Changing Perceptions - Tour of Duty

Plain and simple, paintballers don't get the credit they deserve.

The Problem:

There have been too many people doing too many irresponsible and utterly stupid things in the past that have caused society to look down on this sport. Sure, the tournament style of play gets TV airtime and big corporate sponsors and it's all flashy and easily marketable, but what about the woodsball and scenario crowd? Who has their back? I'll tell you who... Cro Wakd of Wakd Ops.

The Solution:

How do you get from point A to point B? As the Cro flies ;)

This is the second year that Cro's run the Tour of Duty and this year's event at PRZ Paintball in Prince Edward, Ontario was nothing short of spectacular. The man's humble to a fault, saying that he's only a mirror and that he simply reflects the energy and image we send out but he's so much more than that. He put together this scenario and convinced Camp Trillium, a support camp for children with cancer, to allow us to hold the event with them as the beneficiary. That might not seem hard to some, getting a charity to let you give them money, but you need to remember that there have been SO many misconceptions about paintball that almost anyone not directly involved with the sport has a bad taste in the mouth before even getting near it. Cro's efforts have resulted in a GIANT leap away from that sort of public image.

This is Cro alongside Carrie of Camp Trillium as he presented to them a commemorative paintball jersey to signify that "we will fight on" against cancer and how it affects the lives of so many. There's not a doubt this will be the start of a very long, and very beneficial friendship for all sides with Erin's Army and Cro organising these events, and Camp Trillium working to improve the lives of child cancer patients for years and years to come.

Although I don't think Cro needs to be QUITE as humble as he is, what with the amount of effort he puts into everything he does and the devotion he shows for the causes he supports, I WILL agree with him on this fact... There's so many people to thank for their parts in making the Tour of Duty event happen, without whom it never would've been the success that it was. Having already thanked Cro for his involvement I'd like to move on to the rest of the supporters from the weekend.

The Ballers:

Plain and simple this wouldn't have been anything more than a pipe dream if no one had shown up to play, and for that I'd like to thank all of my fellow ballers who came out to support Erin's Army and Camp Trillium. There are a couple of people I'd like to mention who really displayed what I believe to be the TRUE spirit of paintball, and these are my Prestigious Paintballers from Tour of Duty: Insertion 2.

Rob Vance:

This guy was an absolute juggernaut of energy and encouragement out on the field. You only had a couple of mags for your pistol? Here's a vest-full so you can load'em up and shoot all day. You're pinned down and need covering fire? Let me throw a few pods through the "Warhammer" at that window so you can break from cover and get to a better position. You're too tired to play? You want to quit? Let me pick you up and bloody-well CARRY you onto that field because you know you love it and if that's what it takes to make sure you keep enjoying yourself by God I'll do it.

This man kept me in the game when the 'night fight' came around. I wanted to retire to my tent, throw in the towel and he just turned to me and said "I'm here to wreck shit tonight, and I need you to help me do that. Now are you withe me or not?"... Well you can probably guess what happened to my motivation after that. I went out on that field and pushed the line up wherever I could. Rob doesn't know the meaning of quit and won't let anyone else quit either. Is it because he's some hard-ass guy who demands too much? HELL NO! He just knows how to motivate you and has the utmost confidence that you can do so much more than what you THINK you're capable of.

If you ever see Rob on the field you need only know two reactions.

1. If he's on your team, get a hand on his shoulder, let him know you're there and willing to follow him to the gates of hell and back, cause he'll get you there safe.
2. If he's NOT on your team, GTFO or prepare to get lit-the-eff up. Heads down or hands up are your only options once he sets his sights on you.

Rob, if you get to read this, thanks for the encouragement man, and for not letting me quit. I'd have regretted not being on the field for that night game.

Connor "Casper" Andrews:

A young baller after my own heart, this little dude's essentially my neighbour... If you count adjacent cities as neighbours haha.

Small, agile, and fearless, Connor's honestly twice the baller that I am, and I've got no problem admitting that. It's not going to be long before this kid's getting invites from scenario teams left right and centre because boy can he EVER move out there. It doesn't matter what the objective is, how many people are guarding it, he wants a piece and wants it bad.

I have yet to meet a baller with quite so much energy as Casper's packing, even my friend and mentor Dylan "Joe Dirt" Swann might have a difficult time keeping up to young Connor. It didn't matter what you put in his hands whether it was a speedball gun, down to a pistol or even a pair of knives, he was going to get shit done.

Casper my little buddy, never lose that competitive fire, or your fearlessness. It was a HUGE help having you on our team.

Zach O'Leary:

I met Zach at the onset of the night game and I'm glad that I did. Although I never found him during the day on Sunday his actions during the night game MORE than earned him kudos on the blog.

I linked up with him as we were about to assault the warehouse. He needed someone with a flashlight, I needed backup and no one else seemed to have a better plan than forcing in the front doors... not exactly the best way to stay alive. So Zach and I cooked up the idea of working the boundary line, passing through an ignored back route and breaching through the kitchen. To say we found success in our plan would be a serious understatement. Zach nailed a few guys from the right corner while I took to picking off targets in the warehouse's sniper tower. Probably about 10 guys painted on our first strike and a couple more the second time around.

