** Meet the  Staff!! **

Sean "Asian Porn Star" Takeda, founder & president (North America - San Francisco, CA) 
Sean is an avid Amateur player who has been involved in the industry for about 18 years now, and has experience in the machine, retail, and player side of paintball.  He has been helping out with local teams and recreational players as well as competing in tournaments across the US.  Although he mainly prefers playing stock with his custom Budd Orr Sniper, his Carter Comps, and Buzzard, he also likes an occasional game with his Eclipse Angel, and personalized custom vertical Autococker and GZ Intimidator.  He has previously played for No. California based teams: Outta Control, Sindicate, Agent Orange, No Limit.  So.California based teams Blitzkrieg, AI, Subzero, Team Yella, Check-It Factory and Broken Arrow.  He currently plays for Splat Factory and Blackstar Factory.  You can also email him directly at stakeda@thempn.comor you can reach him through Yahoo messenger stakeda23, and occassionaly in the MPN Chatroom. 
Zach "Chalupa" Perkins, Lead Web Design (North America - San Francisco, CA)

I don't have anything to say at this time....have played for a few years, with my primary team Sindicate.

You can also email him directly at zach@thempn.com or AIM him at plastik fusion.
Ryan "Doogie" Beesley, columnist & product review (North America - Berkeley, CA)
Ryan has only been playing paintball for a short period of time, picking up the game rather quickly.  He played for team Sindicate last year, and Broken Arrow  and No Limit the beginning of 2002.  He is currently playing for Splat Factory and Blackstar Factory.  He will be providing articles, reviews, and helping out with web content.  He recently went to Glendale for a photo shoot for a popular Paintball magazine, and should be appearing sometime in 2003.  You can email him at rbeesley@thempn.com
Richard "DYE" Hooper, international columnist & product specialist (South Africa, Johannesburg) 
Richard is the captain for Team Venom (formerly Team Raptors) who are based in South Africa, and a distributor for Raven Paintball Gear.  He is currently working on getting Stock Play started in South Africa.  Richard is covering tournaments, as well as big events, such as the paintball clinics.  He has been playing for some time now, and has been sharing his experience with our newsletter.  You can visit his homepage at  Team Venom.  You can also email him directly at rhooper@thempn.com or you can ICQ him at 13786615. 
Picture N/A Brian Speiser, columnist & technical consultant (North America -  Los Angeles, CA) 
is a Southern California native who has been playing for 3 years now.  He has had some experience on the tournament circuit and is captain of Team Purple Stuff.  He is an advid recreational player, and  has experience in both Semi and Stock class paintball.  Brian will be sharing his knowledge on various subjects of paintball. You can email Brian direct at  bspeiser@thempn.com
Glenn Sweeten, columnist & technical consultant (North America - New Jersey) 
is an Amatuer player from New Jersey.  Glenn currenty plays on F.D.G but has experience with numerous other teams.  He has been playing for about 6 years now, and has innumerous tournaments under his belt. He refs at national paintball supply and plays with and has considerable knowledge of the Angel, Automag, and several pumps.  You can email Glenn directly gsweeten@thempn.com  or ICQ him at 29082695. 
Chris Yu, columnist & product specialist (North America - San Rafael, CA) 
is a native to Northern California.  He has experience with a variety of different areas of paintball from fields to technical troubleshooting with paintball hardware.  Chris expertise is primarily with Autocockers, however, he will be sharing his knowledge through reviews on various other equipment.  He is an advid recreational player and ref at Mare Island.  You can email Chris direct at cyu@thempn.com
Alan Mendel a.k.a. "Shag", columnist & technical consultant (North America - Northern New Jersey)
Alan has about 2 and half years of playing time in and about 1 1/2 years of reffing time in also.  He shoots a Palmer Typhoon (see Picture), Airgun Designs 68 Automag, CCI Phantom, WPG 98 Autococker, and has several more guns in his personal collection.  He has knowledge in a vareity of areas which include gun repair, Camo, building up guns to different concepts, etc.  Alan considers 99% of what's on the Inet as advice not truth.  He tries to get out to the bigger rec ball events, because Paintball to him is a way of life like some many other hobbies.  See ya on the field!  Alan's web page is SHAG's World of Paintball.  You can email him direct at amendel@thempn.com or ICQ him at 22531105
Tony Sasso, columnist & product specialist (North America -  Kansas City, Missouri)
