Salle Auriol Seattle

What Salle Auriol Seattle does

Salle Auriol Seattle is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Olympic fencing club founded in 1963 by Maître Léon Auriol, a French-born coach who served as US National, Pan American, and Canadian Olympic team coach. Operating from a 27,000 sq ft Interbay facility (Salle 6, moved November 2024) with 15 permanently installed metal competition strips, 30 wired practice strips, 2 parafencing strips, and a fully equipped armory, the club is described as one of the largest fencing clubs in North America. It delivers instruction in all three Olympic weapons (foil, epee, saber) across four primary customer segments: youth (ages 7–11), juniors (11–16), adults (18+ including 40+ veteran categories), and parafencing athletes with physical disabilities (A, B, C classifications).

The core service is progressive, multi-level fencing instruction delivered through weekly recurring classes, open fencing sessions, private lessons, and week-long summer and specialty camps. The club also operates a retail equipment and merchandise channel, hosts US Fencing-sanctioned tournaments including the Leon Auriol Open (Division 1A ROC), RJCC, RYC, and the Seattle International Veterans Cup, and runs educational clinics (referee certification, armory workshops). The coaching staff is led by Marshall Hibnes (President and Head Coach since 1981), whose students have earned 300+ national and international medals, and includes weapon specialists drawn from NCAA Division I programs and international competitive backgrounds.

Revenue is generated across five streams: recurring monthly class fees ($175–$260 per student depending on program and frequency), one-time camp registrations ($305–$590 per week), tournament registration fees, retail equipment and merchandise sales, and tax-deductible charitable donations. The club is currently running a $300,000 capital campaign to support the Salle 6 expansion. Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer through the single Seattle facility and ZenPlanner online registration, with no third-party resellers, franchise, or multi-site operations.

Name

Salle Auriol Seattle

Legal name

Salle Auriol Seattle

Website

https://salleauriol.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Salle Auriol Seattle is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Olympic fencing club founded in 1963, operating a 27,000 sq ft facility in Seattle with instruction in foil, epee, and saber for youth, juniors, adults, and para-athletes across the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fencing Club / Sports Instruction

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Referee, Umpire & Coach Education/Certification Academies (MPAKAJAN)

Keywords

• Olympic fencing instruction
• Non-profit fencing club
• Youth fencing programs
• Parafencing training
• Summer fencing camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Class Fees: Recurring monthly class fees for youth, junior, and adult fencing programs at various skill levels. Fees vary by program intensity (once vs. twice weekly) and skill tier.
2. Summer and Specialty Camps: One-time registration fees for week-long fencing camps. Pricing varies by age group (8-12, 12-16) and whether half-day or full-day options.
3. Tournament Registration: Fees collected from participants at US Fencing-sanctioned tournaments hosted at the facility, including NACs, ROC, RJCC, RYC, and local Walk and Roll events.
4. Equipment and Merchandise Sales: Retail sales of fencing equipment (masks, gloves, uniforms, lames, weapons, body cords) and club merchandise (t-shirts, hoodies, water bottles).
5. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible charitable donations from supporters, including current $300,000 capital campaign for Salle 6 facility expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Salle Auriol Seattle is a non-profit 501(c)(3) fencing club in Seattle that provides Olympic fencing instruction across all three weapons—foil, epee, and saber—for all age groups and skill levels. The club also offers parafencing programs, summer fencing camps, equipment sales, and hosts fencing tournaments.

Product overview

Salle Auriol Seattle is a non-profit fencing education organization offering Olympic sport fencing instruction through a multi-level program structure. The core offerings include Youth Classes (ages 7-11), Junior Classes (ages 11-16), and Adult Classes across three Olympic weapons (foil, epee, saber), plus specialized Parafencing programs for athletes with disabilities. Supporting programs include Fencing Summer Camps (ages 8-16), Private Lessons, and Open Fencing sessions. The organization operates a retail Equipment & Merchandise store and hosts US Fencing-sanctioned tournaments including the Leon Auriol Open, RJCC, RYC, and Seattle International Veterans Cup. Additional offerings include Referee Certification Clinics and Armory Clinics for equipment maintenance education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Salle 6: The new, larger facility (27,000 sq ft) that Salle Auriol Seattle moved to in November 2024, located 1 block north of the existing location, featuring 15 permanently installed metal competition strips, 2 parafencing strips, 30 practice strips, changing rooms, lockers, and cross-training areas.

