Sisters man rides into 'mayhem'

The heavy-metal combatants of the Knights of Mayhem recreate the chivalrous sport of jousting for a modern audience. Sisters' James Johnson is a proud member of the touring troop, applying his years of rodeo skills and extreme snowmobiling to the tournament lane with his trusty battle steed.

Recently returned from shows and training camps in Texas and Utah, Johnson is preparing for a tournament at a renaissance faire next week in California.

"I've been involved in competitive jousting for about nine months now," he said, suiting up in his shining armor where his horses are kept off Hurtley Ranch Road. "The first time I saw it and heard it was being developed as a sport I knew I had to do it. Most of the guys into it are all MMA guys or bull riders or come from some extreme sports background. Everything we do is one-hundred-and-ten percent horse safety first or you shouldn't even be doing it. Just getting the horse to let you on its back with over a hundred pounds of clanking armor and then go bang each other up is a blessing. It's a rush and absolutely amazing."

Full-contact jousting is not a sport for the weak and timid, with violent collisions, backbreaking tumbles and the force of 8,000 pounds per square inch striking your armor. According to Johnson, each pass is the equivalent of a 30-mph medieval car wreck. Lances are the real deal, constructed with 2-1/2-inch solid hemlock and fitted with a copper cap on the end.

Based out of Utah, Knights of Mayhem was started by Charlie Andrews, captain of the gallant gang and seven-time Full Contact Heavy Armored Jousting World Champion.

"He wants to resurrect the art of jousting for the 21st century and has devoted his entire life to it," Johnson added. "He took me under his wing and has been my mentor and teacher these past months."

The colorful Andrews is not only the reigning world champion but has also helped pioneer and evolve jousting into the next extreme sport. The National Geographic Channel aired six episodes of its tournament jousting reality show last year, titled "Knights of Mayhem."

"Ninety percent of it is the horse and your horsemanship skills," said Johnson. "Maybe one out of a hundred horses will be OK with it. It takes time and dedication. Your horse is your partner, and if you want to be good you put the grunt work in."

Johnson's current war-horse-in-training is Titan, a massive, five-year-old black Percheron-quarter horse cross he is caretaking and training for Andrews.

"He was supposed to be for the Black Knight in the troop but he couldn't get on him in armor. Hopefully he'll become a good war-horse. It'll take me all winter to get him ready. In jousting it's so hard to control your lance and hit on target. There are so many variables to think about."

Knights in Andrews' stable of warriors take on the personas of characters suited to their own personalities and heritage. When jousting in fairs and events, Johnson is the Native American knight, "Wild Eagle," due to his Blackfoot heritage, decorated with eagle feathers on his helmet and fluted right into his armor's surface.

"My personal armor was designed and crafted by William Brunson of Dragonheart Armory out of Pocatello, Idaho. He did an amazing job. There's only a very small, select group of people who do this the old-school way. It took him seven months to hand-make it all and cost almost $8,000, and that was a deal."

The gleaming armor was made from 12-gauge stainless steel, all pounded by hand and formed with a modern twist. All the patterns used are based on original ancient designs.

"It's no picnic training under Charlie Andrews," James admitted. "He expects a lot. Being from rodeo and around horses my whole life I thought it would be easy, but I was totally wrong. I had to relearn my horsemanship skills and practice a completely different riding style. On top of that you're strapped into about 130 pounds of stiff armor with an enclosed helmet you can barely see out of. It's incredibly difficult."

A jousting contest consists of four to five passes per knight on a 100-foot strip or "list field" bordered by ropes. Judges award three points for a lance hit on the knight's chest-mounted gridded grand guard target, five points if you break the lance tip and 10 for dismounting your opponent.

"Everything changes on the field atop your horse," said Johnson. "All the knights are best friends and teammates, but when we get into that suit of armor and prepare for a hard charge it's every man for himself. I love it."

Johnson is currently looking for tournament sponsors, and anyone interested can contact him at 541-815-2360.

For more information on Knights of Mayhem visit www.knightsofmayhem.com.