Feb '09

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PSMContEdit:PS 12/24/08 2:02 PM Page 2
FEBRUARY / 2009
CONTENTS
F E AT U R E S
8 NPPL Commander’s Cup
Thanks for the memories.
P24
Say goodbye to the NPPL.

By Kahlen Limjoco
P60
PHOTO BY BEN HASLAM
PHOTO BY STEVEN M. HARDY
42 World Cup Asia 2008

The Local-International Success
By Dave “Landshark” Norman
24 2008 SPPL Finals

The Guns of Ludowici 50 Tactical Ten Paintball League
Good Times at a Great TTPL
By Ian "Lo" Ebersole Dave “Landshark” Norman
38 Shawn Walker
What’s the deal? PSM exclusive.
80 Paintball Extravaganza
An Interview with Rick Chard
By Bea Youngs Staff Report
D E P A R T M E N T S
34 PRODUCT REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Test drive DYE’s new Rotor.
56 NEWS WITH A VIEW Ryan McDonald anchors from atop the Empire State Building.
60 HOTTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Build an Empire with her.
62 PAXSON’S PAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . The best paintballer in the world.
66 SPLAT SHOTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . It’s time for your shots.
68 TACTICS W/GREG HASTINGS . . . . . . . . . “Well-placed” cover fire.
72 PAINTING THE WORLD BLUE Blue and the Crew “Crews” New Orleans.
76 PAINTBALL ON POINT . . . . . . . . . . Scenario with a Sense of History.
84 PSM Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A Farewell to the NPPL.
92 DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fields & Stores where PSM is available.
94 CALENDAR OF EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Get some game.
96 MARKETPLACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Get the latest and the greatest.
P38
COVER: Dynasty wins the very last NPPL THIS PAGE: Ambush at Commander’s Cup 2008
PHOTOGRAPHER: Gary Baum PHOTOGRAPHERS: Gary Baum
4 www.paintballsportsmag.com
Paintball Sports (ISSN: 1073-773x) February 2009, Volume 20 Number 232, is published monthly by Paintball Sports Magazine, LLC., 513 Commack Road, Deer Park, NY 11729. Periodical postage rates at Ronkonkoma Post Office 11779. Subscription
rates in the U.S. $29.95, one year, $51.95, two years. Postmaster: Please send all address changes to Paintball Sports, 513 Commack Road, Deer Park, NY 11729. Copyright 2009 under the Universal Copyright Conventions and the International Copyright
Convention. Not responsible for unsolicited materials. Submissions must be accompanied by self-addressed, stamped envelope. Publisher assumes no responsibilities in case of loss. All business and advertising inquires should be forwarded to Paintball
Sports 631.676.7555. Editorial information should be forwarded to Paintball Sports, 513 Commack Road, Deer Park, NY 11729, Tel: 631.676.7555. Paintball Sports Magazine, LLC., as publisher of Paintball Sports Magazine, makes no representation of
warranties concerning the products and services advertised or reported on herein, including, without limitation, the legality of the use, distribution or ownership thereof, and disclaims any and all liability arising from or in connection with the manufacture,
distribution, ownership or use of such products and services. Reproduction without writer or photographer permission strictly prohibited. Main office number 631.676.7555.
FROM THE EDITOR

®
Mae, Jeff and

PaintballSports
Bea Youngs. PUBLISHED BY
Paintball Sports Magazine
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Bea Youngs
ART DIRECTOR
Chris Vitale
GRAPHIC ARTIST
With Pacific Paintball filing for bankruptcy, some paintball manufacturers downsizing,
Jennifer Schellenberg
the proverbial “tough economic times” has been on the minds of everyone worldwide,
so what’s going to happen to the world of paintball this 2009?
WOODSBALL EDITOR
People are looking for a solution to their money woes, and it looks like this year’s
Paintball Extravaganza just might be the answer. The 5th Annual Paintball Extravaganza
Jason "Foolybear" Lineberger
will hold its 3-day event from February 5th to the 7th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (near
the airport) in Atlanta, Georgia. Already, the event has sold out all 80 vendor booth
TACTICAL EDITOR
spaces, an increase of 28 over last year’s. If you’re a business owner, this is the event
Greg Hastings
you definitely don’t want to miss. This is where you’ll learn how to make your business
grow and be able to talk with major manufacturers face-to-face about the state of the
TECH EDITOR
economy and how to overcome. In this month’s issue, we’ve got Rick Chard, the owner
Dave Rotunda
of the event, telling us all about this year’s event.
Speaking of Pacific Paintball’s failure to proceed, what exactly was the cause of their
demise? Some people feel that Shawn Walker’s to blame. Well, we contacted Shawn
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Walker to get his side of the story on why he was let go from Pacific Paintball, what his
Dawn Allcot, James Dawson, Dale Ford,
feelings are about their going out of business, and what’s his up to now.
Dean Del Prete, Greg Hastings, Bruce Johnston,
Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing, that times are tough. We should look at this as an
Jason Lineberger, Dave Norman,
opportunity to look at what we’ve been doing wrong and find ways to change it around
Jayson Orvis, Mike Paxson, Alex Pergament,
for the better. Much like what our entire country is going through, change is definitely
Stephanie Prince, Chris Raehl,
the main topic of discussion, so it’s no surprise that paintball is in need for that same
very thing – CHANGE.
Becky Raikles, Jordan F. Ricks, Rob Rubin,
Off on a tangent, I would like to also take this opportunity to say how thankful I was
Don Saavedra, Paul Sattler, Rich Struth,
to receive the many emails, texts, phone calls, letters, cards, flowers, and donations
Jay Wilson, Jack Windsor
after my father passed away on November 17th, 2008. The support that my family and I
received from our paintball family was enormous and helped tremendously. It was
PHOTOGRAPHERS
tough losing my best friend, my father, but being able to share his story with so many
T.J. Allcot, Matt Aman, Gary Baum,
was extremely helpful and I am forever grateful to the paintball community. I miss my
Gno Benedicto, Jason Bourassa, J.R. Chantry,
dad, think about him constantly, but know that he’s definitely in a better place. This
Valentine’s Day, be sure to spend that quality time with your loved ones and tell them
James Dawson, Jamie Ford, Toby Gilreath,
everything you want to them to know about how special they are.
Steven M. Hardy, Jason Lineberger,
Enjoy this month’s issue and thank you for making Paintball Sports Magazine your #1
Eric McCall, Rick Murray,
choice for paintball entertainment.

Dave Payne, Alex Pergament, Jennifer Schmitz
Brandon Showers, Skirmish Photos,
Sincerely,
Josh Silverman, Bruce Smith,
Scott Stoddard, Rich Struth,
Chris Vitale, Dan Voils
NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR

Peg Sattler
Bea Youngs 631.386.6919
Editor-In-Chief peg@paintballsportsmag.com
EDITORIAL
W AY N E S WO RL D • WE S OL D IE RS • T OY S F O R T OT S editor@paintballsportsmag.com
LETTERS Please e-mail us at editor@paintballsportsmag.com SUBSCRIPTIONS For subscription services and inquiries,
®
PaintballSports
OR send your letter to Paintball Sports Magazine, Attn: please call 631.386.6919 or visit us online at FEBRUARY 2009 VOLUME 20 NUMBER 232
Editorial Dept., 513 Commack Road, Deer Park, NY 11729. www.paintballsportsmag.com.
Please include the writer’s full name, address and
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PSMMstrAds11Nov:PS 9/26/08 4:58 PM Page 131
Commanders:Layout 12/24/08 11:55 AM Page 1
he grand finale had arrived! The last of the ‘08 events for NPPL was held on November 13th thru
the 15th at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Diego Chargers. The event hosted 199
teams and had 70 vendors present. This event looked and sounded more like a Huntington Beach
event; with the turn out of players and vendors, it turned out to be a BIG event! This year’s event was
full of surprises; not only was there a 7-man format but 5-man as well. The Spyder Cup 3-man final
event was even out at Qualcomm. Teams and players from all over the world showed up for this event.
Despite the cancellation of event number 4 in Houston, the NPPL pushed forward with the next event,
Commanders Cup. This event was one to remember, as it was not only the last event of the year, but
the last ever NPPL event! That’s right no more NPPL! Shortly after Commander’s Cup, on December 1 at
9:39am, Pacific Paintball announced title 7 (bankruptcy). This is a copy of the letter sent out:
Commanders:Layout 12/24/08 12:00 PM Page 5
But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself;

back to the Commander’s Cup. This
year’s Commander’s Cup was structured
differently from years past. The NPPL was
putting their best foot forward to make
sure that this event would be one to
remember. The NPPL layouts for fields,
sponsors, and vendors changed over 16
times. The original layout was setup like a
boot. You would walk into the entrance
and have to walk by every single
vender/sponsor before the entrance to
the paddox/field area. This was to insure
that the vendors and sponsors got their
time to shine and show off there money
makers. But the layout that won was one
that all XPSL players know well, which is
your typical XPSL layout in an “O.K.
Corral” fashion where the vendors form a
huge circle as do the fields surrounding
them also form a circle. The best thing
about this setup was that it worked! It
allowed shopping at all your favorite ven-
dors while watching games at the same
time. The vendor turn out was really nice
as you had all your NPPL favorites like
Sunday Clothing, Planet Eclipes, Spyder,
JT USA, Empire, Custom Products, and
yes-even Dye joined the group as the
corporate headquarters are just down the
street; the place was popping with all
your favorite paintball gear and apparel.
a
The fields themselves were different

for this event. The NPPL went with only
two types of layouts. REASON? Teams
for the past events were at a disadvan-
tage, not being able to practice all
fields before the event. This made for a
more even playing field for all divisions,
as all teams would have time to
play/practice these fields before the
event. The scheduling was even differ-
ent. It had semi-pro teams playing on
Friday unlike past events when they
played on Saturday with the pros. The
atmosphere was different, but the event
still had the feel of an NPPL event.
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Overall, the event went smooth. Thursday got off

to a bit of a slow start. Most teams didn’t show up
until the late evening. With the advantage of only
having two layouts, most teams got the practice they
needed, so walking the fields was not as important
as it has been at past events. Preliminary rounds on
Friday and Saturday were exciting and fun. You had
a few teams that just walked through preliminaries
with out a sweat. The scores that came out were
insane; mostly 90’s and above across the board,
only dropping one game, if that. It looked like
everyone was out to make it to Sunday. Everyone
had their game faces on and everyone went balls out
when playing. I could tell you that when Sunday
came around, the sweet 16 was just that - sweet.
Teams have been working all year long to become
the best and now their hard work was paying off.
One team that comes to mind would have to be
Shogun, a D3 level team out of Texas. This team
practices every weekend and is coached by one of
the top players of our time - Thomas “the Troll”
Taylor. These guys back home push the limits of
what is expected of a higher divisional team. They
usually only practice with D1 level teams, so when
they step out on the field they always bring there “A”
game! Luck was also in the air in San Diego. Team
Dynasty, who had no chance of catching the two
leaders Ironman and Hurricanes, were surprised to
find out that those two top teams didn’t make it
past prelims, so with the two leaders out, it was
anyone’s game.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! This is

what paintball is all about and from
the Sweet 16 to the Elite 8 to the
Final 4 you saw paintball at its best!
As everyone brought there “A” game
on Friday and Saturday, when
Sunday came around, everyone was
looking for extra credit. From D3 to
Pro you had teams smashing other
teams, leaving no room for the
weak. It’s also a time for experience
and that was something my boys
down in Texas did not have. They
lost to Effects in the Elite 8 to a
more experienced team that not
only plays NPPL, but XPSL as well.
Dynasty on the other hand has been down this road

before and experience was on their side. The only
team that had a chance of spoiling that was
Edmonton Impact, but Dynasty prevailed and beat
Impact moving them on to play the OC Bushwackers
but that final game with the Bushwackers was over in
two and Dynasty again came up on top. The whole
tournament, Dynasty only lost two games - one in
prelims and one in quarter-finals. This meant that
Dynasty not only won the tournament, but also won
the title of best Pro team of the year, a title they have
held for the last 7 years!
NPPL San Diego was a great event! To know that we will

never have any NPPL Commanders Cup or an NPPL is sad,
but I must say that if this was going to be the last event for
the NPPL, it was a good one. For myself, I can say that I will
miss this tournament and this league. As for the
Commander’s Cup, it was my first BIG event and the NPPL
was my first big tourney league, which is probably like most
of you reading this article. But the question still stands,
“What will happen to paintball now that one of its giants is
gone?” I can tell that tournaments will always come and go,
but as for us players, we will endure. Why? Because we love
this sport!
PSMMstrAds01Jan09:PS 12/1/08 10:03 AM Page 15
sppl:Layout 12/23/08 4:27 AM Page 3
THE GUNS OF LUDOWICI:

2008 SPPL FINALS
Georgia’s Low Country Paintball hosted the
final SPPL event of the year.
Story By Ian "Lo" Ebersole
Photos by Ben Haslam
I
got back to the hotel room exhausted,
ready to collapse on my bed before
spending the next day traveling home
from a little town by the name of
Ludowici, Georgia. As I took gear off to
clean and pack away, my cleats caught
my attention, specifically the bright pink
soles. This confused me for some time,
no doubt assisted by my cluttered mind.
Only after a few minutes did I realize
that my cleats had been uniformly
stained bright pink simply by walking on
the immense amount of paint present at
the 2008 SPPL Finals event.
Smart Corps, Forest Demons

The Scenario Paintball Players Red, ForestFire and the Black
SOME HISTORY
League (SPPL) began as a com- and Blue Krew competed in

petitive woodsball league in the Elite Division, while a slew
2005 and has quickly expanded of teams including GTF Corps,
to 10 US events, 4 Canadian Adrenaline Assault out of
events, and a handful of Canada, Xtreme Fanatics and
Australian and European events Forest Demons Blue competed
during the 2008 season. Teams for the Masters division title.
from each of those countries The Rookie division (limited
compete in local events, all of to teams who had not yet
which culminate in the SPPL competed in the SPPL) was
World Championships. Hosted populated by teams such as
this year by Billy Smith and the Xtreme Behavior, BlackLight
crew at Low Country Paintball in Company, Suicide Kings,
Ludowici, Georgia, the event Adrenaline Ambush, and the
drew 17 of the top woodsball GTF Rookie squad.
teams from across the US and
Canada, including the defend-
ing league champions Smart The first day of play quickly
THE BEGINNING
Corps, local teams such as showed the caliber and skill of