The best part of Zach's gameplay was that, when I suggested we work the outside and come in behind them he made sure we asked the head ref if it was acceptable considering the boundary rules. For maintaining a ridiculous amount of energy and for focusing on fair play and abiding by the rules, Zach gets a well-earned place on this list.

The Wrap Up:

Well I can't write all day... Or, I could but then no one would ever finish my articles.

There's not much that I want out of the sport to be honest, my aspirations are fairly simple. First I'd like to just have fun and I've accomplished that every time I've taken to the field. Second? I'd like to make as many new friends as possible and I'm also on track for that one. Third is my most important goal though... I want to help this sport grow. I only set out originally looking for numbers 1&2 but the second I got off that field I just knew that I needed to do more. I want to grow the sport and the only way to do that is to expose the brighter, better side of paintball to offset the negatives that people have been misinformed about over the years.

That's why I write this blog folks, to expose the misconceptions and to try and help prospective ballers get involved in the sport by providing information to answer the questions they may have and to make their entrance into the sport that much smoother. If my posts help even one person get into the sport then I'll be happy.

Until next time folks,

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'Noob' Baller

P.S.

There is a post on its way for the photographers and sponsors who were at the event working their butts off. It's just a lot to put into one post when done properly :p

Welcome to Paintball - The NooB Gets Knackered

The Fight for Asylum:

I hope everyone else's weekend went as well as mine.

I managed to conquer nature, my own fears and (with the help of another 264 people) the entire red team no matter what the score sheet said.

As you'll probably know, my first paintball adventure EVER went down this weekend and I have to say that I've never had a better rush in my life. Stalking through hallways, running and gunning out on the roads, diving to cover in massive firefights between 80+ people at a time... It was the most exhilarating experience I could possibly imagine.

Welcome to Paintball:

Let me be your guide.

'Smash', myself, Juggernaut and Valkyrie (front row).

This is by-far the most intense sport that I have ever experienced and if anyone wants to debate the status of paintball as a sport I'm down for that duel and so are 559 of my closest friends and acquaintances.

Athleticism, awareness, accuracy and aggression should be the four A's of paintball. If you can nail down those four things it's no surprise to find yourself waist-deep in a flood of paint without batting an eyelash at incoming fire...

Okay, so maybe I'm not exactly Rambo or John McClane but I'll be damned if I didn't feel like it as I ran out into the no-man's-land-like regions of the warzone as the battle rotated around the buildings. It really was something to behold (if only I could've watched from the rooftops) as the battle moved back and forth over the front and back fields, pivoting around the 3-story apartment at one end and the 2-story offices at the other. It should also be mentioned that a fatal funnel of frenzied paintball firing known locally as 'the hallway of death' also played a large part in controlling the central warehouse which seemed to give any team possessing it an unwarranted confidence... Seriously, if you botched the outdoor fight it just meant you were pinned down in the centre, waiting to get blitzed.

Bring in the N00b!

Yeah, I became the "chosen plug" every now and then, but I more often chose myself for the job than anything else.

'Joe Dirt' and I (camo pants) getting seriously
stitched while making a suicide flag run.

There's a certain honour in putting it all out there for the sake of your team, even if that means you get a few welts along the way. If you ask me, each welt should tell a story, and if you've got too many welts to remember every story well... You might have looked like me out on the field because I couldn't get back to the front lines fast enough. Once you start slinging paint it's hard to stop readers, I can promise you that much.

I was running (as you'll most definitely know by now) a Tippmann A5, JT Proshield mask, BT 4+1 pod pack full-up with four pods and and 3000psi HPA tank. No E-triggers, no fancy sights, just the basics people. To be honest? It did the job admirably. When I needed to lay down covering fire it was easy to just snap my middle finger back and rattle off balls. When I needed to place rounds on target at range it worked equally well. Could I have used a sight? Maybe, but only if I'd known the range I'd be engaging at the most. All-in-all the A5 worked every bit as hard as I did and not ONCE did I chop a ball. I did get a couple balls stuck in the barrel when the temperature dropped so to all you n00bs out there just remember account for cold-weather shrinkage okay? ;) It happens to the best of us guys and the only thing you can do is work with what you've got... A larger-bore barrel doesn't hurt much either though you stand a chance of losing a little accuracy. In all honesty though, with the whole barrel thing, a slightly larger bore isn't going to mess with you before the 18-20 yard range and at that point you're 'hailmarying' your shots anyway.

Earning my Stripes:

Oddly enough they resemble welts... Who knew?

These are my worst/best from the weekend.
Took 3 days of balling to get it this bad so don't
be afraid to hit a field for just a day or two.

