COMMUNITY
LARPe diem The Belegarth Board of Tourism welcomes thee to Maricopa BY DAVID IVERSEN
convincing all the neighborhood kids, hey, let’s go have fun.” Seventeen years later, he’s still at it. By day, Sava works in a warehouse. His passion is out on this battlefield, where he trains newcomers in the art of combat. “I’ve seen young’uns. I’ve seen old people decide to retire. I’ve seen injuries. I’ve seen comebacks,” said Sava. Duel intentions Belegarth’s public relations coordinator is named Forrest Locklear. “In game, I go by Old Man Forest Panda,” Locklear offered. He is the public face of a national nonprofit that has found a new “realm” in Maricopa. The organization has been around for decades, some chapters developed enough to be called voting realms.
get this Belegarth chapter off the ground. “At our high point, there were seven groups [in the Valley], each group hosting 30 to 50 people every weekend,” said Sava. “We’re still rebuilding because the world went to sh*t. “Everybody took years off and now they’re slowly coming back. Right now, there’s four different groups across the Valley. The largest one has 50. The smallest one is here [in Maricopa] with five people at the moment.” Sava carries several custom weapons, custom armor and several custom, hand-painted shields. His spear is bamboo with a tube sock on the end. His swords are high quality foam on fiberglass. It’s an arsenal he has built over more than two decades in the sport. “The first day I got into this, I went out, bought all the materials: Blue camp pad and pipe. I had it all laid out,” remembered Sava. “I ended up making 20 different swords that day
At our high point, there were seven groups [in the Valley], each group hosting 30 to 50 people every weekend.” SAVA THE IRRESPONSIBLE
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That last part is key for Cooper, 36, and his family. Since moving to Maricopa a year ago, he’s been looking for like-minded LARPers. “I used to live in Goodyear when there wasn’t anything out there,” said Cooper, holding a mid-range sword. “A great Friday night was an hour-and-a-half drive away.” Game of foams Cooper was joined by Clayton Peterson, a.k.a. Sava the Irresponsible, a longtime Phoenix LARPer who made the trek to Maricopa to help
It is a live action role play — better known as LARPing — simulated swordplay with PVC pipes wrapped in camping pads, duct-taped together in garages and living rooms. Maricopa’s chapter was started by Tad Cooper. “I’ve been doing this sport for the last 10 or so years and it’s been such a massive improvement in my life,” he said. “It’s a way for the people to get out in the community, meet people, make friends, do something athletic. And I noticed there wasn’t anything like that down here.”
ROUNDTABLE’S OF knights lay down their swords on a field of battle at Copper Sky Regional Park. They choose their WORTH
weapons, size up their foe and start the battle. Limbs are lost, wails are cried and lives are taken by the victors. It’s a foam-filled medieval rivalry playing out in the city’s inaugural live-action role playing event. The group calls itself The Southern Keep. It is a realm of a national group called Belegarth Medieval Combat Society.
InMaricopa.com | April 2025
April 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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