Black and Blue Krew and Riff the players as teams played
Raff, the Canadian Adrenaline their preliminary matches.
squads, and Dan Bonebrake's Over the course of Saturday
Forest Demons. and early Sunday, teams would
each play three matches inside
their divisions to determine
The SPPL format is centered
THE FORMAT
which teams would advance to
around the triangular field lay- the semi-finals. These match-
out, ranging from five to ten es took place on three sepa-
acres in scale. Each team begins rate fields.
the match in one corner of the The APE field, the largest of
triangle with ten players on the the three, was centered around
field, and reinsertions every ten the old tree farm. This field also
minutes of the hour-long featured several large carpet
match. A flag station is present bunkers near the center of the
at each corner, two base flags field and the swing base, which
and one "swing base". When a most teams regarded as the
team has their color flag raised crucial positions on the field.
at a station, they gain one point The neat rows of trees made
for every minute that it stays the majority of the field very
flying. Also on the field are open if players were looking in
three capture objectives, small the direction of their oppo-
cases which are worth points nents home base, but very dif-
and have special advantages ficult to shoot from a home
when they are found, such as base to a swing base or vice
being able to reinsert dead versa, which made for interest-
players in between the desig- ing firefights. While teams
nated respawn times, or a dirty rotated among all the fields,
bomb which can be used to this field saw a large propor-
mine a section of the field. tion of Elite Division Games.
Beyond any and all sorts of The RECON and Tippmann
markers, which are commonly fields were both smaller, but had
yielded, the SPPL also has pro- considerably denser underbrush,
visions for the use of special which slowed games down and
weapons such as LAW rockets, allowed several instances of
mines, grenades and grenade players being able to creep
launchers. The combination of entirely through their oppo-
all these elements leads to a nents' lines to wreak havoc in
fast paced, intense, and incred- the backfield. These fields were
ibly fun battle in the woods. also scattered with the type of
bunkers that only scenario fields
can bring, ranging from large
In the 2008 season, the SPPL buildings and towers to an old
THE DIVISIONS
divided play into divisions Pac-Man arcade game (which

based on player experience. unfortunately did not provide
Reigning two-time champions enough cover to use effectively).
Perhaps the largest surprise of the

HIGHLIGHT ACTION
weekend came on Saturday when

ForestFire faced the two-time SPPL
champions Smart Corps on the APE
Field. Despite both teams being veter-
an competitors in the league, neither
had faced the other throughout their
three years of play, and anticipation
ran high. The incredibly fast ForestFire
sprinters were able to match the speed
of the Smart Corps gunners who were
striving to gain control of the swing
base, and for the majority of the game
the field was evenly split between the
two teams, with Smart Corps having
the slight edge. However, at two cru-
cial times during the game, ForestFire
players Ezra and Matt Friezell were
each able to individually break through
the Smart Corps lines and eliminate
their green and black clad opponents
from behind, which pushed ForestFire
to a victory over Smart Corps, with a
score of 106 -102. Later in the event,
Forest Demons Red were also able to
clinch a victory over Smart Corps, both
teams breaking a previously perfect
record attained by Smart Corps over
three years of competition. However,
events would show that the veterans
from Loyalhanna Pennsylvania were
not down and out yet.
A
T
P
Xtreme Behavior donated

paint to their opponent upon
being told that the opposing
team was entirely out of
paint to finish the game.
As always, the sportsmanship level As Sunday drew to a close, semi-

SPORTSMANSHIP IS ALIVE AND WELL THE FINAL DAY
at the event was excellent, even with final and finals matches began. In
the high level of prestige and numer- the Elite Division, Smart Corps faced
ous prizes at stake. Among other and defeated ForestFire for the
tales, during the Rookie Division opportunity to fight the Forest
championship match, Xtreme Demons Red team for the Elite
Behavior donated paint to their oppo- Division championship. Also on the
nent upon being told that the oppos- line for this match was the title of
ing team was entirely out of paint to SPPL Series Champion, determined
finish the game. Other stories includ- by a points system based on per-
ed players unknowingly occupying formance at other events through-
opposite sides of the same bunker, out the year. Eager to avenge their
wrapping that bunker to shoot the earlier loss to Forest Demons Red,
other player, and then both insisting Smart Corps brought two new
to the referee that their opponent had weapons to the field, a pair of rock-
shot first and should be allowed to et launchers which had been lent to
continue playing. And in a final touch the team by Black Eagle Squadron
to keep moods light, the Xtreme and Failure to Flatline. These
Fanatics took to wearing sock puppets launchers were placed in the able
attached to various portions of their hands of Dave Cilio, a longtime sce-
equipment (a fashion statement nario veteran and legend, and as the
nobody anticipated). game began, played a crucial role.
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TEAMS IN ATTENDANCE:
ELITE DIVISION
Smart Corps (PA)
Forest Demons Red (OR)
ForestFire (WA)
Black and Blue Krew (GA)
MASTERS DIVISION
GTF Corps (GA)
Black Eagle Squadron (NY)
Failure to Flatline(IL)
Adrenaline Assault (Canada)
Forest Demons Blue (OR)
Rebel Force Pirates (TN)
Xtreme Fanatics (FL)
Riff Raff (GA)
ROOKIE DIVISION
Xtreme Behavior (FL)
GTF Rookie (GA)
Adrenaline Ambush (Canada)
Suicide Kings (NV)
BlackLight Company (CO)
RESULTS:
ELITE DIVISION
1st Place: Smart Corps
2nd Place: Forest Demons Red
3rd Place: ForestFire
MASTERS
1st Place: Forest Demons Blue
2nd Place: GTF Corps
3rd Place: Xtreme Fanatics
ROOKIE
1st Place: Xtreme Behavior
2nd Place: GTF Rookie
3rd Place: Black Light Compan
y
EVENT SPORTSMANSHIP AW
ARD:
Suicide Kings
SEASON SPORTSMANSHIP AW
ARD:
ForestFire
SERIES CHAMPS
ELITE: Smart Corps
MASTERS: GTF Corps
ROOKIE: Black Light Company
In the opening minutes of the game,

Cilio gave a huge advantage to the
Smart Corps team by eliminating 7
Forest Demons Red players in as
many minutes, which allowed Smart
Corps to hold very strong positions
throughout the first half of the game.
Despite a determined effort, the Dan
Bonebrake's Forest Demons were
unable to overcome this deficit, and
Smart Corps emerged victorious as
the Elite Division champs for a third
straight year.
In the Rookie Division, Xtreme
Behavior beat out a talented if weary
GTF Rookie squad for the event
championship, which clinched a
Rookie Division Series Championship
for Black Light Company out of
Colorado. The Masters Division
Championship match was more inter-
esting however, as delays earlier in
the day pushed the final match into
the twilight and eventual darkness.
Shooting at the LEDs which shone on
opponents hoppers and markers, the
Forest Demons Blue squad were able
to defeat GTF for the event champi-
onship, although the GTF players
went home with the series champi-
onship title.
The Sportsmanship Award has
always been a crucial part of the SPPL,
and is respected as highly as the
awards for first or second place in
any division. Awarded by common
votes of players, referees and staff,
the award also takes home a sub-
stantial prize package. While most
every team was nominated at least
once for the award, the rookie divi-
sion Suicide Kings took home the
event sportsmanship award, and
ForestFire took home the series
sportsmanship award. Speaking per-
sonally, these awards could not have
gone to a better group of players
than they did.
A huge congratulations goes out to
all the players and teams who partici-
pated in this years SPPL, and I hope to
see you out on the three-flag field in
the future!
ABOUT IAN
Ian "Lo" Ebersole is a self-termed "SPPL
bum" currently residing in Northern
Colorado and has been seen "gracefully
colliding" with bunkers and trees on
fields across a good portion of the
Midwest. An engineering student at the
Colorado School of Mines, he spends any
free time trail running, cycling, or playing
ultimate frisbee. He began writing about
paintball for The Nucleus, a southern
Colorado paintball hub, and now contin-
ues that tradition writing for Paintball
Sports Magazine.
PSMMstrAds06June08:PS 5/2/08 5:41 PM Page 53
PSMMstrAds12Dec08:PS 10/28/08 4:36 PM Page 40
Review:Product Review 12/22/08 10:03 PM Page 60
PRODUCTREVIEW
The DYE ROTOR

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anything but the feed system would be unfair to the
reader. Unlike every other loader on the market which
limited. As the years have gone by it has grown exponen- have a single drive cone feeding paint into the marker,
tially, now with the release of the Rotor, you can go on the the Rotor has two, and they’re spinning in opposite
field exclusively using product designed in sunny San directions!! In reality, the top cone’s job is more than
Diego, and if you wanted, live your life off the field wearing just pushing, it also que up paint from the reservoir
nothing but their clothing. above so it can feed in a smooth fashion. Without it, the
Two years in development, the Rotor is the biggest addi- paint would get jumbled up and it would be unlikely if it
tion to DYE’s product line this year. Not only does it allow would feed at all. The top cones’ eight separate fins hold
them to move into the only segment in paintball they were just one ball each, as it spins around, the lower cone
absent from, it puts them in a position to take it over. After spins in the opposite direction, pushing the ball toward
you’ve been in this sport for a while, you begin think that the center of the assembly and into the feed tube located
all of the proverbial cats have been skinned and that directly underneath. The lower cone is shaped like a
there’s not really a better way to do something, especially comma, and the paint falls down into the curve created
in the realm of hoppers, then something like the Rotor by the tail, and as it rotates it’s sucked right down. This
comes along. is all possible due to the magic of planetary gears, which
Cosmetically, it’s precisely what one would expect from simply stated are a set of gears within a larger gear.
DYE, a smooth basic shape enhanced by flowing lines These inside of the smaller gears turn the lower drive
across the horizontal plane. This runs counter to the tradi- cone, while the outside of them turns the upper one.
tional loader design process, which looks like the internals Large gear in which they reside meshes with a quarter
are assembled, and a piece of shrink wrap is stretched over gear attached to the motor housing.
PRODUCTREVIEW
Every other high end loader on the market has some sort of sen-
sor to tell it when to feed, the Viewloaders and Halo’s use an opti-
cal one, the Reloaders are sound activated and the short lived Pulse
used a tension sensor. For the sake of simplicity, DYE has decided
not to have one at all on the Rotor. There is a quarter gear
attached to the motor housing, which meshes with the outside of
the drive assembly, when there are balls fed and the inner part of
the drive assembly encounters tension, the quarter gear rotates
and simply turns the motor off. As soon as the tension disappears
the motor turns back on and things start spinning again. In text
format all of this sounds quite complex, but when you see the
Rotor and its internals you’d be amazed at the simplicity. The drive
assembly is four circular parts, which mesh together with their
respective gearing. This assembly just rests in a recess located in
the bottom of the loader and is held in place by two clips.
While the drive assembly and its related mechanics are terribly
exciting to geeks like me, the main thing normal people with get
fired up for is the fact that even the biggest goofball can take a
Rotor apart and put it back together correctly in mere seconds.
That’s right, seconds. Oh, and you won’t need any tools either.
Simply pull up on the slide below the lid; push the button on the
back of the hopper and pull up on the top section, you now
should have the top of your loader in your hand. Now pull the
inner tray backwards, this should allow the teeth on the front of
it to come out from under the main body. Ok, now you’ll twist
the two red clips holding that hold the drive assembly and motor in
place. The Rotor is now pretty much completely disassembled. If I
can detail how to take something completely apart in three sen-
tences, it’s obviously quite easy to accomplish.
"Even the biggest goofball can

take a Rotor apart and put it
back together correctly in
mere seconds. Oh, and you won’t
need any tools either."
Performance-wise, the Rotor is one of the best I’ve ever encoun-

tered. The feed rate is blazing, DYE claims 50+ balls per second,
and in drop tests we were able to empty a 140 ball pod in 2.5 sec-
onds, which backs up their claims. On gun, we were capable of 26
balls per second using a 08 EGO, but there isn’t any gun on the
market capable of shooting anywhere near the manufacturer’s
specs. There is a slow motion video floating around the ‘net that
DYE created that shows a prototype marker shooting 40+ bps
though. If you’re going to allow players to shoot that fast, the
right thing to do is to make it possible for their loader to hold a lot
of paint, and DYE hasn’t let us down, the 200 ball capacity is rough-
ly 20 percent more than most other hoppers on the market. This is
possible due to reduced mechanics size within the Rotor, leaving
plenty of space for paint without having to make a loader the size of
a zeppelin.
To recap; DYE has produced a loader feeds really fast without
using a ton of battery power or crushing paint. It’s also very easy
to take apart and clean if you do happen to break a ball in it,
and to make things even better it’s light and capable of taking
a ton of punishment. The only way it could be better is that it came
with a puppy in every box. Sure it comes with a fairly hefty price
tag, but so do all of its direct competitors, and if you want to be
the boss, you gotta pay the cost. For more information visit your
local paintball store, or check out dyepaintball.com.
shawnwalker:Layout 12/22/08 2:49 PM Page 1
shawn walker
An Interview with
By Bea Youngs
SeanWalker2:Layout 12/24/08 2:09 PM Page 2
W
r
hen Shawn Walker was released from Pacific Paintball,
what would Shawn Walker do next? Even with Walker’s
departure, it was never a thought that Pacific Paintball
would go out of business, taking the NPPL down with them.
People started wondering what would happen next. The
question was asked, “Will there be another league forma-
tion?” Then, there was a press release delivered by Shawn
Walker announcing the birth of a new league – the Regional
Paintball League, RPL. Was this league formed right after
learning the NPPL was no more? Actually, no. Pacific
Paintball going bankrupt was not the reason why the RPL
was formed because Walker was already in the works of
creating it.
Shawn Walker knew that Pacific Paintball was not doing
well. The NPPL averaged a total of 115 teams, down from
the 200 sold out number, and the XPSL, averaged only 85
teams per event. According to Walker, it was time to
rethink the tournament scene and come at it in a whole
new angle. “It is now time to get back to the basics, to the
grassroots, and rebuild the base of tournament paintball on
the west coast,” said Shawn Walker.
We asked Shawn Walker some tough questions about
what happened with Pacific Paintball, why he was released,
what he thinks about Pacific Paintball now, and how he
plans to make another successful regional league through
the RPL.
Q&A PSM: Who else is involved in this new league?

Walker: I have 2 full time employees other than myself.
Camille Lemanski and Travis Runyan.
PSM: We heard Rich Telford was a partner.