Yeah it comes with the territory, welts, bruises, cuts and scrapes. If you're gonna go HAM (hard as a mofo) you're gonna need the odd bit of Advil, Rub A535 and Polysporin. These are all essential parts of a paintball kit as you KNOW you've had a good day when you finally sit down and your mind is overcome with thoughts of "Where the HELL is my muscle cream!?!". It helps to keep your legs moving at ALL times (if you sit down to eat, or stand around reloading in the pits just shift your weight side to side or bounce your knees up and down) so that your muscles don't cramp up. Force the oxygen to them by keeping them at work to some extent and you'll reduce muscle fatigue.

As far as welts and bruises go, that shit's got its own timeline. It'll heal differently depending on your body but a little cold compress (ice pack, cold water-dampened facecloth) will do wonders on the swelling. Maybe you'll be 'lucky' like me and get your hands lit up while popping out of cover for which I recommend getting a pair of half-finger armoured gloves to keep your digits happy. Balls tend to bounce a lot on the weird angles created by your hands and wrists and any baller will tell you that a bounce almost ALWAYS hurts more than a clean break.

I got smoked by this ninja-esque baller after battling hard for a foothold in the 2-story building. He slid into the room across a hallway covered by three guys, poked the first three in the room, shot me (the welt just under my gold chain), shot the guy next to me in the chest and then slapped the last man in the room on the back of the head. I just had to shake his hand before I started on my way back to the respawn point because it was just insane how quickly he pulled that off.

My back got stitched (nailed with a line of balls) on my suicide flag run. There are three distinct welts in the top left picture (two at the shoulder and one on the spine) from that little display of insanity. I also too two more on the bicep and one more on the ass after I hit the ground.

Does any of this discourage my from balling? HELL NO! I know it's a little intimidating for some people when they see the marks but honestly? They're just badges of honour. Each welt tells a very distinct story about your day and you should be proud of them. I'm not saying spend ALL your time running into a firefight but if you're considering it just remember that while pain's only temporary, bragging rights and glory last forever!

Best Blasting / Pick of the Paint:

Alright, with each paintball trip I make there's going to a "Best Blasting" and "Pick of the Paint" segment. This is where I detail my personal favourite shot and my most notable 'knackering' (when I get my ass lit-up with paint).

A Close One:

It was really hard for me to pick between two deaths but I've managed to decide on the winner. I had the unenviable task of choosing between a display of "ballziness" and an absolute shock-trooper domination... 

And the award goes to *drum roll*

The Ninja Nailer. This guy flew into a room held by 6 people and with one smooth move eleiminated everyone putting a shot square at the base of my neck and into the sternum of the guy to my right... It only took him two shots. I was going to choose my suicide run but that was more about just doing something ridiculous, the people who shot me out had a turkey shoot going on. This damned ninja (whose name I never got unfortunately) showed some serious courage, composure and skill with his sliding breach and clear. Six kills in four seconds? Not too shabby pal, not too shabby at all.

Bushed

 I made my best moves of the weekend on Sunday after I got into my rhythm on Saturday's dominating game. Again the decision comes down to a duel between two equally epic events but I've still managed to pick a winner.

1. My spawn. 2. My berm.
3. Concealed shooter. 4. Enemy spawn

As a runner-up we have my second 'bunkering' of the day where, after calling for some blistering cover fire from me bunker mates, I made a dash down a narrow fire-funnel of a hallway and got up against a house-style bunker. The bugger inside had been blasting the ammo dump (the bunker I'd just run from) along with a couple of his squadmates but we'd managed to pick them off. The general had called for us to push through to the fallout zone so this thorn in our side couldn't be allowed to sit there and suppress our advancing troops. I asked the guys around me (one speedballer, an X7 e-trigger and some rentals) to lay down fire on the bunker as I made a mad dash for the window on the left of the bunker. I turned and aimed down and *POP POP* put a round clear into his shoulder after missing the first. I pulled the trigger a third time quickly but got nothing but air... Last two balls and one of'em made a bunkering shot. That being said it still doesn't beat my favourite kill.

My kill of the weekend was on a concealed triggerman preventing my team from advancing down the back boulevard of the back road. He had crawled just far enough into the trees to prevent getting longballed and even getting eyes on him was next to impossible. Suddenly one of the guys sheltering with me in the berm motioned that the shooter was behind some yellow caution tape strung up in a tree. I ran from the berm to the treeline and advanced along it to within about fifteen feet of him. I flagged my wingman back at the berm to lay down three bursts before I planned to make my run. After a lot of shredded paint in the trees around our target I ran up and popped him clean on the mask. His hand went up, he rolled out of the bushes and I was promptly nailed by a Citrus Connection member hiding out way back behind a berm on the opposite side of the road.

Around the Campfire:

I hate to wrap this up but I've dropped enough text on this page as-is. I wish I could've shown you these great moments but I wasn't able to borrow a helmet or barrel cam so I'll have to save up for one or guarantee a loaner for my next deployment.

The Fight for Asylum event was absolutely mindblowing folks. I can't say enough about it but you can be sure I'll make an attempt at summing it all up with tomorrow's article. Until then, to n00bs and pros alike just remember to...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'N00b' Baller