2013 Tippmann Challange

Everyone has heard the hype surrounding paintball mega games but why are big games so special? At big games players get much more than just a day of trigger squeezing. At a big game you get not only a target rich environment but you get to see things like Darth Vader, Ironman, Sarge from Halo, and a jungle explorer riding an ostrich.



Tippinators love big games so much that part of the team made the twenty eight hour round trip drive from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Montreal, Quebec to attend Tippmann Challenge held at Paintball Mirabel on August 10, 2013.

The Tippmann challenge has been a tradition at Paintball Mirabel, since 2006. The reputation of the Tippmann Challenge is based on the quality of the scenario and an incomparable quality price ratio for an event of that caliber, Paintball Mirabel delivers on both counts.

PBL Action Sports, in conjunction with Tippmann Sports, bring their years of paintball expertise to produce a scenario game for 1500 paintball players from across the country who gathered in Quebec for the challenge.



Tippmann Challenge Mirabel offers more then just paintball. The game has helicopters, entertainment, attendance prizes, free lunch, free on site technical support from Tippmann employees, costume contests, speedball exhibitions and more during the event.

To accommodate all 1500 players, Paintball Mirabel joined all of the individual fields together to create one large field. Joining all fields together creates a multifaceted field that requires changing playing styles when moving from area to area in order to be successful.



One of the new fields Mirabel has just completed is a Vietnam War style village. It is not two or three building but an entire village. The area has twenty plus buildings, an open air market, temple with a gong, prisoner holding cages, communications centre, vehicles, storage silo and more.

Big games are more then just playing, they are an opportunity to reacquaint with old friends. The Tipps were excited to play alongside the eternally youthful Mike 'Blue' Hanse and Blue's Crew for the afternoon. It had been seven years since the Tippinators played with Blue and his Crew while attacking the Castle Aaarrg at EMR in 2007.

Tippinator Bruce Johnston was excited to be able to spend time one-on-one with Tippmann Sports Chairman Howard Kosick, PBL Action Sports President Robert Lee and Tippmann VP of International Sales Brent Cunningham.



"To be able to spend hours talking with the heads of the world's leading paintball companies is an incredible experience." said Johnston "I can't think of another sport where a participant can walk up and talk to the people who shape the game world wide. It is humbling"

As the day drew to a close, tents were being taken down, and RV's pulling away; the smiles on player's faces proved Tippmann Challenge Mirabel was an incredible experience for all involved. Once again Hugo Bigras, owner of Paintball Mirabel and his professional staff put together a memorable day of paintball.

The team would like to thank Brent Cunningham from Tippmann, Robert Lee, Mike Silva, and Louie D'Alesio from PBL Action Sports, Hugo Bigras of Paintball Mirabel for their hospitality and for making the Tippinators feel like they were playing their home field.

If you are a player who loves paintball you owe it to yourself to attend a big game. The organized insanity of 1500 players on the field at once is something that must be experienced at least once. Find the nearest Tippmann Challenge, sign up and go experience it for yourself.

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..:: Visit the Tippinators Official Website - www.tippinators.com for up to date news and official information about the team. ::..

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ATWL Event Sets Up for Exciting Finish

2013 ATWL Event 2 Sets Up for Exciting Finish

Tippmann X7 Phenom Atlantic Tactical Woodsball League Event 2 played on August 3, 2012 was some of the most exciting woodsball played in the history of the league. Tippmann Sports and BuyPBL invaded Hypersportz Paintball in Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia, to host the best players in the region for the mid point of the 2013 season.

Returning ATWL players were impressed with the field improvements that are continuing at Hyper Sportz. "We are making improvements to the playability of the field for the ATWL." said Field Manager Jim Bent. "We are getting great feedback from the players and will make more improvements for next season."

An ATWL match consists of two, teams of ten players, playing two 20-minute games. The teams play one game, switch start points for the second game, to complete the match. Playing two games from opposite ends of the field eliminates any advantage in the field layout. The teams fight for three capture points spread across the field. Five points are awarded for every minute a capture point is held with a 25 point bonus for holding the center capture point at the end of the game.