Walker: Rich is going to be a head ref and be running some
clinics; we are working closely with a few of the pro teams.
PSM: What makes the RPL different from other local

tournaments?
Walker: The RPL is the next evolution of the XPSL. The
XPSL started as the GWS and then evolved into the Pan Am
Circuit then into the XPSL. Now it’s the RPL. Similar venues,
trade shows and value for the player.
PSM: Do you plan the RPL to be a competitor to the

PSP (even eventually) or will it be a smaller, independ-
ent series?
Walker: Smaller independent series. I would like to work
with the PSP if possible. I could see teams graduating from
the RPL into the PSP.
PSM: The nation has been in a recession since last

December. The sport of paintball has seen
profit losses almost across the board. Why
start a new tournament series now?
Walker: For those exact same reasons - It is
time to rethink how tournaments are promoted
and operated. The RPL is not the normal tourna-
ment. It is the rebirth of tournament paintball. It is time to
Low entry fees, high value. Raffle prizes, bring- rethink
ing back the fun of paintball. Teams are going
to get XPSL-like quality for half the price. how tournamen
ts are
PSM: Money Paintball has a prominent promoted and
banner on the bottom of the RPL website. operated.
Will the RPL be setup as MoneyBall-style
play?
Walker: Nope. Format will be NPPL when the company went under. It is also PSM: With that said, will that hin-
modified 5 and 3 man. Center flag. Very unfortunate we will not have someone der or help you? Will this league be a
traditional. One cool modification is let- like Bruce [Friedman] in our industry. He way to start rebuilding people's
ting players start on the back line rather is an ethical smart business person and trust in you?
than bunched up at one point. This will be missed. Walker: Again, I don’t understand.
should decrease the chances of players Whose trust did I lose? The industry has
getting hit off the break and let people PSM: What was the reason why always been gossip central. Some treat
play more paintball. Pacific Paintball let you go? Did it forums and message boards as fun and
have something to do with canceling games and make up stuff just because
PSM: You have eleven events for the Houston event last year? they can. That is not the majority. I am
your first year, the earliest beginning Walker: Houston was just one of the in the spotlight and with that comes the
the end of February. What made you many chips that didn’t fall our way. The haters. It is what it is. It has happened
choose a grand rollout for the RPL company was going down. We based for as long as I have been promoting
schedule instead of a gradual ramp the solvency of the company on spon- tournaments. All I can do is keep putting
up over the next few seasons? sorship dollars and were unable to get on quality events. Right now, our indus-
Walker: Actually, it’s 9 events. The those dollars both in the industry and try and sport is hurting. I encourage
final event for all three series is the out. The company was a few months everyone to be a part of the solution not
same in Vegas. The idea is to help serve from bankruptcy and had to take dras- the problem. Support your local field
the Southwest and Northwest markets tic action to try and attract some out- and store. Bring a friend to the field with
with 2 events each, so those teams don’t side money. I was leading the ship, so I you. It is going to take all of us to get
have to travel as far to play. The West had to go. They then used me as a paintball back on track.
region is 5 events, just like the XPSL show that the management was chang-
was. Again, we want to save teams ing and the company would turn.
money and let them play more paintball. Obviously, it didn’t work.
THE RPL SCHEDULE
West Coast RPL
PSM: Teams have limited funds and PSM: Why do you think that Pacific February 27th – March 1stBakersfield, CA
schedules. Why should they play in Paintball went out of business? Some Kern County Fairgrounds
the RPL instead of other events and are claiming that you had a part in April 17th-19thVictorville, CA Giant
tournaments? their failing. What are you feelings Paintball Park
Walker: The RPL builds on the success about that? July 17th-19thSouthern CaliforniaTBD
September 18th-20thFresno, CA Fresno
of the XPSL, Pan Am, GWS model. This is Walker: Pacific Paintball was a multi-
Regional Sports Park
not a start up league, this is a solid million dollar company with a Controller,
November 20th-22ndLas Vegas, NVTBD
league with solid employees, sponsors CEO, accounting firm and legal firm on
and direction. You know what your get- retainer. How could I have possibly Northwest RPL
ting if you sign up for a west coast affected a company in such a negative June 20th-21stSalem, OR Warpaint at
league presented by Shawn Walker. manner that none of these people would Chemawa
have caught it and I would have caused August 22nd-23rdElma, WA Elma Paintball
PSM: What kind of prizes? Playing it to fail? That’s just dumb. Park
nationally, the complaint playing in I did everything in my power to make November 21st-22ndLas Vegas, NVTBD
the NPPL was how the prize money it work. I was responsible for bringing
even after winning first place barely in 75% of our sponsorship money Southwest RPL
covered all the expenses (travel, hotel, including our big outside sponsors. I May 16th-17thPhoenix, AZ 23BPS Paintball
car, paint) per event. cut expenses, laid off employees. Again, Field
Walker: The RPL is not focused on everything I could. September 12th-13thTucson, AZ
prizes, yet we will have some great ones. In the current economic situation any Disruptive Paintball
Again, just like the XPSL, the focus is on company that depends on sponsorship November 21st-22ndLas Vegas, NVTBD
a quality low cost event. Thousands of dollars to survive is destined to fail.
dollars in prizes will be raffled at every Team counts were down, industry spon-
event. People need to remember the RPL sorship down, outside sponsorship
is not a replacement for the NPPL, it’s an down. It’s the perfect storm.
evolution of the XPSL.
PSM: Why do you think that there
PSM: What region? Will it expand to are some people out in the paintball
other parts of the country? Or just be world who feel you've upset so many
a west coast league? people, they would do whatever they
Walker: As of now we have 3 regions. could to see that your league failed?
Northwest, Southwest and West. I think Walker: I haven’t heard this one. I’ve
its possible to expand, but there are a upset so many people? Who? I have every
lot of quality regional events in other sponsor I had before on board with the
areas like the NEPL and the CFOA. As of RPL plus more. I have every field and
now, we are going to concentrate on the venue I had before on board plus more. I
West Coast. have every contractor calling me asking
for work. I have two former employees
PSM: What are your feelings back on board full time and others ask-
about Pacific Paintball and their ing for jobs. When the RPL was
going bankrupt? announced I had literally hundreds of
Walker: I think it sucks. I put my life calls and emails from teams announcing
into the company. Time, money, and at their support. Who have I upset? I think
times, sanity. It hurt me worst than most your referring to the vocal minority.
W
r
hen Shawn Walker was released from Pacific Paintball,
what would Shawn Walker do next? Even with Walker’s
departure, it was never a thought that Pacific Paintball
would go out of business, taking the NPPL down with them.
People started wondering what would happen next. The
question was asked, “Will there be another league forma-
tion?” Then, there was a press release delivered by Shawn
Walker announcing the birth of a new league – the Regional
Paintball League, RPL. Was this league formed right after
learning the NPPL was no more? Actually, no. Pacific
Paintball going bankrupt was not the reason why the RPL
was formed because Walker was already in the works of
creating it.
Shawn Walker knew that Pacific Paintball was not doing
well. The NPPL averaged a total of 115 teams, down from
the 200 sold out number, and the XPSL, averaged only 85
teams per event. According to Walker, it was time to
rethink the tournament scene and come at it in a whole
new angle. “It is now time to get back to the basics, to the
grassroots, and rebuild the base of tournament paintball on
the west coast,” said Shawn Walker.
We asked Shawn Walker some tough questions about
what happened with Pacific Paintball, why he was released,
what he thinks about Pacific Paintball now, and how he
plans to make another successful regional league through
the RPL.
Q&A PSM: Who else is involved in this new league?

Walker: I have 2 full time employees other than myself.
Camille Lemanski and Travis Runyan.
PSM: We heard Rich Telford was a partner.

Walker: Rich is going to be a head ref and be running some
clinics; we are working closely with a few of the pro teams.
PSM: What makes the RPL different from other local

tournaments?
Walker: The RPL is the next evolution of the XPSL. The
XPSL started as the GWS and then evolved into the Pan Am
Circuit then into the XPSL. Now it’s the RPL. Similar venues,
trade shows and value for the player.
PSM: Do you plan the RPL to be a competitor to the

PSP (even eventually) or will it be a smaller, independ-
ent series?
Walker: Smaller independent series. I would like to work
with the PSP if possible. I could see teams graduating from
the RPL into the PSP.
PSM: The nation has been in a recession since last

December. The sport of paintball has seen
profit losses almost across the board. Why
start a new tournament series now?
Walker: For those exact same reasons - It is
time to rethink how tournaments are promoted
and operated. The RPL is not the normal tourna-
ment. It is the rebirth of tournament paintball. It is time to
Low entry fees, high value. Raffle prizes, bring- rethink
ing back the fun of paintball. Teams are going
to get XPSL-like quality for half the price. how tournamen
ts are
PSM: Money Paintball has a prominent promoted and
banner on the bottom of the RPL website. operated.
Will the RPL be setup as MoneyBall-style
play?
shawnwalker:Layout 12/22/08 2:49 PM Page 3
Since the company didn’t have any credit I had to For those tha
secure these accounts. Car leases for other our industry, t care about
employees, equipment accounts, cell phone to move on an it’s time
accounts, venue contracts, etc. etc. Because of the working on wh d start
BK I am now forced to either pay off these compa- t o b e p a r t o fa t w e c a n d o
ny expenses myself or suffer the consequences on tion not the the solu-
my personal credit history. problem.
To the claim I overcompensated myself for car
and health reimbursements. How is this possible? I
didn’t set up the Health care plans; someone else
did with the approval of the investors. Same with
the car reimbursement. How could I over reimburse
myself when the checks were coming from our
Controller and approved by the investors and CEO?
To the claim I somehow “hacked” into the Camp
Pendleton website. I did nothing of the sort. I cre-
ated a new website and hired the company that
built the first website for CP to create a similar
website for me. It has to look similar because all
pricing had to stay the same as per my contract
with the base. I made a new logo and am using that
new logo on the site. In fact, since I have been
operating the park I have had to honor reservations
that were made even though deposits were paid to
Pacific and I will see none of that money.
I have talked to many people that are owed
money from Pacific Paintball. The way I understand
it when a Trustee is assigned he/she will determine
how to liquidate the assets and then how to pay the
outstanding creditors.
I plan to submit the money the company owes me
to the Trustee just like the dozens of others.
In the end there is one basic reality that everyone
needs to understand. Pacific Paintball went bank-
rupt. Nothing said by me or others will change that.
No one person caused the multi-million dollar
company to fail. It was a perfect storm of multiple
inputs that ultimately did the company in. For those
that care about our industry, it’s time to move on
and start working on what we can do to be part of
the solution not the problem. There are many qual-
ity regional leagues across the nation and one
quality national league in the PSP. Support those
leagues and show your support for our sport.
I am always willing to talk to anyone and answer any
questions people may have. I have nothing to hide from.
I am working hard to help turn this industry around.
I can be contacted at shawn@therpl.com
Walker: Nope. Format will be NPPL when the company went under. It is also PSM: With that said, will that hin-
modified 5 and 3 man. Center flag. Very unfortunate we will not have someone der or help you? Will this league be a
traditional. One cool modification is let- like Bruce [Friedman] in our industry. He way to start rebuilding people's
ting players start on the back line rather is an ethical smart business person and trust in you?
than bunched up at one point. This will be missed. Walker: Again, I don’t understand.
should decrease the chances of players Whose trust did I lose? The industry has
getting hit off the break and let people PSM: What was the reason why always been gossip central. Some treat
play more paintball. Pacific Paintball let you go? Did it forums and message boards as fun and
have something to do with canceling games and make up stuff just because
PSM: You have eleven events for the Houston event last year? they can. That is not the majority. I am
your first year, the earliest beginning Walker: Houston was just one of the in the spotlight and with that comes the
the end of February. What made you many chips that didn’t fall our way. The haters. It is what it is. It has happened
choose a grand rollout for the RPL company was going down. We based for as long as I have been promoting
schedule instead of a gradual ramp the solvency of the company on spon- tournaments. All I can do is keep putting
up over the next few seasons? sorship dollars and were unable to get on quality events. Right now, our indus-
Walker: Actually, it’s 9 events. The those dollars both in the industry and try and sport is hurting. I encourage
final event for all three series is the out. The company was a few months everyone to be a part of the solution not
same in Vegas. The idea is to help serve from bankruptcy and had to take dras- the problem. Support your local field
the Southwest and Northwest markets tic action to try and attract some out- and store. Bring a friend to the field with
with 2 events each, so those teams don’t side money. I was leading the ship, so I you. It is going to take all of us to get
have to travel as far to play. The West had to go. They then used me as a paintball back on track.
region is 5 events, just like the XPSL show that the management was chang-
was. Again, we want to save teams ing and the company would turn.
money and let them play more paintball. Obviously, it didn’t work.
THE RPL SCHEDULE
West Coast RPL
PSM: Teams have limited funds and PSM: Why do you think that Pacific February 27th – March 1stBakersfield, CA
schedules. Why should they play in Paintball went out of business? Some Kern County Fairgrounds
the RPL instead of other events and are claiming that you had a part in April 17th-19thVictorville, CA Giant
tournaments? their failing. What are you feelings Paintball Park
Walker: The RPL builds on the success about that? July 17th-19thSouthern CaliforniaTBD
September 18th-20thFresno, CA Fresno
of the XPSL, Pan Am, GWS model. This is Walker: Pacific Paintball was a multi-
Regional Sports Park
not a start up league, this is a solid million dollar company with a Controller,
November 20th-22ndLas Vegas, NVTBD
league with solid employees, sponsors CEO, accounting firm and legal firm on
and direction. You know what your get- retainer. How could I have possibly Northwest RPL
ting if you sign up for a west coast affected a company in such a negative June 20th-21stSalem, OR Warpaint at
league presented by Shawn Walker. manner that none of these people would Chemawa
have caught it and I would have caused August 22nd-23rdElma, WA Elma Paintball
PSM: What kind of prizes? Playing it to fail? That’s just dumb. Park
nationally, the complaint playing in I did everything in my power to make November 21st-22ndLas Vegas, NVTBD
the NPPL was how the prize money it work. I was responsible for bringing
even after winning first place barely in 75% of our sponsorship money Southwest RPL
covered all the expenses (travel, hotel, including our big outside sponsors. I May 16th-17thPhoenix, AZ 23BPS Paintball
car, paint) per event. cut expenses, laid off employees. Again, Field
Walker: The RPL is not focused on everything I could. September 12th-13thTucson, AZ
prizes, yet we will have some great ones. In the current economic situation any Disruptive Paintball
Again, just like the XPSL, the focus is on company that depends on sponsorship November 21st-22ndLas Vegas, NVTBD
a quality low cost event. Thousands of dollars to survive is destined to fail.
dollars in prizes will be raffled at every Team counts were down, industry spon-
event. People need to remember the RPL sorship down, outside sponsorship
is not a replacement for the NPPL, it’s an down. It’s the perfect storm.
evolution of the XPSL.
PSM: Why do you think that there
PSM: What region? Will it expand to are some people out in the paintball
other parts of the country? Or just be world who feel you've upset so many
a west coast league? people, they would do whatever they
Walker: As of now we have 3 regions. could to see that your league failed?
Northwest, Southwest and West. I think Walker: I haven’t heard this one. I’ve
its possible to expand, but there are a upset so many people? Who? I have every
lot of quality regional events in other sponsor I had before on board with the
areas like the NEPL and the CFOA. As of RPL plus more. I have every field and
now, we are going to concentrate on the venue I had before on board plus more. I
West Coast. have every contractor calling me asking
for work. I have two former employees
PSM: What are your feelings back on board full time and others ask-
about Pacific Paintball and their ing for jobs. When the RPL was
going bankrupt? announced I had literally hundreds of
Walker: I think it sucks. I put my life calls and emails from teams announcing
into the company. Time, money, and at their support. Who have I upset? I think
times, sanity. It hurt me worst than most your referring to the vocal minority.
PSMMstrAds02Feb09:PS 12/23/08 4:50 PM Page 41
asia:Layout 12/22/08 10:34 PM Page 3
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The breakfast buffet was decimated,

