Madness.

It’s a trend I see more and more – people using a robust, easily modified CMS to power their online experience. I use WordPress for just about everything I do online – my blog, my companie websites, etc.

The only exception to this is the forums I run at http://www.paintball.net.nz – where we are using vBulletin – but again that is another robust CMS system.

And Stick will be Captain. It will be awesome.

We started in 2005 (not long ago I realise) to play the first season of the AXL in Australia. It was a lot of fun – we pulled the best players from around New Zealand together and kicked ass for 12 months across 4 events.  We learnt a hell of a lot both as players, organisers and life in general in those trips across the Tasman – but mainly that X-Ball rocked and we were good at it.  That and the fact that some were determined to stop a Kiwi team from winning events in Australia at all costs.

So with ending the team, and erasing the presence from the online world I feel at a lost. I shouldn’t really – I haven’t had a chance to play competitve paintball since I took over running/owning TAG Paintball here in Wellington (so almost 18 months now) – but I do. The fact that some of my old team mates are still playing/just started again (you bastards know who you are) does smack of salt in a wound.  Add to the fact that I actually managed to play in the Open Day we ran a month ago – and the itch is back.

Frustration city.

So here’s the plan. I give myself six months to get the field well and truely sorted out – and then I ease myself back into some local events with a view to play 2011 properly. Sound good/fair?  I think so – heck I can probably use those 6 months to convince the wife that I should be allowed to. So if any of you clowns want in taking into consideration the timeframe specified – you know where I am.

Hell I’ve even got a new team name sorted

It’s not something I’ve had a great deal of chance to do in the last 14 months or so – since Tania and I took over TAG Paintball here in Wellington.  Sure I’ve run hundreds upon hundreds of games – seen a few thousand people through the field having fun and getting the rush you feel when you try and shoot someone with a paintball gun … but I personally had not been out on the field as a player.

I  had not realised how much I missed it.

It was a blast.  There weren’t many of us out there, but for a couple of hours we played the game the way it is suppose to be.  We stalked each other in the bush, on the speedball field, laughed, joked, gave each other shit and had good old-fashioned fun.  And I sit here with the same feeling of wondering when I’ll next get out onto the field.

I think it is something, as a field operator, that I need to do more often.  To remember why it is that I do this – to bring it back to the basics – the inner kid of running through the bush with your mates, with the adrenaline pumping – waiting for the thrill of the 10 second call to hit me again.

I can’t wait.

I am a paintball player – and this moment, right here, is my life

– Matt Marshall, Sunday Drivers

Well that appears to be working – and we’re posting some fantastic growth figures (albeit off of a base that wasn’t ‘woohoo’ material to start with.  Hell next week alone we’ve got 400 people booked in across the 7 days to come and play paintball with us at TAG.

And that’s good numbers on a New Zealand standard.

So we’ve decided to mix it up a little, and next year we will be exibiting at the Armageddon Expo in Wellington.  It should be a bit of a laugh – we’re looking forward to it a lot – and the ideas of what we can do with our stand are flowing thick and fast.

I’ll try and post up a couple of times about what we’re doing in that space – but we’ve only got around 4 months to get it finalised.  The show is April 2/4 2010 – so book sometime out and see what’s happening.

Finally.

Ive been a huge fan of his work – not that there has been huge amounts of it to date – since I can remember. Patrick has single handedly introduced countless people into the stories behind paintball – and not just a focus on the game of paintball.

Hes featuring a whole bunch of new players this time – Angel Ryan from Dynasty, Tyler Humphrey (Aloha Tyler), Konstantine Federov, Brian Fow – and a host of other top class players. I cant freaking wait for it to ship (Ive got 10 or so copies coming, so drop me a message if you want a copy or something).

Trailer below for your viewing pleasure.

Not a big deal by any stretch of the imagination – but part of the plan for the business moving forward.

What we save on CC merchant fees as a member isn’t to be sniffed at either Whole bunch of benefits to be honest.