• Had a nice long talk with Machine Paintball’s Mike Spurlock over the weekend, and during the course of our conversation, he showed me some top-secret prototypes (Jimmy will kill me if I say anything), discussed some designs for future release, and I think I accidentally got to see Ashley and I’s guns. They’re….yummy.
• Meanwhile, Valken is looking to up their support of qualified scenario teams to Pro level: http://thefordreport.com/2012/02/valken-to-offer-its-first-pro-level-scenario-team-sponsorship/
• If for some reason you missed “Galaxy Wars” , you can still get your dose of intense Deep South Paintball at Old River February 25^th and 26^th at “4 Real 2”: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/sbp-scenarios-and-greg-hastings-tour-of-duty-present-4-real-2/
• Bob “The Saucy Aussie” Cartwright has some paintball guns he’s trying to sell…he’s got a DM12, an NT11, and a very rare Red Zombie NT 11. The pricing is enough to make me blush if I mention it, so drop me a line at dale@thefordreport.com for pictures and pricing!
• Rick Chard dropped by with this: “Due to the response of the free class incentive, for pre-registering to the 2012 Paintball Extravaganza International, it has been decided to extend the opportunity through Tuesday, February 8. For every business registration completed, you will have the opportunity to receive 2 free classes. See website for more details. Don’t forget to check out the tours that are available while registering for the event. Bring your spouse and stay a couple extra days and enjoy the Nation’s Capitol.”
• If you’re playing the entire NPPL season this year, save $3000 by pre-paying for the entire season’s entry! Hit up Valerie@nppl.com and save some money.
• …which means that registration for Huntington Beach is open right now!
• The PSP is having ref certification clinics in both Indiana and South Carolina.
• MacDev has signed on to sponsor San Francisco Explicit.
• Marc from Planet Eclipse wanted me to see the Etha shoot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_I1cab8rzA
• …little did he know that I saw, held, and shot one right after World Cup! Can’t wait to review one…
• Hell Survivors said “Hell No” to oil filled paintballs: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/hell-survivors-paintball-field-owner-says-no-to-oil-filled-paintballs/
• Empire steps up to sponsor Upton 187 Crew.
• Nikos Kostakos won the RAP4 2012 Best Paintball Photo contest.
• RAP 4 also has a new internal Flexi-Air system available now to make your gear as close to real steel as possible.
• Tippmann is having a Pre-Registration contest for Living Legends V. Sign up for Living Legends and you get a chance to win a TPX or Phenom. Sign up here: http://www.cpxsports.com/static.asp?path=68
• Big things are going on in Canada: http://thecppl.com/2012/details.htm
• Kreisman dropped by with this tidbit: “Empire Paintball is pleased to announce that they will be providing ULTRA EVIL paint for all of Paintball Asylum’s 3 MSXL hosted events, including the Season Opener and the Championship Event, during the 2012 season.”
• While he was here intimidating the Death Kitties, he made mention of the 2012 Empire Contact gear, which is available now!
• Over in Europe, the Millenium Series has a trailer for the 2012 season: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7joX6qCAmk&feature=player_embedded
• Up in New York, Barno posted up on Facebook about a 3 man Advanced and Beginner tournament at NVP Paintball February 26^th.
• How ya doing, Brian?
• The Skeletor 262 had a great time at Galaxy Wars: http://thefordreport.com/2012/02/the-skeletor-262s-take-on-galaxy-wars/
• Waverly was Dual Wielding….hell yeah!
• Will from Valken kicked the door in (He’s not a Ninja like Greg) to let me know that Bob Long and his team won the latest UWL using Valken Redemption Pro.
• Sorry about what Bo the Happy Puppy did to your leg, Will… it’ll heal, I promise!
• ProPaintball.Com is reporting on a new paintball gun coming from Avratech: http://www.propaintball.com/2012/01/retro-7-paintball-gun/
• Marcello Margot joins Russian Legion.
• ANS Gear has a price drop on NT 11′s.
• X-Factor picks up Billy Bernacchia.
• Parts are starting to trickle in for the ’01 Honda Civic that McClain Motorsports is building for me. Even though it’s just going to be a little commuter car, I’m anxious to see Houston McClain ‘s progress as he starts putting the car together!