looking like a ravaged market after a
Biblical plague. A waiter stood in a corner,
a hollow, uncomprehending look in his
eyes. More than a hundred fifty paintball
players came through here, eating every-
thing that wasn’t stuck fast to the plates—
nasi lemak, soupy eggs, fish curry, pineap-
ple and mango slices…even the fish sauce
was drained, and it wasn’t even daylight
yet. Way too early for fish sauce. I scraped
a breakfast together from the rubble,
grabbed by camera and went downstairs.
A few Division III players were piling
into a taxi, dressed for a day of watching
paintball rather than playing it; it was the
final day of the tournament and half the
teams had been knocked out. They had
no reason to get up, no reason to ravage
the buffet so early…but they wanted to
be part of something big. They wanted to
eat and talk with the finalists, to watch
the champions emerge from their ranks;
to see it themselves and in such a way, to
become part of it.
So there they went in the early morn-

ing, spectators up entirely too early, just
to watch paintball from the sidelines—
just to be part of World Cup Asia 2008,
Asia’s defining regional tournament.
01 (,&$/0 , (, *0 * +$
They inflated four fields this year,
and played on three of them—one
exclusively for DIII, two that welcomed
DII and DI interchangeably. The fourth
crumpled slowly onto the grass,
unused for whatever reason, keeping
spectators that much farther from the
sidelines of the blue Dye DIII field.
Players took to the grandstands behind
one flag station, watching matches and
memorizing plays as they counted
down to their next games.
The first game on Sunday was between
the Johor Pirates and Undeath, two teams
that demonstrated speed and teamwork
during their prelim matches on Friday
(they took Saturday off). Of the eight
teams in the DIII quarter finals, Romeoz
and D’Mercy Kids rounded out the top
four—D’Mercy Kids with a narrow loss in
their first game and then two solid wins.
Each team played three games in the
quarterfinals (called “prelim” for DI), and
everyone used a Euro-inspired scoring
system familiar from past World Cup Asia
tournaments. If a game ends in a draw,
each team receives one point. Should
one team pull their opponents’ flag and
not get it back to their own starting sta-
tion in time, they earn two points. Hang
it clean, and the team gets all three pos-
sible points; the losing team gets none.
Points are also awarded for “elimination
difference,” meaning that if the winners
have two clean players still in the game,
they get two more points…but, their
opponents lose two points as well.
Few stalemates occurred in the tour-
ney, but the draw between Warrior and
Infernal 2 was truly unfortunate.
Malaysian team Warrior finished the
quarter finals with -6 points, the low-
est by quite a margin. Thai team
Infernal 2 finished only four points
below Real Pinoy, who had the lowest
score of the four teams that went on to
the finals. Had Infernal prevailed
against Warrior with only two players,
they would have advanced.
Slow play dogged many teams at
WCA (less so in DI), reaching near-epi-
demic levels in DIII. Teams took con-
servative first bunker positions and
stayed there until up at least two play-
ers; often, they wouldn’t move more
than one player, one position, before
getting up by three players. Even
aggressive teams that pushed for
snakes or complicated structures on
the fifty, right off the break, rarely took
second bunkers in the first minute.
…
$ "&'.— !"$"(("& *
But their paint consumption was lightning-fast—they ramped
*+
near 15 balls per second with the latest Egos and Matrixes that
& $ #— ,*+) $"
cost as much as a family’s monthly housing bill. Paint costs
*+ & )& $— ! "$ &
- '&"&— $ .*"
) "$$ ) /— $ .*"
— $ .*" have come down in recent years, falling by more than half
&
compared to pre-2004 prices, which enables more teams to invest
+! )'&
) +"'& )— $ .*"
— ,*+) $" in better markers…and attend more events. Paintball is still really
expensive, though.
+!
*+ '!') ") + *— $ .*"

+) & +! *("+
WCA was supposed to be the grand culmination of the Paintball
& '% '/— $ .*"
Asia League Series (PALS) 2008 season; with the other events can-
) & +!— $ .*"
celled due to infrastructure and preregistration problems, and

+! ) . " *— $ .*"
political unrest in Bangkok, it was the sole PALS event last year.
The challenges of holding a multi-location tournament series are
staggering, and have a lot to do with drawing enough teams to
make a go of things.
The Malaysian government’s Ministry of Youth and Sports has a
keen interest in paintball, and has helped Paul Lam, Allan Phang,
and the rest of Xtion Paintball and the PALS. The league promoters
meet with the government to discuss the legality of markers (which
are, finally, viewed apart from “firearms,” though still technically
classified as such), securing blessings and sometimes money to
help promote the events. The government also has offered support
in securing the large tourney sites in urban areas—right where the
players and fans come from.
Their Kuala Lumpur headquarters, and the Bukit Jalil National
Sports Center used for the WCA tourney, are right there in the capi-
tal city megalopolis. Plenty of teams from each division—especially
DIII teams—live within an easy drive.
That’s another consideration when scheduling a multi-destina-
tion event: will there be enough local teams to support the tourney?
Paintball is still catching on at the grassroots level in many parts
of Southeast Asia, and the Malay government, of course, can’t fund
or provide logistical support for events in other countries. And so
legs in Taiwan and the Philippines were cancelled, and amid demon-
strations and riot-fears the Bangkok event was quietly axed as well.
But with local strength and expertise, with three Euro Refs running
the fields, with the Malaysian Marshalls filling the fields, with Ulrich
Stahr directing the tournament, and with Xtion Paintball’s prime
facility right there in KL, the WCA ’08 tourney was a certain success.
" +'). )+.

Three different countries represented the four top places in
Division I, with Thailand checking in at Number 1, Malaysia taking
2nd (MacDev Ronin) and 3rd (Xtioneers), and Australia finishing
fourth (Sydney SWAT). They represent the three powerhouse coun-
tries in Asian paintball, where the tourney series and infrastruc-
ture, and paintball’s popularity, are firmly established.
DIII was solid Malay territory, where they took eight of the top
nine spots; Johor Pirates, Malaysia, took 1st; Gober, Indonesia,
took 7th. From there it was a mixture of Indonesian, Malay,
Singaporean, and Philippine teams through twenty fourth place.
On Sunday evening they gathered at the Hotel Pearl International
for a raucous party, a ten meter buffet, loud music, beauty pag-
eant, and come-what-may. Standing on the corner of the stage
now, popping my flash at the crowd as quickly as the capacitor
recharges, I see the future of paintball—hundreds of smiling faces,
brown and yellow and grey and white, hands flashing peace signs
and ripping stage-thrown goodies out of the air.
These players formed sixty 5man teams this weekend. They cre-
ated the demand for multi-national speedball tournaments in
Southeast Asia. They shoot Egos and Protos and made Dye create
their Asia Division.
They’re the ones who get up before dawn just to be part of
paintball. They are the future.
The author held a book signing for “501 Paintball Tips, Tricks, and
Tactics,” and ran out of books long before running out of tourney! Learn
more about Dave and his book at www.501paintballtips.com
ttpl:Layout 12/22/08 10:51 PM Page 3
G
a
a
a
This “league,” though they only had one event in

2008, took the popular idea of a woodsball tourna-
ment and made it into a true scenario-based com-
petition. Their fall ’08 gathering at USANA Paintball
just outside Elmer, New Jersey, brought nine teams
together from around Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Delaware, New York City, and even Canada.
They came to play under the rules Hercules Papas
and the Undertakers team decided together; they
came with their compressed air powered “rocket
launchers,” and their limited-capacity hoppers; they
brought cases of paint grenades, and dozens of
throat mics to coordinate their strategies.
…and they kicked off the weekend with a cos-
tume party.
Several of the teams came down early, arriving

FRATERNIZING WITH THE ENEMY
Gather ‘round the dry pond bed Friday just around dark. They had their captains
meeting and then dispersed, some driving to nearby
and hear a tale, a tale of action hotels and others gathering in costume around a
campfire—it was Halloween, after all.
and suspense; a tale of “bombs” The event had a very nice prize package, a small
number of teams—the single-field, round-robin
event only has so many hours in the weekend—and
and “rockets” and heroes; a tale a jovial atmosphere. Members of Cantru and
Lazarus backed out at the last minute, leaving the
of the Tactical Ten Paintball event with eight full and two partial teams from
their original, capped ten team roster; these teams
League, and their third successful combined, total strangers playing side by side for
the love of the sport. There was no sandbagging,
there were no fights; just a brutal, cutthroat dance-
scenario tournament. off around the fire.
The Reservoir Dogs are established champions

RETURNING CHAMPIONS
in the TTPL. They were there at Pyro Paintball, at
the end of the runway at the Cross Keys Airport,
in April of 2007 where they placed third; last fall,
THE FIELD they took top TTPL honors. They intended to
build on that inertia, all smiles and confidence,
LOOKED LIKE on Saturday morning.
Their first game was against the OTP Saints’ A
team, who placed sixth last fall. Their mission:
AN IRANIAN “Operation Geothals.” They had fifteen minutes to
find a “chemical bomb,” created from PVC pipe, a
ARMS kitchen timer, three 10round tubes, three glow-
sticks, and some string. It was somewhere on the
field, in plain sight.
BIZARRE And so were a number of other props, from
boxes of plutonium to “bombs” and “rockets” and
all sorts of things—the field looked like an
AFTER A Iranian arms bizarre after a tornado.
The rules are specific in the TTPL, though—
TORNADO. only one prop per game is “the” prop, and there
is only one mission regarding it. Further: only the
commander can acquire the mission.
So he’s an important guy, and the Saints and
Dogs each sent their commander off the break to
the hyperball pipe right in the middle of the cir-
cular field. They arrived a few seconds away from
each other, the men grabbing red—for the
Saints—and blue—for the Dogs—CDs posted on a
center bunker. When they presented the CDs to
their starting base refs, they were shown Mission
4: get that “chemical bomb!”
The game dragged into a stalemate. The red

SNOOZE LOSE!
team’s flag was still red, the blue’s, blue, and the
“bomb” was totally ignored in the middle of the
field. That’s no way to win a tourney.
But it happened again, when the Dogs played
the Pyromaniacs at 1:20. Their mission that time:
to secure the “Tomahawk Missile” and then
“launch” it against their opponents’ base! Only
their team’s designated artillery player could
handle and “launch” the prop, as per the game’s
rules—each player fills one of eight roles.
Each start base has two targets painted on the
outside, which the “artillery” players shoot at with
Nerf Vortex® rockets shot from compressed air
powered launchers. On the inside, corresponding
to these targets, are painted “elimination zones,”
encompassing ground ten feet from those targets
on the inside. When a rocket hits that zone, any-
one standing in the box is eliminated.
These zones are numbered, and there are
other numbered zones as well, in the starting
bases. The “Tomahawk Missile” had to be
removed to “Location 3.” Only then could the
artillery player type the “launch code” into a pad
to complete the mission.
Neither the Dogs, nor the Pyromaniacs, com-
pleted that one; they were the only teams who
stalemated on the “Tomahawk Missile” mission.
Seven of the weekend’s thirty six games resulted
in stalemates. Though these were only fifteen
minute games, this surprised some of the
refs…and a lot of the players!
PSMMstrAds07July08:PS 7/2/08 4:27 PM Page 5
Even the hardest charging teams, OTP Saints A

and the XIIIth Legionnaires, had at least two games
apiece that ended in draws.
Perhaps that’s a testament to the difficulty of
securing the SWAT House—action there usually
stalled in the middle room, which has only one door
in from each side, and a Hyperball column right in
the middle. Surprisingly few teams utilized the “tun-
nel” built under the referee catwalk alongside the
Final Standings: wall—perhaps because that wall was repeatedly
pounded by “rocket fire,” eliminating anyone who
1st XIIIth Legionnaires — 3,550 would have been in a given section of tunnel, and
2nd OTP Saints "A" — 3,540 perhaps because it seems so obvious…and thus,
doesn’t feel too wise.
3rd Team Total Tactical — 2,770
4th Reservoir Dogs — 2,480
champions in the TTPL. …They intended
The Reservoir Dogs are established
5th Gods Of War — 1,710
6th Pyromaniacs — 1,400 to build on that inertia, all smiles and
7th OTP Saints "B" — 1,000
confidence, on Saturday morning.
Perhaps, of course, it’s because the top teams
8th D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F — 300 were very evenly matched—OTP A and the Reservoir
9th Cantru — 250 Dogs stalemated, as did OTP A and the XIIIth, and
TTT narrowly avoided a stalemate against the
10th Team Lazarus — 250 Reservoir Dogs.
But even when ending in draws, those teams put
on some fantastic shows.
Competitors sat down to dinner at the Elmer Diner
together Saturday night, passing the ketchup around
with refs and opponents who trounced them hours
earlier. Later, they gathered around a bonfire in the
camping area, and watched head ref Hercules Papas
break dance in the firelight to an obscure Greek band.
In the morning, they were back at it on the fields.
Their campsites and hotel rooms were none the
worse for wear—woodsball attracts a certain, special
kind of player, and among them, a certain elite
gather yearly for the TTPL.
On the line for this tournament: a substantial

PRIZES
prize package from title sponsor Real Action
Paintball, who donated twenty tactical vests and ten
Gen4 T68 tactical markers. Urban Ops donated a
number of vests, and Ambush Alpha provided gift
certificates for Scott masks. Save Phace donated ten
of their brand new goggles for the 3rd place team,
and Tiberius Arms sent shirts, patches, and stickers.
The winning players each earned a marker, mark-
er case, and tactical vest. The second place team
earned vests, and third received those ten Save
Phace goggles; prizes went to fifth place, and there
were Urban Ops vests on the line for the winners of
the Sniper Challenge and the SWAT House
Challenge.
Despite the value of the prizes, the competition
remained jovial. With only two isolated incidents of
players smack talking refs—which were dealt with
fairly, and fairly severely—the attitude throughout
the weekend was much closer to that of a big game
than a tournament.
A real mark of success: the most difficult award to
settle was the Sportsmanship Award among so many
candidates (Crash from the XIIIth earned it). Will you
join them in ’09?
Dave “Landshark” Norman covers paintball from coast to
coast and around the world. He teaches clinics, shoots photos,
and signs copies of his book, available at
www.501paintballtips.com
PSM News:News&Gear 12/23/08 5:23 AM Page 1
NEWS WITH A VIEW

by Ryan ;RyantheMighty< McDonald
R yan ;RyantheMighty< McDonald began acting

out as an early child; making people laugh so
they wouldn:t beat him up. Theatre doesn:t pay
well and film takes too much work so Ryan
became a writer/producer/characters for scenario
paintball games on the west coast. Now a producer
and host for online internet programming, including
;Paintball LIVE< www.pblive.tv he gets to nerd out
with the biggest names in the biz, toss in his two
cents and still dodge the occasional wedgie or two.
PACIFIC PAINTBALL thank all those who have supported us.”

