doing for the past 10 years.
He含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渆xtreme含羞草研究社� sport.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 like driving into a brick wall every single time.含羞草研究社�
It takes about 1,800 pounds of pressure for the 11-foot long wooden lances to break.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 basically the force you含羞草研究社檙e getting hit with every time you snap it, and that含羞草研究社檚 right near your chest, over your heart,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e been told by a lot of EMS they含羞草研究社檙e surprised that none of us have had a heart attack or something, because you含羞草研究社檙e basically just re-jumping your heart every time you get hit.含羞草研究社�
Do people think he含羞草研究社檚 crazy?
含羞草研究社淥h yeah, all the time,含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 like a statue. He drops the reins and has no control of horse 含羞草研究社楽uperman含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社榣ist含羞草研究社�.
含羞草研究社淎ll you can see is your opponent. You watch that lance coming to you every single time.含羞草研究社�
And then it hits him.
His opponent含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社� called a 含羞草研究社榞rand guard含羞草研究社� which is about the size of a dinner plate 含羞草研究社� or knock the opponent off his horse. Points are only awarded if the lance hits the grand guard. It含羞草研究社檚 three points if the lance hits the target and doesn含羞草研究社檛 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含羞草研究社檚 like getting hit with a sledgehammer each time.
So, why does he do it?
含羞草研究社淚 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含羞草研究社檚 really cool showing people that a 2,000-year-old sport is still alive today.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檚 suits of armour out of thin tin and his mom含羞草研究社檚 old cookie sheets, and use shorter lances.
含羞草研究社淲e would run at each other on foot含羞草研究社� with half a lance, and we含羞草研究社檇 still have the little target on our armour.含羞草研究社�
Today, he admits he doesn含羞草研究社檛 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含羞草研究社檚 not jousting, he含羞草研究社檚 pouring concrete for his own business called Tobey含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檙e bigger and can handle when the knight gets hit. Reins are not held onto while jousting because if they含羞草研究社檙e pulled, it could potentially rip the horse含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 think any injury could retire him from it.
Unlike football or soccer, there含羞草研究社檚 no defence in jousting.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a mental game to sit there and put yourself in an accident every single time.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檒l take a nap while sitting in full armour on top of his horse.
含羞草研究社淣ow I think I含羞草研究社檓 just not even doing it. I picture I含羞草研究社檓 on a beach or I含羞草研究社檓 doing something else. I don含羞草研究社檛 think. I shut my brain off and I let my body do it.含羞草研究社�
These days, Tobey helps others get in the zone.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檒l tell guys, 含羞草研究社楽top thinking.含羞草研究社� And then I always say, 含羞草研究社楬ave fun.含羞草研究社� Because if you含羞草研究社檙e not having fun, why are you doing it?含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淚t shook me pretty hard,含羞草研究社� he recalled.
Tobey was only 16 at the time, and he told the knight含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淢y dad never peer pressured us into it含羞草研究社� I always had the thrill of wanting to do it and I finally did and haven含羞草研究社檛 stopped.含羞草研究社�
