Pop In, part III

Pop In, part II

Pop In, part I

Pro Paintball Exclusive Rumor–Arsenal drops out of NPPL?

Major news unfolding about East-Coast powerhouse NPPL pro-squad, DC Arsenal. UPDATE ADDED 5:08 PM PST

ProPaintball insider sources are reporting that Tom Fore (or, as our affectionate chat box users call him, T4), has made the decision to forego the upcoming NPPL Huntington Beach. Critical members of the team are reported to have received notice of this news today, just one week prior to the event. An unforeseen move for a team that previously competed for the series championship–does this spell the end for the team, or simply this event? More to follow as this story unfolds.

UPDATE: The Portland Naughty Dogs are rumored to be retaining the spot, and will compete in the NPPL HB Open in Arsenal’s pro-spot.

To contact the reporter on this story: Blake in Rumorville at news-feed@propaintball.com.

Pro Paintball team Infamous picks one up from Dynasty

Los Angeles Infamous, home to several former Ironmen and Aftermath pro paintball players, have announced that another top pro player has joined the team. Read on for the latest paintball news.

Rumors circulated throughout the weekend that San Diego Dynasty’s very own Justin Schwarz would be leaving the team. Pro Paintball insiders informed us that Justin did not show up for practice this weekend and reports indicated that he had already found another home. Confirmation arrived this morning that LA Infamous has officially signed the former Dynasty player for the remainder of the season. Justin Schwarz previously played as a “dorito attacker” with NXL team San Diego Legacy and later joined Triple Crown Champions, San Diego Dynasty. Sources indicate that Mr. Schwarz will continue running the dorrito side with his new team, LA Infamous.

Pro Paintball’s Brandon Mason caught up with the Captain of LA Infamous, Travis Lemanski, who had this to say;

Justin is a phenomenal player who has proven his worth time and time again. We think he will be a great fit on Infamous and be the perfect fit to our style of play.

Eric Crandall, San Diego Dynasty’s team manager added;

San Diego Dynasty and Justin Schwarz have decided to part ways. Justin has been a valuable member of the team, and a great contributor to the teams success over the past few years. We wish Justin the best in his future pursuits.

This story was sponsored by NXe Paintball. Be sure to check out the NXe elevation series paintball harnesses systems, the most comfortable pack on the market. If your a Dynasty fan, you won’t want to miss Alex Fraige’s custom Fraige edition paintball harness.

Photo Credit:
Dynasty/Justin Schwarz “victory” photo shot by Matt Dawson.
Justin Schwarz “mugshot” photo shot by JT Sports.

To contact the reporter on this story: Justin in Los Angeles at justin@propaintball.com.

Partida en el campo Paranoia Paintball Fañabe Tenerife 2009, Achinech vs Paranoia.

College Nationals 2010 Layout

The 2010 National Championships will be held April 9-11, 2010 at Central Florida Paintball in Lakeland, FL. Pro paintball will be present at this event, make sure you find us and say hello. Check out the layout and be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gilbert in Halifax, NS at gilbert@propaintball.com.

"Masked Ball" Jocelyn Pook-Flood

This afternoon against my better judgement I took a stroll down to MoMA simply because I haven't been there in quite some time. I despise going on the weekends because it is crowded and there are always bratty kids running around and tons of Eurotrash tourists practicing their own art which they are quite adept at, getting in the way and being rude. It never ceases to amaze me how terrible it is on the weekends and how rude people are, standing in front of you, talking on the phone, taking pictures with huge Hubble Space Telescope-like lenses and flashes...

But this afternoon it was different, all the above was there but I was presently surprised at the performance art in the main space, a work by Marina Abramovic. Marina is widely known as one of the founders of the genre and some of her past expositions involved her putting herself into a coma and Rhythm 0, from Wikipedia:

Abramović had placed upon a table 72 objects that people were allowed to use (a sign informed them) in any way that they chose. Some of these were objects that could give pleasure, while others could be wielded to inflict pain, or to harm her. Among them were scissors, a knife, a whip, and, most notoriously, a gun and a single bullet. For six hours the artist allowed the audience members to manipulate her body and actions. “The experience I learned was that…if you leave decision to the public, you can be killed.” ... “I felt really violated: they cut my clothes, stuck rose thorns in my stomach, one person aimed the gun at my head, and another took it away. It created an aggressive atmosphere. After exactly 6 hours, as planned, I stood up and started walking toward the public. Everyone ran away, escaping an actual confrontation.

This time around she is sitting at a table staring, she is there from the time the museum opens until closing and she remains basically motionless the entire time. Anyone can sit down and stare back at her if they chose so. When one gets up to leave she lowers her head until the next person assumes the seat and she looks up, the blinking of her eyes the only movement.

While all this is going on there is music in the background, I am not sure if it is Jocelyn Pook but the eeriness of the sounds and the circumstances reminds me of one of her most popular songs which was used in a popular film released years ago. I won't mention the film, in doing so I would change your opinion of what you are reading here and the work described above. Nonetheless the scene in that film is just as creepy and unsettling as what I witnessed today, I couldn't imagine how strange it would be to be there when the museum was basically empty, but I plan to find out this week early in the morning on a weekday.

As for this song Miss Pook took a fragment of an Orthodox Liturgy and played it backwards, then added Romanian chants over it on another track. The feeling derived from it is unique to say the least. It is walking into a pitch black room and hearing a noise, its someone dressed up as Hitler with a clown mask on watering the lawn or a baby talking with a man's voice. You don't know what it is exactly but something just doesn't make sense. Musicians have been doing this for years, check out Arvo Part or Stockhausen, arranging music in a way totally foreign to our ears, especially for Americans.

That is the reason why Indian or Asian music is so strange, it runs on a different meter, tonal scale and tempo. Whether it is Blues, Rock, Soul, Reggae...whatever they all fit into a very small spectrum of music, music we have heard since birth. Like Abramovic's performance today, Pooks work steps outside the realm of the everyday, out of the banal and into a world most people are not familiar with. Whether you think it is over intellectual bullshit or the Mona Lisa and Symphony No. 5 of the modern world you can't argue that it hits something somewhere and some place you have never been touched.

Often I take flak from people in regards to my musical tastes and knowledge because in appearance I stick to a limited catalogue of genres and schools. They say that I should open up my experiences and dive into others, meaning: I should listen to the music they like. Then when I ask them about Pook or Stockhausen they give me that look like the dog does when it catches you and your other half in between the sheets. Come back and explain to me the Spatialization and Electroacoustic theories of music and maybe I'll start giving Pink a little more time on my iPod, though probably not because she is shit.

Avalanche 2010 Pro Paintball Roster

This year, pro paintball team St. Louis Avalanche has several returning players. They will be rocking Planet Eclipse markers with prophecy paintball loaders, empire goggles and jerseys, guerilla air tanks, NXE Paintball harness and NXE elevation series paintball pants, GXG Pods, and Violent triggers. They will be playing in the NPPL pro paintball 7 man series, check out their roster:

Frank Connell
Drew Templeton
Ian Martin
Brandon Mayo
Billy Bernachia
Thomas Mantoni
Glen Takemoto

Drew Templeton of pro paintball team Avalanche shared a few words with ProPaintball’s very own Brandon Mason:

We’re excited to have Glen and Brandon back on board with Avalanche.
HB should be a lot of fun and we are excited to get out there and see
what we can do. Big thanks to Kee and Eclipse for sponsoring us this
year as well!

Avalanche’s 2010 roster is packed with several top pro paintball players. We can only anticipate that the team will have an exceptionally strong 2010 paintball season. Best of luck guys!

To contact the reporter on this story: Brandon Mason in Los Angeles at Brandon@ProPaintball.com.

NPPL Registration Closes at Midnight Tonight

Those of you who are planning on competing in the NPPL HB 2010 event, there are exactly two weeks until paintball players take to one of the best beaches in the world. Registration closes tonight at Midnight, be sure to register your team so that you can play paintball and spend your spring break on the beach with all the hot babes!The NPPL had the following to say;

NPPL Huntington Beach Team Registration Closes At Midnight Tonight!

Attention all paintballers! The registration deadline for the 2010 NPPL Huntington Beach Surf City Open is today! Team registration officially close at 11:59pm tonight, so don’t delay if you haven’t signed up for the premier paintball tournament of the year.

All teams that register by tonight get their name listed on the official HB t-shirt, plus you can save $20.00 on ID cards by purchasing them before midnight instead of waiting to pay the day of the event.

What can you expect at the Surf City Open?

• 14 Pro Teams To Cheer For
• Huge Vendor Area
• Free LIVE Webcast Hosted by Nicky T
• Three Days of Endless Spring Break Paintball Partying
• On-site Team Photographers
• Heaven Comes Back to the VIP Area (Tickets Now Available)
• Thousands of Dollars in Free Giveaways

There are very few remaining spots in each division left and all teams are encouraged to complete their registration ASAP before it is too late. Nearby hotels are also filling up quickly, so please make your accommodations right away.

For more information, please see NPPL.com.

To contact the reporter on this story: Blake in Rumorville at news-feed@propaintball.com.

Rumor of the day: PSP to listen to player input on paintball field layouts

Pro Paintball insiders have informed us that the Paintball Sports Promotions is considering changes to the field layouts for the remainder of the season. Word is that the PSP will be leaving it up to the teams as to what/if any changes are to take place.

Does this mean that the PSP will start releasing field layouts ahead of schedule? Will they be releasing the layouts alongside a poll, similar to what the WCPPL (a PSP affiliate) has done in the past? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

To contact the reporter on this story: Justin in Los Angeles at justin@propaintball.com.

