A Modern Day Warrior

The sun beats down on the sword. Nestled against the warriors side, waiting. Waiting for the moment when it will be unsheathed. The warrior picks up his pace, the grass crumpling beneath his weight. A long, velvet cloak flapping in the wind.

The war has began.

This scene has played out in movies and tv shows set in medieval times. Yet it's happening in modern times, in the college town of Fort Collins, Colo. These warriors aren't enlisted by kings, or fighting for honor -- but rather for themselves. A burning desire to satisfy their imagination propelling them forward in valiant quests.

Live Action Role Play (LARP) is an underground activity that is becoming more visible within the Fort Collins Community. Most Saturdays, various LARP groups will congregate in City Park and live out their fantasies of battle.

Simply put, LARP "is live action role-playing that combines interactive role-playing with combat sequences for a variety of different classes (knights, wizards, etc)." Stated Tanisha, Employee at Gryphon Books and Comics. Gryphon Books and Comics, with Tanisha's help, organize various LARPing activities around the community.

Through providing resources, workshops, and connecting beginner LARPers with pre-existing groups Tanisha is helping to grow the activity within the Fort Collins Community, despite every effort LARP has yet to gain momentum within the mainstream population.

Parker Williams, sophomore at Colorado State University, participates in LARPing with his fraternity brothers once a year. Randomly divided into teams, the brothers take months to gather their gear, and assemble their weapons. A beginner in the LARP world, Williams describe his personal strategy similar to whack-a-mole.

Despite members of Greek Life helping to bring LARPing mainstream, the movement is still struggling. The real challenge is rebranding LARP to make it 'cool'?

Donna Rouner, Public Relations Professor at Colorado State University, had a couple ideas on how LARPing could make a stand in the mainstream world. First and foremost she would "begin with awareness through media releases, including any entertainment media you may find in Northern Colorado, possibly Denver area (free weeklies, etc., as well as more traditional media)." said Rouner. This would help to promote the local LARPing groups and raise awareness among Coloradoans about LARP and how they could get involved.

Rouner also felt it would be beneficial to go to local schools and YMCA groups to build a generation of LARPers rather than ignite the curiosity of an older demographic. 

Despite effective Public Relations strategies, Rouner has her doubts about LARPing becoming main stream. "It may be possible for a more mainstream population might get interested in the spectator sport of it, rather than participating as a LARPer." Said Rouner.

 

As a public relations student, I believe that LARP would have to be rebranded and introduced to people within a younger age demographic. In an online survey I held 57.89 percent of all respondents said they would not be interested in participating in LARP.

The perception of the general public holds an even graver outlook for the potential for LARP to go mainstream. Only 20 percent of people surveyed felt that LARP could be a mainstream past time for America.


Perhaps Williams said it best "I don't think it can go mainstream because people associate it with being nerdy...there isn't an easy audience to market it to."


For now, LARP will be contained to those who want to live out their biggest fantasies.

For the full interview with Parker Williams and his LARPing thoughts and adventures below or link back to youtube.com if video doesn't work.

Interview with Parker on youtube.com