GOES LEGIT (ALA So everything that Pacific Paintball owns is going
to be sold off to pay their creditors and then they
FANNY & FREDDIE). can rummage through what’s left and see if they
can continue on. Wow… Sooo many questions. Is
this because of the downturn in the economy? Was
it something else? What does this mean for the
NPPL schedule? Will the auction for paintball.com be
on the PbNation BST forums? I’ve got a slightly
used Ion for trade. You add.
I happened to hear an amazing interview on a
certain weekly streaming paintball show that
answered a few of the big questions. With all
their “insider knowledge”, the employees had no
idea this was coming. He found out on
Thanksgiving weekend… Everyone showed up on
Monday and they were told, “Pack your stuff.
You’re going home.”
This might be the break this sport needed
though. Now the perpetual question of “PSP or
T
NPPL” has been answered. Teams (and sponsors
he big news of course is the end of Pacific and vendors and media) can focus their attention
Paintball LLC… and that that entails: NPPL, on one series, save some much-needed cash and
XPSL, PB2X (now Paintball dot com Magazine), knock this sport out of the park and into the big
Xtreme Paintball Fields and Camp Pendleton leagues! Of course, it’s not that easy. There are
Paintball. What’s going to happen to them? Will more rumblings and rumors; Smart Parts taking
they exist at all? Partially? The official letter from over NPPL. Shawn Walker is coming back to start up
Camille Lemanski came out on the interweb and his own series. That last comment got an ominous
people were floored. laugh from the guest on that paintball show I
“Pacific Paintball and its subsidiaries will be fil- talked about. He said,
ing proceedings under the United States “Heh heh heh hehhh… Shawn Walker... I dunno
Bankruptcy Code to effect a liquidation of their what he’s gonna do... I hear things. I DO know that
respective assets and business operations… if he ever does start another tournament series or
Despite doing all we could do, we were unable even lifts a finger for paintball that there are people
to make the business a viable concern. Further, in and forces that be that will make sure he never…
this severe economic climate, we were unable to EVER… EVER accomplishes anything in this sport.
secure new funding. It is a truly regrettable out- That I do know. … I would have never expected it.
come, though one which is unfortunately occurring I’m pretty sure that if he even tried to say “paint-
more and more frequently in this environment. We ball”, he’s gonna’ get sued. “
planned at least a year out
CROUCHING PLAYER, from the event date itself,
HIDDEN MARKER
there are some people who
have been trying to get
either get another promoter
(or group of sponsors) to
take over the event for the
NPPL at Huntington Beach;
or even get the PSP to switch
an event to the HB location
instead. The City of
Huntington Beach has
stepped in with a firm bitch-
slap of reality and firmly squashed any dreams of an
event this year. According to the Orange County
Register, the tournament brings in about 70,000 spec-
tators, 1,500 players and last year brought in about
$480,000 to the city, but also brought in a whole lot of
mess… and where there’s mess, there are pissed off
hippies… and these hippies have lawyers. Evidently the
NPPL did a bad job of cleaning up the errant paintballs
T
from the play area and the sand, the beach, the main
here is a serious glut on the market for tanks. roads, the… you get the idea. From the OC Register;
I’m not talkin’ Sherman or Pug. I mean com- This year, Mike Martin was driving down Pacific Coast
pressed air tanks. How “new” and “updated” can they Highway when orange paint splattered under his wheel
be in order to entice and justify me dropping over well, tires and bumper.
$100 that frankly, I just don’t have? CP came out “The street was covered in them, you couldn’t dodge
with some new tanks… and they’ve got new red
them,” he said at the time. “They were still cracking and
bandana strapping!? Or an X-Factor logo… which
will be hidden immediately by your tank cover as popping and squirting all over.”
soon as you get it… Hmm… Ooh! Sly’s got a tank Crewmembers would spend days picking up paint-
that’s only available in Europe! Just think of the balls, starting at 6 a.m. to midnight to clean up the
street cred’ you’ll get walking on the field with one aftermath, scooping them up with shovels and plucking
of those bad boys tucked under your arm, eh? Dye’s the balls from the sand. The balls are biodegradable.
got a new tank that’s got a higher airflow and new Biodegradable? Compared to a chunk of granite
safety features so you don’t accidentally shoot it off maybe. Anyone who has played paintball knows that it
into your field owner’s pickup truck like a com- takes a looong time for a ball to disappear completely.
pressed air Piccolo Pete… Which is always a plus. They either swell up like puss-filled landmines or shrivel
The name that seems to be stirring up a lot of into giant-scale disposable contact lenses. Either way, it
excitement recently is Ninja Paintball ain’t pretty. The money’s good, but this time, the hip-
(www.ninjapaintball.com). They’re not in the tank pies won.
business, but instead are planning to give Guerilla “It’s a good financial generator,” Payne said. But
Air a run for its customer base. They’re inexpensive having the event gone: “It’s not going to kill us.”
but not cheap, a LITTLE heavier and taller than a GA The joke’s on them! Take THAT Huntington Beach!
reg (but not by much), and have already gotten a We won’t HAVE our event in your stupid city anyway
good rep for customer service. The regs are hand- ‘cause we’re already BROKE! Ha…heh?
crafted and use shims to control the output instead
of springs. Now I fear change, but even someone as
technically-inept as yours truly doesn’t have to
worry about poring over a large blown-out diagram
to get the darned thing to work; Ninja Paintball’s got
a slew of informational videos on their youtube page
I:LL GLADLY PAY YOU
and site which can help to assuage your fears AND TUESDAY FOR A
DM8 TODAY.
cure insomnia with their slow pace and monotone
narration… but I digress! They give you some nice
freebies with your order (who doesn’t like free stuff)
W
and they’re made in the USA! That, if nothing else,
still counts for something, right? ith Christmas (Chanukah, Kwanza, Winter
Solstice, Flying-Spaghetti-Monster-Day) over,
you hopefully have a few, shiny new items in your
PERHAPS WE CAN LIST TOURNAMENTS gear bag, and probably have a few items gathering
dust that you want to offload, too. But where? You
AS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES? don’t want to put it up on your team forum because
everyone you know is broke. You don’t want to put it
A
up on eBay because it will get lost in a sea of Dora
t least we now have an answer on whether or not the Explorer fishing poles and other “sports” items.
there will be a Huntington Beach event in 2009… Sure, you can take your chances with PbNation but do
Aside from the fact that the location scouting, you really want your inbox clogged with offers of
paperwork and logistics for a tournament series is “$15, U ship” and “If U don’t t@k3 this U R Gay!”? I
NEWS WITH A VIEW

GOODBYE TYSON.
didn’t think so. A new site has popped into being
which takes the best of both worlds and leaves the
rest in the dust.
PaintballBids.com came to life on December 3rd, YOU WILL BE MISSED.
2008, just in the nick of time for the Christmas
T
rush. The idea originated from Ebay's expensive
fees and the lack of an exclusive paintball auction yson Evenson, owner Sly
site. PaintballBids was created with the mindset of Equipment. (Teams:
providing a safe buying and selling experience ACI/Splat Factory/Backwoods
that wouldn't take 10% of your earnings in fees. BBQ, Nitro, etc.) passed away
They manually check 100% of the registrations on on Friday, November 14th. He
the site to make sure every member is Paypal went to bed on Thursday
Verified. For a one time $5 sign up fee, you can evening and never woke up.
buy and sell anything that is paintball related This twenty-seven year old
knowing you will be dealing with safe transac- paintball executive of the
tions. The fee is credited back to your account company SLY equipment has
once your email address is verified, so it virtually brought so many amazing
is free. I’ve been burned on eBay and PbN. I’d gifts to those who knew him.
happily pay someone $5 to pawn off responsibility Whether it was a master busi-
for derelict bidders or to deal with the seller ness mind, or the crazy eccentric kid buying you a
hoops Paypal makes you jump through to get your drink, Tyson was a friend and prankster to all who
money back. knew him. He loved to travel almost as much as he
They’ve received some pretty harsh flaming on loved the paintball industry, but definitely not as
the forums so far, but I gotta’ hand it to them, much as he loved his friends and family. A cheeky fel-
they’re taking it all in stride and looking to grow low, Tyson was always able to brighten up a room,
and help where they can. Definitely check ‘em out. make them roar with laughter, all the while offending
They are looking for teams to sponsor during the them! To say simply he was an amazing guy or he will
2009 season as a way of expressing their grati- be missed is a detrimental understatement. Tyson,
tude for your support. there never has and never will be anyone on this earth
www.paintballbids.com even remotely close to who you were. We will love you
forever, so save us a seat or two up there, alright, Big
guy! Memorial services were held at Jungle Island in
Lake Elsinore, California.
NO SLEEP TILL..
BROOKLYN!!!! GOODBYE JASON.
YOU WILL BE MISSED.
W ho needs the
NPPL? With the
tournament scene Jason Thomas Calef
"Towlie," passed
down to just the away Tuesday, Nov. 18,
PSP, the local tour- 2008, unexpectedly at
ney action is going University Hospitals,
to be where it’s at! Iowa City. His team,
SoCal may be the Hollywood HK swept
mecca for speedball the Division 1 title the
but you right- week prior at
coasters, don’t Commander’s Cup. He
worry ‘cause com- was a former member
petition paintball returns to Syracuse, NY, in the of Aftershock and HK
summer of 2009! The New York Paintball League army as well as sever-
(NYPL) will feature 8 teams from New York and al pro teams. Jason
Canada. Each team will consist of 12 players each was one of those
and play 7, 30 minute regular season matches based extraordinary individ-
on the X-ball format. Events will be held at the all uals who was able to enjoy his passion and love for
new HeadRush Action Sports Events Center Stadium something so much that it enabled him to perform
in Syracuse, NY. The New York Cup Championship at a professional level in paintball that gained the
is scheduled for August 29th-30th where the win- respect and adoration of teammates and opponents
ning team will take home the coveted New York alike. He was able to carry that zest for living in
Cup, as well as some cash and bragging rights. everything he did, positively affecting every person
For more information on the NYPL (New York who was graced by his touch. He will always be loved
Paintball League) please go to www.thenypl.com. and missed by many.
PSMMstrAds01Jan09:PS 11/20/08 3:44 PM Page 39
Hotties:Paintball Hotties 12/21/08 11:58 PM Page 1
PAINTBALL HOTTIES
L: REE
N M. HARDY - MODE
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE
L: REE
N M. HARDY - MODE
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE
N M. HARDY - MODE
L: KAY
Hotties:Paintball Hotties
12/21/08
11:59 PM
Page 2
PaxPag:News&Gear 12/23/08 11:11 AM Page 1
PAXSON’S PAGES
outhern California born and raised, Mike Paxson has

been playing paintball since 1995 at the age of 15.
His professional paintball career started in 2004 with the
California Bushwackers. In 2005, he went to Chicago
Aftershock to play in the NXL and during the ’06 season,
he played alongside a team he coached during its
rookie/novice years, Las Vegas LTZ. He has been teaching
paintball camps and clinics since 2003 from not only within
North America, but overseas in Hawaii and as far away
as Australia.
Currently, Mike is the coach and owner of all-female paint-
ball team, Destiny, and is in his second season with one of
the world's best pro teams, the Los Angeles Ironmen, the
2007 World Cup Champions, 2007 NXL Series Champions,
and the 2008 Buffalo Super 7 Champions.
ho is the best paintball player in the world of all time? That’s a tough question
to answer. Instead of trying to figure out who exactly is the best, what about
what characteristics that paintball player would have to be the best? What if we could
take a little bit of something from some of the best paintball players in the world and
combine all of their talents into one unstoppable super-hero of a paintballer?
thick he was, he was able to bounce

After playing paintball since the age balls off his body. I mean, if you look
& $)&% ) &( ! #
of 15, Todd Adamson retired from at him now, he’s in the best shape of
professional paintball a couple of his life, and fits the “athletic mold”.
years ago. He started Miami Rage back Looking back, though, I still believe
in 1994, owned his own paintball that Todd had some kind of “force
manufacturing company, Extreme field” that he was born with.
Rage, while moving on to playing pro-
fessionally for Aftershock and then the
Ironmen. Matter of fact, Todd was the One of Dynasty’s best players of all
(! % &# ! # - ( % ))
one who introduced me to both time is Brian Cole, and even though
Aftershock and the Ironmen. After some believe that Brian has retired, I
watching him play, both as a spectator
and then as a teammate, I saw him
play as if he had some kind of “force
field” around him. He would be sitting
completely out of his bunker, shooting
everyone in his sight, but they just
couldn’t shoot him. What’s even cra-
zier was how Todd could shoot some-
PHOTO COURTESY OFF DYE
one effortlessly, mostly shooting from

one side, never switching hands, and
still managed to shoot people. Some
people questioned Todd’s “athleti-
cism”, and maybe because of how
have a feeling we haven’t seen the last gold as a runner - he’s that fast. Carl
of him. Someone that good shouldn’t played for Infamous in the NXL and
hang it up just yet. Besides, he’s such was with Avalanche during the 2008
a natural at playing the game, it’d be season. One of the toughest jobs for a
a shame to think that he’d never make front player to do is make the snake
some kind of comeback. Brian was off the break, but for Carl, that
one of those players that could start seemed to be his easiest feat. He
in the back, and then go anywhere on made running look like it was easy to
the field and take care of business. He do at full speed. Off the break, you
understood everyone’s role like no could almost bet that he would make
other. He’d make some well-timed the snake every time. To have that
moves down the field, passing up kind of speed and consistency, defi-
whoever was in front of him, and exe- nitely is a characteristic that every
cuted it perfectly more times than the good player wants to have – speed.
average. His field awareness was sim-
ply the best.
Oliver is successful for a reason and
#!, ( % !$!%
I think that no one will argue that

