On weekdays, he’s Philip Smith, Boeing 7E7 project manager and Bothell resident.
Weekends, he’s Sir Philippe, 16th century French jouster extraordinaire atop a steady, tall steed, pointing a 15-foot heavy blunted lance at his opponent’s breast plate.
Smith was one of several jousters competing with authentic full-body armor during the Saturday afternoon jousting tournament staged by Seattle Knights, a troupe which has appeared in several movies.
It was part of the Renaissance Faire’s flair for color, history, arts, music and crafts. The event encircles the Clallam County Fairgrounds green.
The Renaissance Faire continues today beginning at noon at the fairgrounds, 1608 W. 18th St., Port Angeles.
Thirty Seattle Knights members turned out Saturday to stage other mock battles from sword fighting to light jousting to “quintain,” horse jousting practice in which competitors run their lances into a medieval-style turnstile. The highest number of turns wins.
The jousting tournament filled up the grandstands Saturday in the fairgrounds’ rodeo arena, a mostly family crowd that cheered on the Renaissance combatants and stomped their feet in approval.
Having been slammed off his horse and left on his back a few times over his nine years, Smith acknowledges a few aches and pains.
“I won’t tell you about the surgery,” he said with a chuckle, while his “squire” pulled off the right leg of 85 pounds of stainless steel armor he wore for the joust.
It takes several people to get him fully costumed and up on his horse, Smith said.