The ATWL excitement began with the first game of the day as the sophomore Green Acres Goblins came out of the gate strong. The Goblins used aggressive fire and movement to control the field and wrestle a win away from the Mersey Road Predators by only 10 points.

"The Goblin came together as a team today and showed real signs of improvement." said James Langlois Captain of the Predators. "They (The Goblins) will be contenders if they continue to improve the way they have been."

The improvement of the Goblins was great to see but the story of the day was the play of the surging Strict Union Militia from Moncton New Brunswick. The Militia played nearly flawless paintball and finished the day undefeated.

The incredible play of the Militia dominated the day and propelled the team to first place for the season. A first place regular season finish puts SU in a commanding position heading into the league championship event in September.

The Nova Scotia Mercenaries played consistently strong paintball and finished the day just behind the Militia. "It has been a great day and a season to remember." commented Kevin Whynot Captain of the Mercenaries. "The team is playing well and we have put ourselves in a position to win in it all in the next event."

The depleted Mersey Road Predators played well all day but finish in third place. The looked good on the field but strong play of the Militia bumped the Predators into second position by a single point.

"It was a great day of paintball even though we slipped in the standings. We have a few things to improve on, but we will be ready for the Championship match." said Predators player Dave Rose.

After two events, SU Militia is leading the way with the Predators one Win/Loss point behind. The Mercenaries are in third place only five Capture Points behind SU. The Green Acres Goblins are consistently improving and should not be counted out.

Heading to the championship the teams are evenly matched as every team is a position to win it all. The 2013 TippmannX7 Phenom Atlantic Tactical Woodsball League winner will be decided at Mersey Road Paintball in East River Nova Scotia on September 14th.

Event 2 Results
Place	Team	W/L Points	Capture Points
1	SU Militia	12	945
2	Mercenaries	6	735
3	Predators	6	515
4	GA Goblins	2	270
Season Standings
Place	Team	W/L Points	Capture Points
1	SU Militia	15	1295
2	Predators	14	1020
3	Mercenaries	12	1290
4	GA Goblins	2	345
Championship Match Up - First Round Mersey Road Paintball - September 14th
9:00	SU Militia	vs	GA Goblins
9:30	Predators	vs	Mercenaries

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..:: Visit the Tippinators Official Website - www.tippinators.com for up to date news and official information about the team. ::..

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ATWL Season Off and Running

2013 ATWL Event 2 Sets Up for Exciting Finish

Tippmann X7 Phenom Atlantic Tactical Woodsball League Event 2 played on August 3, 2012 was some of the most exciting woodsball played in the history of the league. Tippmann Sports and BuyPBL invaded Hypersportz Paintball in Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia, to host the best players in the region for the mid point of the 2013 season.

Returning ATWL players were impressed with the field improvements that are continuing at Hyper Sportz. "We are making improvements to the playability of the field for the ATWL." said Field Manager Jim Bent. "We are getting great feedback from the players and will make more improvements for next season."

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An ATWL match consists of two, teams of ten players, playing two 20-minute games. The teams play one game, switch start points for the second game, to complete the match. Playing two games from opposite ends of the field eliminates any advantage in the field layout. The teams fight for three capture points spread across the field. Five points are awarded for every minute a capture point is held with a 25 point bonus for holding the center capture point at the end of the game.

The ATWL excitement began with the first game of the day as the sophomore Green Acres Goblins came out of the gate strong. The Goblins used aggressive fire and movement to control the field and wrestle a win away from the Mersey Road Predators by only 10 points.

"The Goblin came together as a team today and showed real signs of improvement." said James Langlois Captain of the Predators. "They (The Goblins) will be contenders if they continue to improve the way they have been."

The improvement of the Goblins was great to see but the story of the day was the play of the surging Strict Union Militia from Moncton New Brunswick. The Militia played nearly flawless paintball and finished the day undefeated.

The incredible play of the Militia dominated the day and propelled the team to first place for the season. A first place regular season finish puts SU in a commanding position heading into the league championship event in September.

The Nova Scotia Mercenaries played consistently strong paintball and finished the day just behind the Militia. "It has been a great day and a season to remember." commented Kevin Whynot Captain of the Mercenaries. "The team is playing well and we have put ourselves in a position to win in it all in the next event."