Tony has his own paintball website Absolute Paintball and is co-webmaster of the Tippmann Owners Group.  He has been playing paintball for about 3 years, and has done a lot of airsmithing on the Kingman Spyder.  He has become a somewhat of a "Spyder guru"  (a.k.a. the Spyder Man).  In 1997 Tony organized his speedball team, Four Aces.  He has played at local tournaments and has helped organize multiple local recball events.  Currently,  he owns a custom Absolute Spyder (my personal configuration of the Kingman classic) and has had much experience with a variety of other paintguns. He hopes to share his paintball knowledge with everyone. Keep the game alive!!  You can email him direct at tsasso@thempn.com
Steve Maranzana, columnist & product specialist (North America - Berkeley, CA)
Steve has been playing for a number of years now and has definitely gotten around the industry.  He helps out when he can at the field, in the store, you name it.  He has had a large involvement with the paintball club at the University of Berkeley.  Having his share of guns, Steve will be sharing his knowledge in a wide variety of different paintball topics.  Steve's gun of choice is a 98 Evolution Autococker. You can email him direct at smaranzana@thempn.com
Picture N/A Timothy Young, columnist (North America - Tampa, Fl and Rochester, NY)
Tim has been playing for about two years now.  His specialty is the '99 F4 Illustrator.  Tim likes playing rec-ball and sharing knowledge he has with those who need it.  Frequents rec.sport.paintball and hangs out alot in IRC.  During his school season in Tampa, he plays at Jungle Games, and at American Paintball.  When at home in Rochester, you can find Tim playing indoor at Splatball Inc.
You can email him direct at tyoung@thempn.com
Caroline A. Richardson a.k.a "Sabrette", international columnist  (Perth, Ontario, Canada)
Caroline has been playing for a little over a year now, introduced by her boyfriend Steven 'sabre" Maguire.  She played recreationally for most of last summer, and was a runner for Steven at local tournaments.  Her first tournament experience came this year (1999) at Skyball, in Toronto, Canada.  She played for Team Internet Project, and used Steven's trusty Sniper. Yes, Team Internet went up against semi's with pumps! They had a blast!
She has definitly caught the paintball "bug"!  At the moment, she is borrowing a Spyder Steven is rebuilding for her.  She played last summer using Steven's tournament Autococker. (That thing eats paint!!)
Caroline also runs a full time business as a horse trainer, riding coach and runs a small farm.
You can email her direct at crichardson@thempn.com 
César E. Lebrón, international columnist (Puerto Rico) 
Cesar has playing paintball since 1991.  Right now he is the captain of a team Killer Bees Paintball Team from Puerto Rico.  He owns a tricked minicocker.  Cesar currently practices with a  team called Scorpions (who have been at the World Cup, Skyball and ZAP Amateur 1998) to expand his knowledge of paintball. He plans on attending the ZAP Amateur 1999.  So far, the intense playing and hard work (so the sport can grow in Puerto Rico), has taught him a variety of technical tips, reffing skills, strategies, and different forms of play.  Cesar will be bringing the paintball scene as it continues to grow on the island.
You can email him direct at clebron@thempn.com
Joe Allen, columnist (Templeton, Ma.)
33 yr old paintball enthusiast <some say "fanatic"> thats been playin rec paintball since 86.  He's a 'paintballer' who loves our sport & enjoys talking to anyone about any paintball related subject. Joe will br sharing a variety of articles dealing with all different aspects of paintballing......with his own experiences included.  You can email him direct at jallen@thempn.com
Picture N/A Petter Rogneby, columnist (Norway)
Petter has been playing since 1996, and has been crazy about the sport since. His first marker, was a Brass Eagle Raptor, which he now knows a great deal about. Currently, he plays with a WGP 99 Autococker.  His team is called "team scat" and is centered in the capital of Norway, Oslo. His greatest goal for the future is to build his own field, and to show paintball to the people and what great sport it is. "People wouldn't be so sceptic if they knew what paintball really is".
Has a passion for Autocockers, and will happily answer any questions from the readers if it's in his power to answer them :)
Petter will be sharing information on the paintball scene in Norway as it continues to grow.  You can email him direct at  progneby@thempn.com

** Looking for guest/full time writers **

        If you are interested in sharing some of your paintball expertise with others, I'm looking for some writers to help out on the MPN.  With the rapid growth of the MPN, we are trying to incorporate more staff writers to cover different fields within the paintball industry, i.e. Fields, Tourneys, Products, Paintballs, etc.  If interested, email me at stakeda@thempn.com. For those of you who have already inquired about this, check for your articles in this months issue.
 
 


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