Like so many epidemics before, the loss of so many lives began with a single microscopic organism, its human nature to seek even the smallest comfort in reason or logic in events as catostropic as this, but a virus doesnt choose a time or place. It doesnt hate or even care. It just happens. The mutated virus has spread across the state like a common cold.

There is no stopping it, no cure, no vaccine. Claiming the lives of thousands in the first month. In an attempt to quell the virus, martial law was implemented, Road blocks set up, curfews enforced. The airports, sea ports and borders were closed. Low Country Paintball was placed under quarantine. The people were ordered to stay in their campers, avoid travel, avoid contact. To sit it out and wait for help that did not come.

Come with us on an epic battle to save humanity. LCP will travel across the state preparing for the apocoalypse at hand and removing the plague that is upon it’s land. It all begins on April 14^th 2012 at Low Country Paintball with the Zombies vs Humans battle. When that battle is complete we will travel to Big Indian Paintball in Perry Ga on May 12^th and 13^th 2012 where Clay Walls, Head of the Outlanders will battle Chris Corbit Head of the MSF (Militarized Surviving Force) for food and supplies to sustain their own remaining tribes. This Battle will continue on September 15^th and 16^th in Pavo, Georgia at Blackwater Paintball. Another sudden out break of mutated zombies will find the battle back at Low Country Paintball on October 27^th 2012. All these battles will find their cumulation back at Low Country Paintball on January 26^th and 27^th 2013 for the final Zombie Apocalypse (LCP’s New Years Bash).

Which tribe shall remain in the aftermath and horrors of a mutated Zombie virus?  Which tribe shall become the zombies? Pick your sides, choose your battles, survival is your choice. Sign up for the next big game at www.lcpScenarioGames.com. Join the series that will be like no other!

Kerry “Viper” Rosenberry, producer of the scenario game stated, “We’re excited to be shooting the best again this year at Living Legends 5.  When producing an event of this magnitude, only the finest paint this industry has to offer will do and we have found that with Empire Evil Paintballs with RPS Technology.”

CPX Sports’ Living Legends is globally recognized as one of the sport’s most successful paintball events drawing enthusiasts from all over the world to the Chicagoland area to experience the very best facility and game-play paintball has to offer.  This year marks the 5^th installment of the event and is widely regarded as the must-attend event of 2012.

Paul Dagnino, VP of Sales and Marketing at CPX Sports said, “We’re thrilled to be offering Living Legends players Empire Evil paintballs again in 2012.  We shoot only the best at CPX Sports, whether it’s for practices, tournaments, recreational play, or the industry’s best scenario event and for us that means Empire Paintballs with RPS Technology.”

For more information about Living Legends 5 visit http://www.livinglegendsofpaintball.com

For more information about CPX Sports visit them online at www.cpxsports.com

Connect with Empire Paintball on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the down low.

Empire Paintball is a brand of KEE Action Sports LLC.

Valken has selected the MilSim Paintball League as the competitive venue to offer its pro-level sponsorship. The MilSim Paintball League provides team on team competition that is accessible and affordable to everyone who wants to participate while offering the most exciting competitive format to hit scenario paintball! Teams play in a unique mission style games with multiple objectives where each player on the team has their own role. One of the most exciting features of the format is that every game is a different mission, so teams never play the same game twice!

“The MilSim Paintball League has been working to develop the high level organization necessary to take scenario paintball to the next level of competition and professional sponsorships” says James Brea, the League’s Executive Commissioner.

Will Bourgault, Valken Brand Manager, adds, “Valken is committed to growing and supporting scenario paintball and the MilSim Paintball League offers the opportunity for us to recognize and financially assist scenario players.”

Sponsored Team Support

Valken will be offering a “Competition Team” sponsorship to teams that win at the Regional and National level in the league. Depending on your teams’ level of success, Valken will pay 100% of the league membership fees, 100% of the field entry fees for all events and provide enough paint to compete in the events. “We pay you to play!” Oh, and we’d also like you to win, after all, you’re representing one of the biggest names in paintball – Valken!