I often wonder if Carl should have Oliver’s talent definitely warrants
' & (# ("&-)"!
made a career at running around a mentioning (especially since a majority

track, maybe even shoot for Olympic of people that follow the tournament
scene believe Ollie to be the best
paintball player in the world). Timing
is sometimes a hard thing to grasp.
Knowing when it’s the right time to
move down the field can make all the
difference in the world. For some, it’s
all about just having enough courage
to make that move, and that’s some-
thing that Oliver has. It’s like he can
see which direction his opponents are
looking at. He manages to run down
the field at the right moment almost
90% of the time. Those moves make

Ollie one of the most recognizable
players in the world.
PAXSON’S PAGES
existence today. He's been consistently
playing at the international tournament
&% ! ( )&%’) , ( ## !""& +**+% %’) ( "
level the longest, too. This former
This Finnish (from Finland) born
* # *! !)$ &&*!%
Marine has that never-give-up attitude,
paintballer played professionally with even when things seem dismal.
the Russian Legion back when they Through thick and thin, Ron has still
were the first foreign team to win in the remained and I don’t think we’ll ever
United States. Off the break, you can see the last of him. With the kind of
almost guarantee a “G” off the break determination this man has, the passion
every time. Furthermore, after he’s gets that he has for the sport, he’s hard to
the kill, he also has the ability to take kill. That will to survive with that sort of
off for a desire to play forever will be unmatched
corner; he’s for years to come.
fast enough
!% ’)
to do it. Billy Wing’s
!##. &% ,!*.
Brandon been on the
Short, Ironmen for-
Jon Richardson is an athlete and a another ever. As of
half. He’s been on the Infamous roster great player, today’s
forever, and before that, he was with swears by it; Ironmen ros-
Avalanche during the team’s early having ter, he’s the

years. For as big as he in in stature, he Mikko in the one player
can pretty much go anywhere he wants back means that’s been
to go. He can run and shoot to the cor- more com- on the team
ner and then dive into the snake with fort and the longest,

ease. He can do pretty much whatever security in year after
he wants to do because he's such an the front. year. You can
always count
athlete and his body can handle it. As
on Billy Wing
long as Jon doesn’t get sick from a to stay alive.
hotel room bug, Jon’s good to go. Most Rocky No matter
& ". %&%!’) **!*+
players would kill to have Jon’s physical Cagnoni was how bad
strength and endurance, something that what every things get on the field, he manages to
Jon works for diligently. pro player be one of the last ones left, no matter
playing how far his visor sticks out, you can
today wanted never hit it.
Mike Carthy played for Strange for to become
!" (* .’) #$% ))
almost a handful of years before mov- when they

% )* % ’) !%%!%
ing on to Tampa Damage after grew up. Another
%* #!*.
Strange’s departure from the NXL. He’s Rocky played former
got a great shot, one of the few in the front
Ironmen,
straightest shots in the pro scene, and for Shane’s his-
probably one of the better one-on-two Avalanche tory goes way
players in existence. If there was two back when back with the
guys on him, and he was the only one they were team. Once
left, it was almost a safe bet that Carthy the top dogs an Ironmen
would win. Some of that comes with the in the scene, player, now
partial Asian side of Carthy and his before Dynasty was even born. Rocky’s the leader of
ability to stay calm on the field, but still has star appeal, even after all these the pack as
couple that with his accuracy, that’s a years now that he’s been retired from coach, he still
talent in and of itself. the pro playing scene. He hasn’t has that
same winning
stopped playing altogether, though,
mentality.
and he’s not quite old enough to play Doesn't mat-
in the Masters division. His great atti- ter what were
tude and humbleness makes him one playing,
of paintball’s greats. No matter how though, even
huge he was, he still was so down to if it’s sup-
earth, gave everyone the time of day, posed to be a
and stayed humble throughout it all, friendly game of Connect 4, he still
and that's something that we don't see wants to win, no matter what. With
too often anymore. his huge heart for the sport, he con-
tinues to pass it forward, teaching
others the value of winning.
!# &+(% ’) Put all the above qualities together,
HRon Kilbourne has owned the oldest that would be the birth of the best
&% !## *& # .
running paintball team that is still in paintball player in the world.
PSMMstrAds09Se[t08:PS 7/24/08 2:48 PM Page 131
Splats:Foul Shots 12/22/08 8:08 PM Page 1
SPLAT SHOTS
Splats:Foul Shots 12/22/08 8:08 PM Page 2
PAYNE
PHOTO BY DAVID
Greg Tactics:News&Gear 12/22/08 1:04 PM Page 1
TACTICS
BY GREG HASTINGS
“Well-placed” cover fire. Part I
W hile at the Island of Misfit Toys Scenario event held at STC Sports in New Jersey, Greg gives us a
lesson in laying “well-placed” cover fire.
In one weekend, I attended two different events and both were on the last weekend of events
for me in 2008. In this article, I will share with you what I did on Saturday at STC Sports event, Island of
Misfit Toys Scenario, in New Jersey (USANA). Next month, I will share with you what I did on Sunday at
Bowie, Maryland’s Outdoor Adventures. This is a two-part series article, if you will; giving you two good
examples of laying down “well-placed” cover fire.
I was very happy that both Saturday and Sunday’s lenge, sharpens your skills, and is a good way to
events of non-stop ballin’ were in the perfect realm learn humility. Plus, for some reason, kids love to try
of weather conditions for paintball. Both were scenar- and shoot me…a lot. Sometimes I give them extra
ios in the woods, but some speedball broke out with- chances to.
in each event due to some interesting field layouts;
that always seems to happen sooner or later. It was, PAINTBALL AND AIRSOFT?
however, more of an incredible weekend because of On the fist day, I went to STC Sports in New Jersey
combination of not just playing on the varying types (USANA), operated by Jason Doty. It was their year
of paintball I played, but also about who I played end Toys for Tots event that attracted two types of
with. Ever jump in with twenty or so 12 year olds that players, half of which were paintball players and the
were celebrating a birthday? How about grabbing other half were those other idiots who play...girl-soft,
some moms or dads out of the parking lot and takin’ or…softy-air. I can’t remember, but it was nice to see
them on the field? I did last weekend. I do that all so many of them bringing out toys for a great cause.
time. It’s hysterical! I started the day using my semi ‘cause the first few
fields we played on were small woodsball fields with a
PLAYING WITH THE UNDERDOG speedball feel to ‘em. I later switched back to my
Part of the fun for me in this sport is when every- pump, though. They were just big enough that you
one is having a great time. Nothing sucks more to me could not see the other team’s breakout through the
than beating up on another team all day. Borrrrrr-ing! brush and trees. The scenario didn’t start until the
So, for this particular weekend, I made sure I was on afternoon, so this was a great warm up until everyone
the underdog side the entire time; it’s a great chal- showed up for the main scenario event.
TACTICS
IT’S IN THE MIX other team. I wanted to get him out
It was a mixed skill level on Coordinated and really bad, ‘cause he just jacked up
both teams, but one side had a about six of my guys in a row, and it
well placed
bunch of guys who play regularly was looking bad for us. Just then, one of
cover fire will
together, so I gave the advantage my team mates slid into my bunker with
most definitely
to them. I started out on that me. At first, I was like, “get your own
help you
advance on any
team and later switched to the position. bunker fool,” but then I realized this
other squad to “even things out” (I guy could come in handy. So I simply
do a lot less shooting on days like leaned out and pointed to the bunker
these). I like to get my teammates into the mix, so I focus where I wanted him to shoot. He was game, so I even
on my communication skills. I’ll shoot at a few guys just to showed him how fast to shoot and that I wanted him to
get some attention, but will only make a move if I get some continue until I got all the way up to it.
people involved.
MAKING MY MOVE
LAYING THE “RIGHT” COVER Now comes the tough part, but with the plywood having
In the woods, it’s hard to keep a player down in order to no visible holes and the noise the paint impact was making
move on his position, unless you get several players shoot- on the bunker, I thought my approach would be masked
ing at the same time. But, if you catch a player behind a quite well. I just needed to close the gap as fast as could, in
solid bunker, like a piece of plywood, which is common on case I missed a few opponents still lying down, waiting for
many rec fields, getting one player to simple hit the wood me to make a move.
should keep even a skilled player down briefly. My big mouth had attracted all the decent players my
In one particular match, I found myself alive with just a way, so after I thinned them out a bit, it appeared this was
few of my teammates left with me. I was just in front of one the last hold out. With my teammate hanging out the back
of the bad guys who was one of the better players on the end and plinking at the board some 20 yards away, I
checked off the middle and broke into a full sprint. I had to
watch my footing, keeping an eye out for snipers, and make
sure the player I was about to bunker did not come over the
top at the last second.
My teammate did an excellent job. Even though I was as
close as 5 feet away, I could still hear his paint zip past me
and impact on the wood. I began to smile, because I knew
this unlucky player will be very surprised to see me. Bam!! I
got off two rounds directly on him as I ran passed, heading
now to the back left corner of the field. The look on his face
was great! Aaaaah! I think he shocked. It was most definite-
ly a clean elimination, but as many tourney players do, he
shot me once in the side to try and trade with me. I was not
coming out on that, and the ref agreed. His flinch alone was
enough to get me off the hook. I eventually ran into a whole
pack of bad guys, so I did not last long beyond that move.
If you are keeping score, the lesson here is not so much
about using cover fire for movement as your tactic, but
ensuring the cover fire is well placed, sustained, and from
the correct direction. But if you have the luxury of having
10 guys with ya and you get half of ‘em to kind of shoot in
the same direction, then you’ll probably be ok. If not, then
get some payback and send one of your teammates to his
death next time. That always makes me feel better!
Coordinated and well placed cover fire will most definite-
ly help you advance on any position. You really have to
communicate well and trust in your team mates, but that is
easier said than done sometimes. Try and play with the
same squad, too, so you can be more familiar with each
player and ultimately work more efficiently together.
The Island of Misfit Toys scenario in the afternoon was
excellent! I definitely recommend checking out this facility.
It’s got more than most fields, including an indoor cafete-
ria. Coming up next month, I’ll give you another example of
how the “cover and move” tactic worked again for us at the
Sunday event at Outdoor Adventures.
I hope everyone had an incredible holiday season and I
hope you all had a chance to unwrap some great paintball
gear under your trees. Also, my Tour of Duty 2009 will be
rockin’, so look for me at a field near you. Remember, he
who plays the most paintball wins!! I think I’m winning, so
try and catch up. www.GregRedHastings.com
PSMMstrAds10Oct:PS 8/26/08 6:30 PM Page 61
BluesTravels:Layout 12/23/08 12:50 PM Page 1
PAINTING THE WORLD BLUE
$ $ # # ! ' ' # ! # #
% ! $# "# " # " # & ! " &# # “ ! &”.
elcome back to the world of BLUE & DEUCE. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving,
Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year’s holiday and had time to get out there running
and gunning a bit. Looks like the cold is here to stay and already we have been plow-
ing and spreading rocks on our road at EMR. Good thing Dead Guy performs like a race car
driver on the skid-steer. Not only can he do wheelies and spins while dropping stone in a per-
fect arc, but right handy at plowing, too. Take a few tons of good New Holland steel, add a
few chains and a bucket, and you have a monster plow machine.
Sue (“Wife of BLUE”, her choice of jersey nickname we kidnapped Viper and forced him to go with us to
by the way) and I spent a week in N’AWLINS and had a stay in the city for a few days and endure what we
great time eating, drinking, and dancing our way had gone through. We all had a great time all around
through the French Quarter. What a fantastic week, so could not wait to take Sue there sometime.
could not have hit it better. Not a drop of rain, sunny, I was very pleased to see that the reconstruction
though, and a bit breezy, all in the city with the most has done a remarkable job and most of the city is
soul. Sue’s sister Margie and her boyfriend Terry back up to its former glory - beautiful and exotic.
joined us down there and we met up quite a bit The people are so friendly and helpful and love to see
throughout the week. I had not been back to visitors coming back; gotta love Southern hospitality.
N’AWLINS (that’s New Orleans for non-southerners) We visited a variety of small bistros, various restau-
since right before Katrina hit. Deuce and I had rants, and a slew of small bars and clubs listening to
attended a version of our “Quest for the Holy Grail” the likes of Big Al Carson singing Blues at the Funky
game produced by our good friend VIPER on the other Pirate, Rooster belting out Blues live on Bourbon
side of Lake Pontchartrain for a 26-hour scenario. Street, and a very talented group of three young and
That Friday night we were kidnapped by TB and one old musicians playing jazz at a tiny place called
friends and forced to do Bourbon Street listening to the Spotted Cat on Frenchmen Street. There were tal-
music we love, imbibing exotic local beverages, ented street musicians, performers, and artists on
laughing, and basically having a terrible time. Doesn’t every street in the Quarter throughout the days and
it sound like it? By the time they released us at our evenings so you were entertained all the time. The
motel in the very wee hours of the morning, we only food at every place we ate was superb, Cajun cooking
caught a few hours of sleep before heading to play a at its finest, even though we probably added 10
great weekend of paintball. We had such a terrible pounds. We even found a lounge for the CREW.
time in the Big Easy, that on Sunday after the game, When not eating, drinking the local beverages, and
PAINTING THE WORLD BLUE

