Second on the list of Crap That I'm Into; Boffing!

Boffing is a broad topic because there are several different branches of boffing. I guess I'll talk about each and the one that I'm into. First though, Boffers themselves are weapons made with PVC piping (usually 1/2" to 1") covered in foam and Duct Tape to form various medieval weapons (swords, spears, shields, daggers, axes, hammers, etc.).

First we have the LARPers. LARP stands for Live Action Role Playing. These are the nerdiest of the nerds, God bless them. These "LARPers" are the people you'd probably see at renaissance fairs. I don't know much about the whole concept of LARPing because there are a lot of different ways to go about doing it. If you've ever heard of or played Dungeons and Dragons or some other fantasy RPG, LARPers generally animate those fantasy universes in real life. Not only do they make boffers (more artistic ones using more materials usually ending up looking like actual weaons and not foam swords), they often make armor (either inexpensive foam and cardboard or heavy mail and plate armor). The point of LARPers isn't exactly fighting with said armor and weapons, it's often increasing their "skills" and "stats". Many LARP groups do scripted "plays" if you will. They take on the role of their character and act out various plots.

Secondly we have people that are into boffing purely for the sake of beating the crap out of each other without actually hurting people. They make the foam weapons, shields, and armor, then meet up and kill each other. There's no real acting or fantasy aspect to it. Boffers, to them, are just a substitute for wooden or metal weapons.

Then there's a third group in between the first two. My friends and I are best put into this group. They make the weapons and shields (sometimes armor) just like the others. They have a bit of a fantastical aspect in that they form clans of fighters with a lord at the head of each group. The clans are usually based on the groups location, one town could have a clan and they'd fight against another town's clan. There's knights and squires and other medieval ranks. If you're a good fighter and leader, you become either knight or lord (usually only one lord per group). Lords and knights can take on squires that will fight with them whenever there are clan battles and who will eventually get knighted to take on a squire of their own. Then there are general combatants that belong to a clan or some other kind of group and just fight.

Whether you're into thrilling fantasy adventures, beating the crap out of other people, or (if you're like me) a mixture of the two, boffers a ton of fun to work/play with.