Valken Corps Benefits

As an added benefits, any teams that win the sponsorship that are also registered with the Valken Corps, will receive an additional $500 and $1000 vouchers to purchase Valken gear. This is in addition to covering the costs of your membership fees, field fees and paint, just for being a registered member of the Valken Corps.

Qualifying for Sponsorship

The Valken Pro-Level Sponsorships are open to all teams that play in the MilSim Paintball League in the United States. Whether you’re a newly formed team or have been around for years, if you win a championship, you win the Valken pro-level sponsorship.

To find out more about how to get in on the action, visit www.milsimleague.com

If you’re not already a part of the Valken Corps, you can also sign up for a free at the MilSim Paintball League website to start enjoying the exclusive benefits offered to Valken Corps members. And if you want to play but don’t have a team, fill out the Recruiting Form on the league website to get placed with a local team looking for players

In a bold statement for the vital safety for our industry, Field Operations pioneer Dave Massey has denounced the use of Oil-Filled paintballs at his legendary Hell Survivors^® Michigan Playfield, the world’s longest running paintball operation. Massey states, “Most of the major paint brands out there now use OIL in the fill to cut their costs to reduce prices. This seems to be a blatant disregard for our environment, which represents a potential threat to the survival of our beloved game. These oil ingredients pose a major concern to our business and our entire industry, and it has to stop!”

The oily fills have some hazardous disadvantages:

• Oil makes it hard to clean goggles, which can lead to “hit” players lifting their masks to see where they are walking after being shot in the lens!
• Field Operators report that over weeks or months, the oily residues are turning into disgusting BLACK FUNGUS and mold growth on trees, props, buildings and bunkers.
• Fungus & Mold exposure can lead to serious allergic bio-reactions in people and animals.

After a quarter century as a successful field operator and retailer, Dave Massey has presented his business ideas at many seminars and industry conferences for Field Operators. “Of course, we all want to keep our paintball costs as low as possible, but enough is enough!” claims the outspoken Massey. “In recent years, wholesale paint prices went so low that EVERY major manufacturer literally went bankrupt! How much more evidence do we need that dirt-cheap prices have gone way too far? It is up to us business operators to try and stop this!”

Now, with paintball manufacturers merging or coming back with new names and Chinese sourcing, their efforts to keep selling at bankruptcy prices by using dangerous oil fills could severely punish us all if environmental whistle-blowers get upset, or worse, if accidents or illnesses related to these oil residues become publicized. Every day, Dave Massey is joined by more responsible Paintball entrepreneurs and players. His passionate plea is simple: “I urge every Field Operator and Retailer to insist on pure formulas with NO OIL from your supplier. If they won’t guarantee it, then call the staff at the new PROCAPS, makers of DXS EcoFill^TM and original PEG formula paintballs, the best environmentally sound paintballs that I could find.”

Hell Survivors^® and Exotic Sportz^® are registered trademarks of Global Franchise Development Corp., Pinckney, Michigan. Procaps^®, DXS^®, DraXxuS^® and EcoFill^TM are trade names of G.I. Sportz, Inc.^®, Ville St. Laurent, (Montreal) QC.

Timeline: February 25,26 2012

It’s been over a year since the humans crash landed on the Skaarg home planet. After endless battles and losing warriors on both sides, the humans have finally set up
a suitable stronghold. Under the command of their new leader “Captain Rico” (Rick Fernandez of Top Gun Productions), the humans have refreshed their goal of trying to get
off the planet successfully. Unfortunately, standing in the way are the Skaarg alien force. Headed by their recently appointed general, “The Gwaltinator” (Jeff Gwaltney of the SE IYAOYAS).

After losing his family and his alien force weakened in the struggle with the humans over the previous year, The Gwaltinator and his newly appointed forces have no intention of letting the humans leave his planet without exacting his revenge.

Much to the dismay of The Gwaltinator, a ship was seen by Skaarg scouts flying over the camp and landing a few miles from their village. At the same time the human scouts report the good news
to Capt. Rico.