listening to Our friend Angie and her daughter
great Jazz and Riley stopped by with Pumpkin
Blues, we took in the cheesecake and Italian pasta and
sights such as a bus trip sauce to complete the feast and we
throughout the city including a stop gorged ourselves in good company.
at one of the famous Cemeteries. On Black Friday, my sister, her hus-
Another day we rode one of the local band, and our niece all stopped by
trolleys through the American quar- and spent the day and even offered
ter past beautiful southern mansions entertainment by playing the cello,
out to the Zoo, which was a real violin, and flute. Another week of
pleasure, mixing beautiful plant life good food, family, and entertain-
with a variety of exotic animals. The ment. Scary how much we enjoyed
Aquarium was excellent and we even November in spite of the economy.
took a dinner cruise down the Deuce: It is always a pleasure to having to wrestle seafood into our
Mississippi on the paddle wheel spend the holidays with the family, mouths, and surviving the assault of
riverboat Natchez where we enjoyed at least my family; I can’t speak for fruity drinks with umbrellas. We will
a Cajun buffet and live Jazz band everyone on that one, lol. I really persevere and be triumphant in our
while looking at the lights along the enjoyed seeing my Grammy, my Aunt quest of Flirting, Pillaging, and
shores. The last night we had a nice and Uncle, as well as my little cousin. Plundering in true BLUE’S CREW fash-
dinner featuring char broiled oysters They made the trip up to our little ion and promise to give a full report
and jumbo shrimp on the second corner in the NE from Chambersburg of our accomplishments in the next
story balcony of the original French and Harrisburg. I had the pleasure of segment of this column.
Quarter Bar while listening to anoth- cooking Thanksgiving dinner for Blue Deuce: There’s not too much more
er jazz band playing across the (aka the old man), Sue (my young to say except only that I am a little
street at the open air French Market. mom) and my Grammy. It was time jealous that Blue and the Crew are
We finished off the night at the for me to give back for all of the heading down to sunny Florida with-
Funky Pirate listening to the blues of great meals of theirs that I have out me. I’ll be locked in the office
the All Purpose Blues Band. With all enjoyed over the years. studying for finals, manning the
this, we really hated leaving the 70 Blue: AJ and Tom headed out driv- phones, and checking emails. The
degree weather and dreaded the trip ing with the BLUE’S CREW trailer and semester and the season are finally
back to PA, the land of ice and snow, compound and Dead Guy and I will winding down and it’s time to finish
where only the huskies go. Good meet them tomorrow at Wayne’s up our marketing campaigns for
lyrics, huh. World. Then its two grueling days of 2009. I hope that everyone had a
As usual, our flights were delayed playing paintball with a couple thou- great Thanksgiving holiday and ate
and we spent all day and evening in sand of my closest friends at a way too much food; I know that I did.
airports, but eventually made it friend’s field, then off to fish the We are heading towards the New
home late that Friday night. The Gulf with Jabba and Brisco of the Year (where did ’08 go?) and I am
good thing was that my mom (yes, CREW. We will follow that up with looking forward to the beginning of
Old Viking Paintballers have moms, two days lounging with Murder and the ‘09 season. It feels like forever
too) drove up to visit on Monday and Sabo of the CREW in Boca Raton, since I had a chance to hang out with
stayed the whole week through then head up to Cape Canaveral all of my paintball friends and family.
Thanksgiving. Deuce decided to treat where we will meet another CREW Coming up, we are heading down to
us all and prepared a great fare for member, Capt. Fish, and go fishing the Paintball Extravaganza in
us to enjoy which included baked on his boat in the Indian River and February to speak at the roundtables,
ham, green bean casserole, mashed along the coast. It will be a rough then following, that we’ll be prep-
potatoes, shrimp in Alfredo sauce on trip with many, many, “perils” such ping for our March Meltdown event
pasta, and chocolate cake and ice as catching big fish with big teeth, at the end of the March. I wish
cream. Sorry Ladies, Deuce is taken everyone the best during the holiday
by Christy who also joined us so not season and here’s to a great New
available. Warrior, Businessman, and Year. See you next month!
a good cook. Proud of our son. Blue: Check out our 2009 schedule
at our new formatted HYPERLINK
"http://www.BluesCrewTV.com"
www.BluesCrewTV.com and join us in
January at Top Gun Paintball in NJ for
their Penguins and Polar Bears game.
Keep warm, think paintball, and we
hope to run and gun with you all
soon. JT’s Castle Conquest is coming
fast at EMR so check it out at
www.EMRPAINTBALL.com and join us
in defending in the spring.
PSMMstrAds02Feb09:PS 12/21/08 12:44 PM Page 75
POP:POP 12/22/08 2:54 PM Page 1
PAINTBALL ON POINT
W lcome to POP, a monthly column dedicated

to the sometimes wacky, sometimes
turbulent, but always exhilarating world of
woodsball. Each month I’ll cover scenariocentric
topics such as mission tactics, scenario
how-tos, team and player profiles, gear
reviews, and the latest happenings in the
world of recreational paintball. If you’ve
played a game with me, you know I m rarely
away from the tip of the action, and that’s
the same approach you should come to expect
from this column. Let me run point for you.
By Jason “Foolybear” Lineberger

Photos by Rich Struth and Jason Lineberger
Scenario
with a Sense of History
The world of scenario paintball is in a state of turmoil. As local fields
figure out how to put on a good game and undercut some of the major
national scenario promoters, it s becoming difficult for the big names to
make a living in the business they once dominated. One promoter though,
Ben Torricelli of Millennium Paintball Productions, continues to draw
large crowds to his games themed largely around military history.
Combine his strong sense of fair play with a sincere love for the sport
and an intimate understanding of the historical background of his
events, and you have a recipe for some exciting paintball. Thousands of
scenario players have discovered the MPP brand, and Ben s consistently
good games have built up a loyal following. I cornered Ben at a recent
scenario to discuss the state of paintball, the history of MPP, and what
sets his company apart from the rest.
POP:POP 12/22/08 2:56 PM Page 2
POP:POP 12/22/08 2:56 PM Page 3
PAINTBALL ON POINT
numbers at the right fields. Some fields can only take 400-
500 players, more than that and it’s not the best game you
can put on. That’s what we strive to do; we strive to put on
a quality piece of work. Bonnie does all the artwork. She’s a
genius with the computer, and when I get home from work,
this is my labor of love. I absolutely love to do this. I love
history, and I love military scenarios. I love to twist history
to fit a field. I grew up watching all the old John Wayne
[movies]. It was that spirit; that’s what most of the guys
like. We try to recreate that. We try to honor and give these
guys a sense of [what it would have been like].
How do you go about balancing teams to create
You’re dealing with humans…how they show up and how

a fair and fun game?
hard they party on Friday and how many come – we have to

wait until the last minute when we get the registrations in
and I know what I’m doing. Even then, it’s an imprecise
science, but to me, it’s the most important thing I do next
to writing the game. I never [interfere] with the games
whatsoever. I save every mission, every prop that comes in,
so if anybody says, “How the hell did these scores come
I was born in paintball, it seems. I was a competitive out?” I can say, “There they are.” I don’t care if the game
What s your history in paintball?
tennis and racquetball player. In 1984 the first National comes out to be a million to one; it’s going to be a fair
Survival field opened in Palmetto, Florida. My doubles part- reporting. The players appreciate that. The worse thing in
ner…stopped showing up on Saturdays [because he was the world is to hump up and down the field, and then lose
playing paintball]. He said, “Don’t get ticked off; come play in the parking lot because of some 5000 point mission that
with me.” So we went out there – there were about thirty no one even knew was going on. That’s never going to
guys on a team, playing with old Nel-Spots, carrying paint happen [at an MPP event].
in cigar tubes. I never played tennis or racquetball again.
This has absolutely been my sport since November of ’84. I
grew up with all the names in the industry. I sat in the back
Why have you focused predominately on
of Bud Orr’s pickup truck when he was selling barrels, I listened to guys who humped up and down the field
military themes?
Sniper-1’s, at the Masters with Jim Lively. I knew Tom Kaye [listened to what they wanted in a game]. It’s like General
when he was selling those little plastic paintballs…I met my Patton said, “All endeavors of man pale to warfare.” My
best friends, some of the closest confidantes I’ve ever had roommate for four years in college died in ‘Nam, so it’s
in my life over this time. I still play today. I’m 61-years- personal in a lot of ways, but to me, it’s an endeavor to
old, and I love the game. honor those who really put their asses on the line. We
have a good life here in America, and it’s due, from the
beginning…to the men who withstood tyranny. And I used
to be a history teacher; that might have something to do
How long have you been in the scenario
I’ve been producing scenarios on my own since 2000 with it too. It’s my niche. I’m passionate about it. It’s a
business?
[previously Ben partnered with Wayne Dollack]. I wanted to labor of love.

be close to fields that were run by friends, and it turned To get a firsthand taste of the Ben’s great endeavor and
out to be some of the best fields in the southeast. Before his labor of love, check www.mppgames.com to find an
that we were traveling more – going out to California, event that fits your travel budget.
going up to Illinois; it was hard, getting harder. We were
traveling a lot. We’d fly because we couldn’t afford to drive.
I had a construction business, and I was able to take a cou-
ple of days off, fly to a game, fly home, go back to work on
Monday dead as a doornail…everything changed after
9/11. We had all these suitcases with satchel charges and
dynamite in them (scenario props, not real explosives) and
dummies with guns in their hands. We got caught once and
the FBI came in…they all knew what was going on – we
stopped making realistic bombs, that’s for sure. It slowed
things down, made traveling a lot harder. We’d have to go
a day before, and all the people checking the bags would
get a big kick out of pulling out an alien skull…so we
stayed in the southeast. Luckily we tied up with Bearclaw,
Paintball Charleston, Wildfire, places I love - great people.
It’s a family. We’ve got a great bunch of guys who play our
games. We don’t push for numbers; we push for the right
PSMMstrAds09Se[t08:PS 7/23/08 3:54 PM Page 45
FeatureTemplate:Layout 12/22/08 10:27 PM Page 1
rick chard
An Interview with
owner of
paintball extravaganza
staff report
photos By gary baum
A true industry trad

e show that hopes
to give field and st
ore owners new busi
to revive our paintb ness ideas
all economy.
I t’s no big secret that we’re all take it to the next level. He strongly feels
going through “hard economic that the industry has needed a true
industry tradeshow for years. He offered
times” so what are we going to do
his and Dye’s help to the event to
about it? With Barack Obama at the increase the impact that it can have on
White House now, he’s definitely the overall industry. He arranged for a
got the world on his shoulders, but meeting in Chicago with many of the
as it pertains to what we’re doing industry’s leaders to secure their support
here in the paintball industry, who’s to Paintball Extravaganza. His involve-
ment this year has definitely taken the
going to help revive our economy? show to another level which will benefit
It’s going to take more than one the whole industry.
person to turn things around for
paintball, but it can certainly start PSM: Is there a committee now?
with one man’s great idea. That CHARD: An Advisory Board was formed
man is Rick Chard of the Paintball this year and is made up of members
from the industry. For the good of the
Extravaganza, a trade show event industry, direction needs to come from
that strictly caters to stores, deal- within the industry for future planning
ers, and manufacturers. Now we’ve and events. The PSTA came forward and
always known about Dave offered their support and alliance to the
Youngblood’s success, and so far, show along with filling some of the spots
on the Advisory Board. Paintball
DYE Precision has been on the up
Extravaganza and the PSTA have some
and up. When Youngblood puts his similar goals when it comes to the pro-
faith and trust into something, with motion and advancement of the industry.
his track record, that speaks vol-
umes, so when word got out that PSM: Are you still the sole owner of the
he offered to help make the trade show?
CHARD: Yes
Paintball Extravaganza an even bet-
ter event, it got other people won- PSM: What’s your background in the
dering. Other people like those sport before PB-Events.com?
involved in the Paintball Sports CHARD: Owned sporting goods store (9
Trade Association (PSTA), who came years), indoor paintball field (5 years), and
to the aid of the Paintball an event representative/vender for vari-
ous manufacturers (15 years). First time
Extravaganza when Advisory Board playing paintball was at the Legends
seats needed to be filled. We sat Game, this year, at the insistence of Greg
down with Rick Chard, of Portage, Hastings and Sean Scott.
Michigan, and asked him some
questions about the Paintball PSM: What paintball companies did you
work for before PB Extravaganza?
Extravaganza that all the stores,
CHARD: AKA, NW Paintball, BT
fields, and manufacturers have Paintball, Hammerhead Paintball, Nexed,
been talking about. This month, in Ratco, Redz and Smokin Products.
February, marks the 4th Annual
Paintball Extravaganza, and it looks PSM: What brought on the idea to start
like this event will have the highest up the PB Extravaganza?
CHARD: When we owned the sporting
number of manufacturers as ven- goods store, we decided to add paintball
dors and an even higher number of to the product line. We could find no
participants coming to the show. resource to provide information on set-
Why? We’re all looking for new ways ting up a store or where to contact
to help pick up business, and we’re wholesale suppliers. We did a lot of the
hoping that the Paintball store purchasing at major tradeshows but
that proved not to be a resource for the
Extravaganza will be that source of paintball industry. We saw a need to put
inspiration and encouragement we together a paintball industry tradeshow.
need to get things back on track.
PSM: Is this the only true trade show
PSM: What has Dave Youngblood’s role available in paintball?
been in the trade show? CHARD: In the “Webster” terms of
CHARD: Dave contacted me this year tradeshow, yes, this is the only true
and we had a couple of discussions tradeshow in the paintball industry. Its
regarding my intensions and goals for the sole purpose is for the provision of
event. He picked my brain for awhile industry information and training to the
before offering his assistance in helping industry’s business owners. No interrup-
pull the manufacturers into the event and tion by retail sales, tournament play, etc.
This is not to lessen the impact that to have contacted every store and
the other shows have on the indus- field multiple times to inform them
try, but each has a basic goal and about the event and it’s benefits.
ours is the tradeshow.
PSM: What sort of benefits will the
PSM: Why is it important that we PB E offer this year as opposed to
have a trade show? last year?
CHARD: Education of the industry CHARD: We have made a concert-
- providing an avenue for product ed effort to increase programs
training, business training and peer directed towards the field business.
interaction. Several seminars have been put in
place for the benefit of the field
PSM: Where was the first PB Extra? business owner. 2009 Paain tball
Why Atlanta? The account credit program was g anza
Extrav
Features
CHARD: First year was held in developed for the 2009 event by a
Springfield, Illinois, as a centralized core of 6 exhibitors and has grown
local of the country. Was moved the to 14 participants offering $1,400 in
2nd year to Atlanta to provide easier direct account credits to store and •Exhibitors will be offering
accessibility for attendees. fields just for attending the event
and meeting with their salesperson.
many show specials at the
PSM: Will PB Extravaganza ever have

2009 show.
a consumer show? Why or Why not? PSM: Why February? Could we

CHARD: Not as long as I’m in con- expect to see this trade show becom-
•An air fill safety program
trol of the event. To add the con- ing the new event where manufactur-
is being developed and will
sumers into the event makes it just ers break out their new products?
be offered at the 2009 show.
like any other tradeshow that is run CHARD: February is a “down”

It will consist of 2 hours of
in conjunction with tournament and time between the paintball tourna-

classroom instruction, hands-
scenario games throughout the ments, scenario games, after the

on fill experience and a
country. My original goal was to Holiday Season and before the

written test, a must certifi-
develop an event that would provide spring paintball season.

cation for all owners and
a setting completely apart from the The 2009 event will start to see
employees of paintball busi-
normal tournament and retail setting. some new products being intro- nesses.
That is one goal I will retain as long duced. It is our goal to make this
as I am in charge of the event. event where you must go to see the •A legal seminar “How to pro-
introduction of the new year’s prod- tect your field and store
PSM: What has the store/field atten- ucts. This will take time to get into against personal injury law-
dance been like since the first one? the manufacturers systems. suits” will be presented by
CHARD: The first show at Johnny Friedman of McKenna
Springfield saw a total of 36 stores PSM: Does it make sense to have
and fields attending. This past 2008 products released at the beginning
Long & Aldridge LPP and spon-
show saw 120 attending with an of the year?

sored by Tippmann Sports.
average of 2 ½ attending from each. CHARD: It only makes sense to

introduce new products to the retailer
•The popular business seminar
PSM: Have you ever had any before the consumer. This event
presented by Mike Peverill
attendees come from overseas? offers that option. Introducing early

will be returning to the 2009
CHARD: No. A lot of interest from spring gives the retailer plenty of
class line up.
oversea and South American stores time to order and get into stock
and fields were seen at this year’s before the start up of the spring
•Giovanni D’Egidio of
World Cup. tournaments.

