This was the most recent IJA jousting tourney, held last weekend in NZ. Though the reported seemed to do his best to reduce the event to ridicule, I think that the video of the joust and interviews with Jeff, Stephanie, and Graham were well done.

HERE

That was a fun little clip. The reporter was slightly annoying but the event looked like a blast.

Now, for the part where I incriminate myself as somewhat ignorant-what's with the shape of their shields? It almost looks like the shields are bent to "catch" the lance, rather than deflect it. Was this done historically in tournaments?

Most use the ecranch style of shield that was popular in the late 14th and early 15th century. It is curved, not to "catch" the lance, but to direct it (making it harder to break the lance).

You can see a good representation HERE.


There is a very good discussion on the ecranche HERE

While some targes were designed to "catch" a lance (those used in what is modernly termed realgestech), those targes almost always direct all of the energy of the lance into the jouster, making it harder to stay in the saddle unless (and even if) the lance breaks.

Thanks!

What I wonder (and I didn't see it in that thread you linked to) is why they went with that kind of a shape (concave) rather than a convex shield to direct the strike away from the body?

Allow me to speculate/think out loud a little bit....

The ecranch looks like you could really use it to control where your opponent's lance point went...sort of like a funnel for the force of the impact. Plus, since the slope can always be going in a constant direction (away from the jouster) for the entire shield (as opposed to a convex shield where half of the shield is sloped towards the jouster), it may have been better protection. In the end, I suppose, even if the shield did "catch" the lance (which it sounds like it doesn't)-better to catch it with your shield than y our chest, I suppose.

Disclaimer: I have never particpated in a joust nor have I closely examined the equipment, I'm just curious and make wild speculations about why things were done a certain way.
:D