Back To The Beach, NPPL Event #1, 2004

        The NPPL found a way to top last years incredible season opener, as the organization and its members catered more to the players, making it an event to be remember and emulated.  Thursday the sun broke through the early morning overcast sky, to illuminate what was a beach littered with astro turf and sup air fields.  With countless vendors, participants and spectators, the beach was packed all weekend.  With teams like the Far East Dragons and the Ton Ton's, teams came from far and wide to participate in which was an event that lived up to its predecessor.  The new and old participated, with familiar headlining pro teams like Dynasty and the Bushwhackers, and several new pro teams like Arsenal, XSV and the rebuilt Avalanche.  With much changing on the industry side of paintball, new technologies such as David Zinkham's "robot" were developed to combat what seems to be an overwhelming emergence of ramping markers.

        David Zinkham an NPPL staffers debuted his “robot", the machine was created two weeks prior to the event as a way to stop a new form of cheating.  The issueat hand is how to detect and eliminate players who use guns that fire more times than the trigger is pulled.  Well four thousand dollars later, we have, the "robot".  With  three stage chrono graph, an 8,000 rpm paddle, pvc gun stand and numerous computer hook up's, its an intimidating sight for the player in question.  The robot uses  paddle to pull the trigger x number of times, the end result is a way to detect how many shots the gun will actually fire per pull.  The computer monitors how many times the gun fires, and the speed at which is does.  While David declined to comment on the meeting and tests which took place Friday night, an outside source said that Dye's new DM4 had the biggest problems with ramping. 

        Friday's games started under a gray sky, which didn’t last long as the heat from the playing fields seemed to burn off the clouds.  Morning games were filled with an amazing amount of intensity despite the glum weather.  An incredible amount of smart paintball was played, which was a trend that carried throughout the tournament.  With 168 teams there was no point in time were spectators wouldn’t have a game to watch, as people gathered on the pier and in the grandstands and along the beach to watch.  With the same stride, referees and field crews were taxed to run so many games, but did so beautifully not missing a beat.  While they did keep the games moving, many players didn’t feel they did such a great job judging.  Several players displayed there disappointment with the judging, like Mark Banicma of Team Mavericks who felt that it "wasn’t fair to play celebrity teams" because of the special treatment he felt they receive.  Others felt they just plain and simple got bad call's, which is a problem that’s been apparent for a long time, but the aspect of celebrities is a new development, and exclusive to the NPPL at this point.
       
        The NPPL has found new ways to attract new fan's and attract new participants in the sport by using attractions, such as the Stoned Assassins.  While the Assassins have stepped it up, almost making finals this event, they are still looked upon as a novelty act.  On Sunday an exhibition game between the Stoned Assassins and Linkin Park was held, the games were fast, as Linkin Park fell ever so quickly to the more experienced Stoned Assassins.  Along with using such a public venue, Chuck Hendsch and the NPPL have revolutionized the way paintball is seen to those who don’t live in our self contained universe. Aside from celebrities, professional paintball kept the main focus, and with new teams on the circuit it was one of the best events ever held in the opinion of most who attended. 

        With a new roster Dynasty seemed to shoot its way into finals easily, even with Opie Loughran sitting the event and SK subbing in for the Ton Ton's.  Matching their pace point for point was Joy Division going into finals with the same score.  Following them closely were the Naughty Dogs, and some new threats to the crown.  Brimstone Smoke, now featuring Rocky Cagnoni, made the jump from 10 man Am PSP to a powerhouse S7 team going in fifth seed.  WDP's new pro team Arsenal with Marcus Nielson and JC Whittington, went in sixth, followed by the still powerful Ton Ton Flingueur's, the revamped Avalanche.  Following them Nexus, Redz, Whackers, and Brass Eagle fell into line.  XSV, a break away from the LA Ironmen, piloted by Rich Telford, Matty Marshal and Micah Michlaughn, missed the cut in there debut along with Bad Company.