Chicago PSP Thursday Announcement – Must Read/Watch

The PSP’s Chicago Open is off to a rough start this year. The Chicago area is currently experiencing a severe storm and water has flooded out several of the fields. Read on for an official update from the PSP’s Camille Lemanski as well as two photos from our friends on location.

Update: Tyler Harmon of Sacramento XSV shares some video footage of the storm in action. Check out the lack of visibility!

Updated: Video from Tyler Harmon of Pro Paintball team Sacramento XSV

Urgent Update Regarding Chicago PSP

Please read entire message

After several days of severe thunderstorms pounding the greater Chicago area, the venue for the 2010 PSP Chicago Open has been greatly compromised. Late this afternoon, the mother of all storms came through and has left the site in a dire state. We will now need to perform much needed construction tomorrow to get the fields up and operating. Our plan before this last storm hit was to start 2 hours late tomorrow (first game at 10:00 am instead of 8:00 am). At this time, 10:00 am is the earliest that the first game will be played, but it could very well be later than that.

We are aware that hundreds of flights into Chicago have been cancelled. We will notify teams of their game times throughout the day through text messaging. We will be updating the website as often as possible with game times for friends and family to follow.

This intense rain has obviously created severe flooding and has turned the grass into mud in many areas. We will need your absolute cooperation in assisting us by obeying parking policies (1 car per team allowed in the venue, additional cars park for free next door at Balmoral Park and utilize the free shuttle services we will be providing). Do not try to drive up on grass areas without instruction from staff as you will get stuck and cause further delays with the event.

Teams are not allowed to walk fields thursday, as that would impede our crew’s progress in getting the event up and running. Attempting to walk the fields will further delay the event and anyone on the fields without permission will face disqualification.

We appreciate your understanding that our crew has been working 15-hour days in severe thunderstorms to provide you with the PSP experience you have come to expect. We need your cooperation in making sure we can all have a great event this weekend and thank you for your patience!

–END Message–

Photos were sent from one of our friends late Wednesday afternoon, prior to the latest storm hitting the area. One of the corners of the field is sunk in mud and what appears to be ruts from a tractor.

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