Hollywood Sports Park will be
presenting a seminar on run-
PSM: How many fields/stores are PSM: What about the consumers?
ning the successful paintball
there in the North American continent? When new products are released, will field and sponsored by
CHARD: My estimate is around we start to see a trend in the first Tippmann Sports.
2,000 “real” businesses. events of the year becoming the new
product reveal for consumers? •Oliver Lang will be present-
PSM: How has the vendor atten- CHARD: That is our goal. ing a seminar on hosting
dance grown since the first event? clinics at your local field
CHARD: Springfield saw 18 and sponsored by Dye
exhibitors and 2009 will be looking Precision.
at over 50.
PSM: How many, do you esti-

•Blue and Duece Hanse of EMR
mate, will be in attendance for the

and Blue’s Crew will be pre-
2009 PB E?
senting a seminar on Scenario
CHARD: My goal is to double 2008

and Big Games and sponsored
attendance or 250 stores and fields.

by JT Sports.
Some of the manufacturers are esti-

mating over 300 based on the
•Johnny Postorivo of KEE
increase in event promotion by the

Action Sports will be present-
participating exhibitors. It is our goal

ing a seminar on business
marketing and sponsored by KEE
82
Action Sports.
PSM Styles:PS 12/23/08 12:27 PM Page 44
ACTION
ACTION
ACTION
ACTION
PSMBackPages:PS 12/23/08 5:40 AM Page 2
DIRECTORY OFFIELDS & STORES

ARIZONA Pev’s Paintball of SD GEORGIA Pev’s Paintball Pro Shop
Paintball Unlimited AZ 5208 Jackson Dr., ste. 111 Athens Paintball 807 Eastern Blvd.
6540 E. 22nd Street La Mesa, CA 91941 Store: Essex, MD 21221.3504
Tucson, AZ 85710 www.pevspaintball.com 2828 Lexington Rd. 410.391.0222
520.790.7995 Athens, GA 30605 www.pevspaintball.com
Field:
Predator Paintball Reloaded
325 Lakeview Dr.
CALIFORNIA 4626 Watt Ave. Winterville, GA 30683 Pev’s Paintball Pro Shop
California Paintball Supply Sacramento, CA 95660 706.583.8600 1044 Rockville Pike
407 33 Chapel Way Unit E 916.482.4263 info@apball.com Rockville, MD 20852
Fremont, CA 94538 www.fixmyangel.com 301.738.3200
510-440-0199 Monroe Paintball Works, LLC www.pevspaintball.com
Rocken Paintball 320 S. Madison Ave
Castle Paintball 849 W. San Marcos Blvd. Monroe, GA 30655 Torrid Paintball Sports
521 Industrial Drive San Marcos, CA 92078 770.881.7421 13025 Wisteria Drive
Livingston, CA 95334 760.471.8061 www.monroepaintballworks.com Germantown, MD 20874
209.489.4002 www.rockenpaintball.net 301.528.4155
ILLINOIS
www.castlepaintball.com www.torridpaintball.com
Fox Paintball Sports
Top Stitch 1891 N. Farnsworth Ave.
Check Yourself Paintball 632 N. Market Street Aurora, IL 60505 MICHIGAN
5785 Thornwood Dr. Redding, CA 96003 630.585.5651 Exotic Sportz - Taylor
Goleta, CA 93117 530.244.2220 www.foxpaintball.com 23944 Eureka Rd.
805.967.6190 www.westcoastpaintball.net Taylor, MI 48180
www.chkyourself.com INDIANA 734.878.2002
CONNECTICUT Indy Extreme www.exoticsportz.com
Delta Paintball Xtreme Paintball 9508 Haver Way
1820 Arnold Industrial Way Ste. B 149 North Road Indianapolis, IN 46240 Exotic Sportz - Brighton
317.566.9115
Concord, CA 94520 East Windsor, CT 06088 10002 East Grand River
www.indyextreme.net
925.685.7141 860.627.6666 Brighton, MI 48116
www.deltapaintball.net www.xtreme-paintball.com PB Sports 810.229.6100
821 W. Coliseum Blvd. www.exoticsportz.com
Gorilla Paintball FLORIDA Ft. Wayne, IN 46808
5421 Alderin Ct. Hi-Tec Paintball Park 260.471.4334 Hell Survivors Paintball Playfield
Bakersfield, CA 93313 P.O. Box 301 www.pbsports.com 619 Pearl Street (D19)
Bradenton, FL 34206
661.834.3766 Pinckney, MI 48169
941.746.5866 LOUISIANNA
www.gorillapaintball.com www.hi-tecpaintball.com Open weekends only
Gunfighter Paintball Proshop 734.878.5656
2110 9th Street
J&S Surplus Inc. Splat Attack www.exoticsportz.com
Mandeville, LA 70471
North Monterey Bay 10129 SW 72nd St. 985.727.4370 www.hellsurvivors.com
Hwy. 1 & N. Struve Rd. Miami, FL 33173 www.gunfighterpaintball.com
Moss Landing, CA 95039 305.412.9991 MINNESOTA
www.splatattack.com MARYLAND Splat Tag
Maximum Paintball Supples Outdoor Adventure Supply Inc. 2070 11th Ave. E
4743 N Blackstone Ave. Splat Attack 1642 Sulphur Spring Road North St. Paul, MN 55109
Fresno, CA 93726 5979 S. University Drive Baltimore, MD 21227 www.splattag.com
Davie, FL 33328 410.737.0800
559-222-3814 954.358.2422 www.oapaintball.com NEW JERSEY
www.splatattack.com
Paintball Jungle Cousins Outdoor Field
Outdoor Adventures Inc.
516 Temple Way Stealth Operations, Inc. and Proshop
Paintball Field & Pro Shop
Vallejo, CA 94591 11985 Collier Blvd., Unit 4 750 Route 539
Routes 50 and 301
707-552-2426 Naples, FL 34116 Manchester NJ 08759
Bowie, MD 20715
239.353.3201 1.800.FLAG.007
800.456.6636
Palmer’s Pursuit Shop www.CousinsPaintball.com
Wayne’s World of Paintball www.oapaintball.com
3951 Development Dr. #3
Sacramento, CA 95838 4841 S. Pine Ave. E-Jam Paintball
Ocala, FL 34480 Pev’s Paintball Park
916.923.9676 208 Huyler St.
352.401.1801 800 Batavia Farm Road
www.palmer-pursuit.com www.waynes.world.com S. Hackensack, NJ 07606
Rosedale, MD 21237
201.487.6542
888.808.7937
www.ejampb.com
www.pevspaintball.com
*An
92
asteris
venue
www.paintballsportsmag.com Please
Want your store listed in Paintball Sports Magazine and our website? Just call 631.386.6919 or email: peg@paintballsportsmag.com
Top Gun Paintball Hilltop Paintball OHIO Pev’s Paintball Pro Shop & Park
567 Monmouth Rd. 565 River Road Central Ohio Paintball 20136 Gant Lane
Cream Ridge, NJ 08514 Fort Plain, NY 13339 3065 Silver Dr. Leesburg, VA 20175
732.928.2810 518.993.4200 Columbus, OH 43224 703.771.3965
www.topgunpaintball.com www.hilltoppaintball.com 800.536.1104
614.784.1104 Pev’s Paintball Pro Shop
NEW YORK Island Paintball Supplies www.copaintball.com 12185 Balls Ford Road
Arena Paintball 15 Bluebird Lane Manassas, VA 20109
400 Patton Ave Huntington , NY 11743 CO Pball Cleveland/Parma 703.257.5090
West Babylon, NY 11704 1.631.423.9086 5755 Ridge Rd.
631-694-2707 www.islandpaintball.net Parma, OH 44129 Pev’s Paintball Pro Shop
440.842.8035 2852 Jeff Davis Hwy, Ste. 607
Cousins Outdoor Field Montgomery Sporting www.copaintball.com Stafford, VA 22554
David Overton Road Goods Paintball 540.720.1319
Coram, NY 11727 32 Union St. (Rt. 211) OKLAHOMA
1.800.FLAG.007 Montgomery, NY 12549
Shaggy Brothers Pev’s Paintball Pro Shop
845.457.4678
www.CousinsPaintball.com Paintball Supply 50.A Pidgeon Hill Dr.
www.msgpaintball.net
2328 W. Memorial Sterling, VA 20165
Cousins Store Oklahoma City, OK 73134 703.433.2282
Cousins Paintball S.I.
513 Commack Rd. 405.936.0606
2727 Arthur Kill Rd.
Deer Park, NY 11729 Pev’s Paintball Pro Shop
Staten Island, NY 10309.1101
631.243.1100 718.227.1400 OREGON 13932 Jeff Davis Hwy
1.800.FLAG.007 www.cousinspaintball.com Paintball Palace Woodbridge, VA 22191
www.CousinsPaintball.com 1820 West 7th Ave. 703.491.6505
Paintball Arena Eugene, OR 97402
Cousins Store 400 Patton Avenue 541.465.4766; fx 4776 WASHINGTON
1157 Hempstead Turnpike West Babylon, NY 11704 www.paintballpalace.or.com DoodleBug Sportz
Franklin Square, NY 11010 631.694.2707 www.nyoface.com Indoor Arena & Pro.Shop
516.616.0520 www.newyorkpaintballarena.com 3326 Paine Ave.
1.800.FLAG.007 PENNSYLVANIA Everett, WA 98201
www.CousinsPaintball.com NORTH CAROLINA E.M.R. Paintball Park 425.257.9771 voice
Line of Fire Paintfields PO Box 728, Rt. 706 & 601 425.259.6375 fax
Cousins Indoor Field and Pro Shop 923 Gilreath Loop Road New Milford, PA 18834 www.doodlebugsportz.com
114 Parkway Drive South Horse Shoe, NC 28742 570.465.9622
Hauppauge, NY 11788 828.891.2399 www.emrpaintball.com CANADA
1.800.FLAG.007 www.lofpb.com H&H Paintball
www.CousinsPaintball.com TEXAS 136 Colborne St E
Paintball Central Dozers Paintball Brantford, Ontario N3T5MI
Cousins Store 209 E. Creek Ridge Rd 17318 Englin Road 519.750.0805
2900 Route 112 Greensboro, NC 27406 Winnie, TX 77665 www.hhpaintball.com
Medford, NY 11763 336.274.4002 409.651.5156
631.698.3657 www.pballcentral.com Procaps
1.800.FLAG.007 Hit & Run Paintball 6000 Kieran Saint.Laurent, QC
www.CousinsPaintball.com Paintball Central 12245 County Rd. 528 Canada H4S 2B5
648 Hanes Mall Blvd. Mansfield, TX 76063 514.337.1779
Cousins Store Winston.Salem, NC 27103 817.461.7768
159 Main Street 336.794.3650 www.hitandrunpaintball.com NOVA SCOTIA
Mount Kisco, NY 10549 www.pballcentral.com Banshee Paintball
914.241.3294 Maximum Paintball 122 Portland Street
Paintball Central
1.800.FLAG.007 11503 E. 1604 N. Suite 103 Darmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y1H8
www.CousinsPaintball.com 250-9 Creek Ridge Rd.
Universal City,TX 78148 902.469.2255
Greensboro, NC 27408
210.659.0424 www.bansheepaintball.com
Cousins Outdoor Field 336.274.4002
Camp Sunset Road www.pballcentral.com
VIRGINIA
Plattekill, NY 12568 Pev’s Paintball Pro Shop
1.800.FLAG.007 11204 Lee Highway, A.1
www.CousinsPaintball.com Fairfax, VA 22030
703.273.7732
*An
asterisk indicates that dates and/or
venues are not yet confirmed.
Please check websites for most
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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PSMCvr2008:Layout 1 12/24/08 1:58 PM Page 1

Say goodbye to the NPPL.

42 World Cup Asia 2008

24 2008 SPPL Finals

PHOTOGRAPHER: Gary Baum PHOTOGRAPHERS: Gary Baum

FROM THE EDITOR

Mae, Jeff and

choice for paintball entertainment.

NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR

But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself;

The fields themselves were different

Contact Us - We are always happy to help.

Overall, the event went smooth. Thursday got off

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! This is

Dynasty on the other hand has been down this road

NPPL San Diego was a great event! To know that we will

THE GUNS OF LUDOWICI:

Smart Corps, Forest Demons

League (SPPL) began as a com- and Blue Krew competed in

Corps, local teams such as showed the caliber and skill of

divided play into divisions Pac-Man arcade game (which

Perhaps the largest surprise of the

weekend came on Saturday when

Xtreme Behavior donated

As always, the sportsmanship level As Sunday drew to a close, semi-

In the opening minutes of the game,

The DYE ROTOR

O nce upon a time, DYE manufactured one thing,

"Even the biggest goofball can

Performance-wise, the Rotor is one of the best I’ve ever encoun-

Q&A PSM: Who else is involved in this new league?

PSM: We heard Rich Telford was a partner.

PSM: What makes the RPL different from other local

PSM: Do you plan the RPL to be a competitor to the

PSM: The nation has been in a recession since last

Q&A PSM: Who else is involved in this new league?

PSM: We heard Rich Telford was a partner.

PSM: What makes the RPL different from other local

PSM: Do you plan the RPL to be a competitor to the

PSM: The nation has been in a recession since last

4-)$ 2. !$%-/$ 1'$ 02,

The breakfast buffet was decimated,

So there they went in the early morn-

*+ '!') ") + *— $ .*"

celled due to infrastructure and preregistration problems, and

" +'). )+.

This “league,” though they only had one event in

Several of the teams came down early, arriving

The Reservoir Dogs are established champions

The game dragged into a stalemate. The red

Even the hardest charging teams, OTP Saints A

On the line for this tournament: a substantial

NEWS WITH A VIEW

R yan ;RyantheMighty< McDonald began acting

PACIFIC PAINTBALL thank all those who have supported us.”

planned at least a year out

CROUCHING PLAYER, from the event date itself,

NEWS WITH A VIEW

outhern California born and raised, Mike Paxson has

thick he was, he was able to bounce

one effortlessly, mostly shooting from

I think that no one will argue that

made a career at running around a mentioning (especially since a majority

90% of the time. Those moves make

Feb '09

Feb '09

+ '!') ") + — $ .*"