The depleted Mersey Road Predators played well all day but finish in third place. The looked good on the field but strong play of the Militia bumped the Predators into second position by a single point.

"It was a great day of paintball even though we slipped in the standings. We have a few things to improve on, but we will be ready for the Championship match." said Predators player Dave Rose.

After two events, SU Militia is leading the way with the Predators one Win/Loss point behind. The Mercenaries are in third place only five Capture Points behind SU. The Green Acres Goblins are consistently improving and should not be counted out.

Heading to the championship the teams are evenly matched as every team is a position to win it all. The 2013 TippmannX7 Phenom Atlantic Tactical Woodsball League winner will be decided at Mersey Road Paintball in East River Nova Scotia on September 14th.

Event 2 Results
Place	Team	W/L Points	Capture Points
1	SU Militia	12	945
2	Mercenaries	6	735
3	Predators	6	515
4	GA Goblins	2	270
Season Standings
Place	Team	W/L Points	Capture Points
1	SU Militia	15	1295
2	Predators	14	1020
3	Mercenaries	12	1290
4	GA Goblins	2	345
Championship Match Up - First Round Mersey Road Paintball - September 14th
9:00	SU Militia	vs	GA Goblins
9:30	Predators	vs	Mercenaries

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..:: Visit the Tippinators Official Website - www.tippinators.com for up to date news and official information about the team. ::..

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ATWL Event Two Played Rain and Shine

The second event of the 2012 Tippmann X7 Phenom Atlantic Tactical Woodsball League was played June 9th at Hypersportz Paintball in Mount Uniacke Nova Scotia.

Rain overnight and all game day morning left many players disheartened that once again they would be playing in boot sucking mud, with players afraid that an inadvertent marker drop would result in a gun never being seen again. Although the ATWL had visited this location in previous seasons, this woodsball field had not been seen by players in the past.

Hypersportz Paintball (formerly Overkill Sportz) has been taken over by a new owner who is making considerable field improvements. Teams that are visiting Hypersportz for the first time since last season were very impressed with the changes.

Thousands of dollars invested by the new owner in improved drainage, clearing firing lanes, leveling the ground and reposition bunkers will make the field play faster and put a premium on communication plus coordinated fire and movement.

Often the first game can set the tone for the entire day. The cold rain didn't dampen the excitement as the Nova Scotia Mercenaries went up against the SU Militia. The fighting was so fierce that at times it seemed there were more paintballs in the air than rain drops. If this game was an indication event two would be an exciting day.

As the day wore on, the weather improved but there was no improving on the already top notch paintball. The matches between current and former champions, plus epic battles between two new teams to the league all the games were back and forth fights went down to the wire.

The SU Militia from Moncton, New Brunswick went on a tear at event two. They kicked their game up a notch since event one, and were the team to beat at event two. The Militia won all four of their games with a total combined 790 flag capture points.

Another surprise of the day was the improved play Green Acres Goblins. First year teams in a very competitive league can sometimes get overwhelmed. The Goblins showed they were able to adapt their play and fight toe to toe with the best teams in the region.

No one team is breaking away from the pack. The top of the leader board is tightening. The new teams are improving quickly. The 2012 Tippmann X7 Phenom Atlantic Tactical Woodsball League has reached the half way point and who will be crowned champion is anybody's guess. This may turn out to be the most exciting finish in ATWL history.

Event 2 Results
Place	Team	Games Played	Capture Points	Win Loss Points
1	SU Militia	4	790	8
2	Anthraxx	2	555	4
3	Mersey Road Predators	2	310	2
4	Nova Scotia Mercenaries	4	310	2
5	Green Acres Goblins	4	75	0

Season Standings
Place	Team	Games Played	Capture Points	Win Loss Points
1	Mersey Road Predators	6	1320	10
2	Anthraxx	6	1115	10
3	SU Militia	8	970	8
4	Nova Scotia Mercenaries	6	535	4
5	Green Acres Goblins	6	105	0

Try Paintball Now Launched, promises to bring new players to the sport.

On Wednesday, paintball industry giant Tippmann Sports, along with Special Ops Paintball, US Army Paintball, and the Paintball Sports Trade Association announced the launch of a new website, TryPaintballNow.com. Designed both as a way to bring new players into the sport and provide current players with a comprehensive database of fields and paintball shops, the new site features an appealling layout with featured paintball videos and links to Tippmann sponsored prize drawings and newsletters.