Products and services

• Olympic Fencing Instruction (Foil, Epee, Saber)
• Parafencing Programs
• Summer Fencing Camps
• Fencing Equipment Sales
• Tournament Hosting

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ArtsWestminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025ArtsWest theatrical production 'Athena' featuring 17-year-old fencers. Salle Auriol trained actors for authentic fencing and collaborated on the production. April 10 - May 4 run at ArtsWest in Seattle.
• United States Fencing Association (USA Fencing)coreOthersMember club of USA Fencing, the national governing body for fencing and member of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Club hosts sanctioned tournaments (NACs, ROC, RJCC, RYC) and issues referee certifications. Members required to have USA Fencing membership for competition.
• Cleveland State UniversityminorOthersFormer coach Mylos Gaffney fenced for Cleveland State University's fencing team after graduating from SAS.
• Duke City Fencing ClubminorOthersNikita Sakhanenko coached at Duke City Fencing Club in Albuquerque, NM in 2005 before moving to Seattle and joining SAS.
• Lawrence UniversityminorOthersCoaches Paul Englund and Myles Luedecke have connections to Lawrence University's fencing program under coach Eric Momberg.
• Northwestern UniversityminorOthersPaul Englund served as volunteer assistant coach in Northwestern University's Div 1 NCAA program (led by Zach Moss).
• Culver AcademiesminorOthersMyles Luedecke led the epee program at Culver Academies under TJ McNally before joining SAS.
• Drew UniversityminorOthersGraduate Sabrina Holmes will continue fencing on Drew University's NCAA team in fall 2025, studying philosophy and political science on pre-law track.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bluegrass Fencers: Louisville, Kentucky fencing club offering instructional and competitive programs across weapons and age groups, with a comparable community-based club model.
• Manhattan Fencing Center: A large urban fencing club in New York City offering multi-weapon instruction (foil, epee, saber) for youth, juniors, and adults, with competitive tournament hosting and a comparable full-service club model.
• Academy of Fencing Masters: Sunnyvale, California fencing club with a large facility and competitive pedigree, offering youth, junior, and adult instruction across all three Olympic weapons with a similar club-academy model.
• Mission Fencing Center: San Francisco Bay Area fencing club offering multi-level instruction and competitive training, comparable to SAS in providing structured progression from beginner through national-level competition.
• DC Fencers Club: Washington DC-area fencing club providing multi-weapon instruction, competitive training, and tournament hosting — a comparable urban fencing club with similar breadth of programming.
• Olympia Fencing Center: Multi-location fencing club providing structured youth, junior, and adult instruction across all weapons, comparable to SAS in its full-service club model and competitive event participation.
• Fencers Club: Historic New York fencing club providing structured instruction across all weapons and competitive training pathways, comparable to SAS in its breadth of programming and tournament-hosting role.
• Texas Fencing Academy: Austin-based fencing club providing youth through adult programs across all three weapons, with active tournament hosting and a similar multi-tier membership structure.

Broad incumbents

• Life Time Fitness: National operator of large fitness and recreational sports centers offering classes, leagues, and member amenities. While not fencing-specific, it competes for the same discretionary fitness/recreation dollars and exemplifies the scale of capital and marketing a broad incumbent can deploy against niche clubs.

Regional players

• Northwest Fencing Center: Portland, Oregon-based fencing club serving the Pacific Northwest. Strongest geographic comparable to SAS — competing for regional fencers, hosting USA Fencing-sanctioned events, and offering youth through adult programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seattlefencing
• Facebookfacebook.com/seattlefencing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salle-auriol-seattle

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Salle Auriol Seattle