WCPPL Race-2 Event 2 Paintball Field Layout

You’ve seen the photos, the slide shows, and heard the stories, and bet on the winners, and you know the WCPPL is a paintball event series you do NOT want to miss. With that being said, Mike Hinman and the WCPPL have released the layout for Event #2, to be held at SC Village in Corona California May 15th & 16th. Be sure to print out a copy of the field layout and share it with your team and local paintball park so that you can start practicing.

Read more for a few 3-D views of the WCPPL Event #2 layout.

To contact the reporter on this story: Justin in Los Angeles at justin@propaintball.com.

Splat Magazine #21 – Justin Mason Interview

Splat magazine is starting to become one of my favored online publications. They are on their 21st publication and going strong. In this issue, you will find an interview with pro paintball’s very own, Justin Mason. Justin is one of the hardest workers I’ve met. He spends his day banging phones and typing emails, trying to get the latest scoop, all while working a day job. Oh and ladies, I’m sorry, but he’s not available.

Check out the latest issue of SplatMagazine or jump straight to the pro paintball interview here. I’m pretty sure this is the first interview ProPaintball has given and this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about how PPB started and where we are going next.

Special thanks to all the staff at SplatMagazine.com!

To contact the reporter on this story: Gilbert in Halifax, NS at gilbert@propaintball.com.

ProPaintball.com Player of the Week: Sinan Cinaroglu

The South Eastern region is a hub that has played host to many pro paintball players who have risen to the top competitive level. This week’s spotlight goes to Sinan Cinaroglu of the Palm Beach Vipers. Team owner Ken Bryson has had numerous individuals pass through his camp over the years, but Sinan is an individual who has more than earned his keep, and stayed humble all along the way.

Name: Sinan Andrew Cinaroglu

Age: 18

Hometown: Miami, FL

Any hobbies other than paintball:
I spend a lot of my time in the gym, trying to stay in the best shape I can be. Traveling has always been a major part of my life. I love going to new places and experiencing new things. There is really nothing better.

Team & Homefield:
Palm Beach Vipers/ Central Florida Paintball out of Lakeland, FL and Hotshots Paintball out of West Palm Beach, FL.

Position you play:
Insert to both sides of the field, and up center.

Favorite Pro team:
Russian Legion, Ironmen

Favorite Pro players:
Konstantin Fedorov, Josh Davey, Alex Goldman, Oliver Lang

Favorite tournament accomplishment:
PSP Chicago Open 2009 (2nd place, Division 1)

Advice to any new players:
The only limit you have is the one you set on your self. Commitment and hard work will always pay off in the end. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for any advice or help. I’d like to think any experienced player would be more than happy to help out when they can.

Mentors:
I was always fortunate enough to be surrounded by raw talent coming up in the game. Having the opportunity to play with Team Spraypaint set me on the track I wanted to head into. I couldn’t thank those guys enough. They helped me gain so much in such a short period of time. After the team took a plunge in the early 2008 due to the economy, I found myself trying out for the Palm Beach Vipers. Ken Bryson and the Palm Beach Vipers have given me more than I could ever ask for, and have made a profound impact on my life. Ken has always inspired me to be more than I am. I’ve learned so much from him in the past three years and it has truly shaped me into a completely different person. I plan to always abide to the lessons I’ve learned from him throughout my life. Also, a special thanks to Mom and Dad.

How is paintball different in Florida:
Florida paintball has been underrated to the amount of potential and business opportunity it has. Paintball in the southern tip of Florida is not what it use to be due to the economy and financial standard to operating a business down here now and days. Ken and I have recently had the opportunity to sit down and discuss the future of tournament paintball in southern Florida and hope to soon revise the sport and promote it back to what it use to be.

Briefly tell us about your team, the Palm Beach Vipers:
Palm Beach is the largest organization in the game to this day. We have always been the one to give people the opportunity to play and have a team. As a part of the Viper organization, you come to realize that this is more than just becoming a successful paintball team but to give young kids the opportunity to gain some direction in the lives and keep them from doing things that will effect there lives in every wrong way. Ken has always treated everyone of his players like his own. He does everything humanly possibly to make sure that he leads by example and has some positive influence on the people around him. The team consist of nothing but hard work, and dedication.

Goals for this season:
Hope to have the opportunity to play for first throughout this season and promote the sport by expanding our organization and giving others the opportunity to be apart of the team in areas needed.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brandon Mason in Los Angeles at Brandon@ProPaintball.com.

WCPPL Oceanside 2010 Event #1 Gallery

The West Coast Paintball Players League is off to another great season. Event #1, finished a few weeks ago at Camp Pendleton Paintball Park has been another tremendous success. Teams competed for a huge cash prize on AstroTurf, fresh bunkers provided by PSP and judging by PSP semi pro paintball team Aftermath. Mike and Jessica Hinman did a fantastic job at this event and all the players we spoke with were extremely impressed with the way the West Coast Paintball Players League is being run. Find your event photographs or simply check out what you missed in the photo gallery provided by Robert Abitia of KeepItSquare.com below.

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To contact the reporter on this story: Gilbert in Halifax, NS at gilbert@propaintball.com.