In a recent press release, Ron Goldblatt , the marketing director for Tippmann Sports said: “Paintball is in need of new players. And, as an industry leader, Tippmann felt the need to focus marketing resources on recruiting these players... We wanted to create an entirely new medium for less experienced players because many existing paintball sites are great for experienced paintballers, but can be overwhelming for those newer to the game. With Try Paintball Now, we have a platform in place that provides a variety of helpful paintball information in a fun and easy-to-understand format.”

Recalling my own beginnings in the sport, I honestly feel this is a great move, both for the companies involved and the players it is marketed to. The combination of resources of some of the leading woodsball companies, especially led by Tippmann (honestly: how many woodsball players start with a Tippmann 98 or A-5? I'm one of the rare few that didn't, but I've owned one since), greatly simplifies a new players search for information, gear, and local fields. All of which means a simpler, faster learning curve, and more time having fun playing the game.

A big thumbs up on this move! (gee, now I feel like Ebert and Ropert)

A Day at the Park (ok, ok, Paintball field)

Went out and played paintball today, and I had a really, really good time. I went incognito; just pulled out some old cammies and a Tippmann 98 Custom and played.

While there were a few times I wished I was using my Phantom (snap shooting with a 3-foot long gun while laying down isn't all I remember it to be), it really was a much simpler, more relaxed day. No batteries, no pods, just pure paintball zen. I suppose with all the expectationsI usually bring to the field, I burden myself. Today, if I made a bad move, I made a bad move. It wasn't particularly important. I wasn't pressuring myself to play well, or even to really practice or learn anything. Just playing paintball.

The second thing that made it such a good day was that there happened to be a very large birthday party in attendance. There were just short of two dozen kids present, probably around 10 years old. To my surprise, they were most unlike the kids that age I've seen play before. They were aggressive and moved, they worked well with each other, and some of them were dang good shots. Beyond that, they insisted on playing together as a team against the regulars. (I can't say they ever won a game, but they came close!). They were all smiles, all day, even when they'd catch three or four balls on the way out. That's the kind of attitude I love to see from new players. Playing hard, and smiling harder.

Now, I've got a soft spot for kids. And that's part of it. But these two things combined really restored a lot of my hope in the future of the sport. During the entire day, I never saw any cheating, any swearing, anyone getting heated at all really.

Let's just say that today made me proud to play paintball.

"Editor" On The Air, BRWP Gives Away Gear

Tune in to hear our very own Dawn "Editor" Allcot as a special guest in the most recent episode of Blast Radius Woodsball Podcast!

Listeners have been asking when the Raffle Prize Pack was going to be awarded, and it got to the point I couldn't come up with good excuses anymore. Into the studio I went. During the recording session the script called for an impartial pregnant woman with great grammar. Fortunately for all of us, Dawn was willing to take my call.

Nobody chooses random numbers like Dawn.

Here is the gear kit that was given away on the show:

1) Tippmann Paintball Marker - Get the most reliable name in the business, Tippmann is the workhorse of paintball. Compliments of DMC Paintball in Colorado Springs, CO. Call Dave for all your paintball needs 719-638-7037


2) THREE St!ffi barrels - yes three! - Carbon fiber is the best in strong, lightweight barrel accuracy. Three different bore sizes so you can get the best paint-to-barrel match. Experience the space-age technology for yourself. These are the same materials used by high profile Department of Defense programs. Bring your paintball game up to the carbon fiber standard today! Thanks to Naomi for this great prize!


3) Q-Loader 500 round system - this super fast loading system really rocks. Includes all mounting hardware and 5 pods - everything you need to get some serious paint out there. Thanks Steve!

Again, thanks Dawn! I knew you would be there in my time of need. As for the winner? You'll have to tune in to the show to find out!

Wayne Montle
Producer, Blast Radius Woodsball Podcast
Multimedia Correspondent, RECON Magazine

New Gear from Spec Ops

Spec Ops has introduced some cool new gear.