And so it begins! Which force will track where the ship has landed and reach it first? A will those who occupy the ship be friend or foe? Choose your side wisely. Will the humans get to go home or will the Skaarg get
their revenge? Join us for this action packed game. Elite missions and special effects included!

• Apparently people are getting REALLY excited about Galaxy Wars this weekend: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/darth-skeletor/
• Valken and Viper team up: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/viper-paintball-and-valken-sports-join-forces/
• Meanwhile, NPPL Pro Team St. Louis Avalanche is now New England Avalanche: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/st-louis-avalanche-becomes-new-england-avalanche/
• Speaking of Pro Teams, San Antonio X Factor and Valken team up for the 2012 season: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/pro-paintball-team-san-antonio-x-factor-signs-with-valken-sports-for-2012
• Paintball Extravaganza 2012 has released their exibitors list: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/exibitor-list-for-paintball-extravaganza-2012/
• Meanwhile, the game this weekend at LCP is pretty simple…Good vs. Evil: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/galaxy-wars-good-and-evil/
• I’m told that after the photo shoot, Georgia Joe and Ashley were in his yard lightsaber fighting…
• In more Pro news, Empire wants to sponsor you like a Pro: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/empires-get-sponsored-like-a-pro-program/
• The always charming and noteworthy Craig Miller dropped me a line. Check it out here: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/procaps-paintball-now-open-under-old-management/
• Insiders at ProCaps tell me that they’ve been going bat poo-poo insane getting everything sorted out to get back open. Transitions are always a pain in the butt…trust me, I know!
• The NPPL has released their field layout for HB.
• So has The RPL!
• Blue dropped by, and pleasantly surprised me by NOT kicking my door in: “EMR is looking for Commanders for both our WESTERN WARS game and QUEST for the Holy Grail game and leaders for the defense of the PUMP ONLY CASTLE CONQUEST and the Fall CASTLE CONQUEST. If interested contact Blue@BluesCrewTV.com . Kick off your season at EMR’s March Meltdown, a 7 hour scenario “DOCTOR WHO:FIGHT FOR EARTH” produced by Tyler “TYGUR” Gurdak of team Dogs of War. James “MUNKY” Bamert of Team Blue’s Crew will be Doctor Who and command the good forces against Matt Delhauer of Team Zombie Defense Force who will command the Dalek Forces who are bent on ruling the universe and eliminating all other races. For more information, check it out at www.EMRPAINTBALL.com .”
• Go Bounty Hunting at Galaxy Wars next weekend! For $25 put out a bounty on whoever you want, and a group of Bounty Hunters will go out and hunt them down! If you’re being hunted, pay $30 to send the Bounty Hunters away! All proceeds to go to charity. Sign up today for Galaxy Wars at http://www.pbnewyearbash.com !
• Frank “Da Tank” Connell has already had a bounty put on his head by Rico Fernandez, and rather than having Bounty Hunters shoot them up, they’ll go out on the speedball field at LCP and shoot each other up. I got my people in Vegas trying to get the line on the fight…
• The PSP is a little concerned that hotels for Galveston are filling up, so they’ve found some more hotel deals…
• The Maltese Militia has released their 2012 Prize Package: http://thefordreport.com/2012/01/the-maltese-militia-announces-our-2012-custom-prize-package/
• TechPB’s Mike Phillips is heading to Canada later this year to command a side in Viper’s “Canadian Carnage” event.
• This came on the heels of TechPB announcing that they’re sponsoring LL5 this year. Mike’s staying busy!
• Konstantin Federov has left Russian Legion.
• ProPaintball.Com reports on rumors of a new pro team out there, Chicago Heat.
• RAP4 announces their “Weapon of the Week” promotion, where they have a special on a package deal every week.
• Pre-Registration for Living Legends 5 is now live.
• My Sainted Father will be celebrating his birthday tomorrow…Happy Birthday Dad!
• “Madam Director” and I will be leaving our Valdosta, GA area residence after work tomorrow night, so it’ll be fairly late before we arrive on-site. Even though we’ve both been working our tails off all week, I got a feeling we’ll both be absolutely WIRED for this weekend. GOTTA find a local field to play at so we don’t get so wound up….