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MARRIOTT-SLATERVILLE -- A local man is the World Champion of Full Contact Heavy Armored Jousting, but is soon to become the star of a new reality show.
Charlie Andrews, originally from California, is the reigning, undefeated champion of jousting; a sport Andrews helped evolve into the competition it is today.
Following his recent success with the first full-contact jousting troop -- the Knights of Mayhem -- Andrews is now the subject of an upcoming reality show to air on National Geographic TV. The reality show has been tentatively titled the Knights of Mayhem and is set for five episodes.
Over the weekend, Andrews competed against other knights at the Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Fire in preparation for the World Championship next month in Las Vegas.
"It's two trains on the same track. Head on. Bang," Andrews described.
Andrews and the Knights of Mayhem have now attempted to develop new standards for modern day knights, making it the next extreme sport.
"We haven't killed anyone yet in our sport, but we've sent quite a few to the hospital," Andrews said. "Who doesn't love big strong men, coming down, pounding themselves with eleven foot lances?"
The lances are made of solid wood; the armor made of steel. In all, the equipment weights about 150 pounds.
"There's nothing better than rolling down the list at 20 miles per hour, on a 2,000 pound warhorse, and laying the wood to some fool coming the other way," Andrews said. "It's the nest feeling in the world."
When these guys make contact, it's sure to hurt.
"This is a hundred percent full contact," added Andrews. "This is the German version known as Realgestech. It is the most dangerous in the world."
E-mail: manderson@ksl.com