The company with some of the best-made (and most awesome) soft goods for woodsball has finally introduced hopper skins in SO Digi Cam and SO Omnipat patterns for Tippmann A-5 and X7 hoppers. Now you can break up your silhouette, camouflage the largest part of your gun, and soften it up a bit, too, encouraging bounces.

Spec Ops also introduces a CAR Stock for the Tippmann A-5, with a 5-position locking mechanism. Manufactured from aluminum and glass-filled nylon, this fully-functional stock, sporting the Tippmann SO logo, looks and feels just like the real thing.

Drop by the online store and also check out their new affordable BDUs in woodland camo, and the Omnipat Density Upgrade Kit for the Spec Ops Action Ghillie, too.

Living Legends Scenario Paintball Game

On April 4 – 6, 2008, Aaron “Krazy 8” Kirk and I attended the Living Legends event at CPX Sports in Joliet, Illinois, together. Produced by Viper Paintball and Wayne Dollack, this was one of the most amazing events I have ever played in! It was great to play with many of the top names in the Paintball industry including people such as Jim Lively, one of the 12 “survivors” of the original Survival Game held in the woods of New Hampshire more than 25 years ago.

DXS/DraXxus/Procaps senior VP Craig Miller was the general of the Marines; Smart Parts Smart Corps Sean Scott was general of the Russian contingent. Other “living legends” included: World Champion tournament player Frank Connell; Tobey “POGO” Grable of the Psycho Clown Posse; Guy Cooper; SpecOps’ Brian “MOATI” Russell; Dan Colby; DeWayne Convirs; Tippmann’s Erich Garbers; Glenn Palmer; and paintball media celebrity Rob "Tyger" Rubin, to name just a few.

It was truly an honor to be a part of Craig Miller’s command team, as a S.O.G. (Special Operations Group) Sergeant, running people to the tip of the spear on the front line of the battle field. By the end of a long, hard day of fighting on Saturday I was completely exhausted, but the adrenaline was still running through my body from the intense action on the field!

That evening Krazy 8 and I didn’t event shower or change out of our paintball clothes before we went out for dinner. It must have been a sight to see as we walked into the Chinese restaurant: Krazy 8 dressed in his kilt, and sporting his trademark bright blue & green Mohawk, me wearing SpecOps™ OMNIPAT pants and a bright yellow & orange MEDIA jersey. After dinner we return to our hotel to clean up, then fell asleep like someone had hit us over the heads with a hammer.

After playing so hard on Saturday, I reserved Sunday for my media duties, as we’ll be running a huge write-up of the game in a future issue of RECON. All the interviews I conducted gave me a unique opportunity to get to know even more of the Legends not only as players, but as friends!
-- by "Monty Doom"

How Not to Shoot Your Teammates

Rule Number 1 of paintball is to play safe. Every paintball field in the world has two rules that are non-negotiable.

1. All players must wear a protective mask at all times when on the field.
2. All players must use a barrel blocking device when not in the playing area.

There is, however, a third rule that should be added to the list.

3. All players are responsible for pointing their marker in a safe direction at all times.

While playing at my local field’s walk-on day I had moved ahead of the rest of my team and waited for them to catch up. I felt a sting on the side of my face and could taste paint. At first I thought, "How could I have missed someone?" I thought an opposing player had eliminated me from a concealed position.

I turned toward the direction of the shot to see a young player, from my team, with a rental marker, less than 10 feet away, waving to me followed by, "Sorry man, it just went off."

While walking off the field, barrel bag on and marker raised, nobody knew I was hit. It wasn’t until I got to the staging area and took off my mask that I could tell by the reactions of my friends it was a unique hit. The entire ball went under my mask and broke on the inside.

The young player felt bad and apologized to me after the game and it didn't hurt as bad as the photo makes it look. But the incident could have been avoided if the player had his marker pointed in a safe direction.

Whether you are on the field, on the chrono range, or even in the staging area with a barrel cover on, you must be responsible for the direction your marker is pointing at all times.

In my case, a wipe with paper towel, the application of a band aid and I was in the next game.

Paintball is statistically one of the safest sports in the world. It is up to each of us, as players, to keep it that way. One way to do that, and how not to shoot your teammates, is to know where your marker is pointing at all times.

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