Bucket LIst: SuperGame OREGON
There are a handful of paintball games that have reached legendary status for a reason. Some, like D-Day and Castle Conquest, have peaked and/or reached their sunsets. And that's okay. And some, like Fulda Gap and Living Legends, are still roaring. One of the games that still has a fire to it is the original SuperGame---SuperGame Oregon. For me, it's a bucket list game, and a must attend for anyone who loves big games on the West Coast.
Having moved to Colorado recently, it was finally close enough that I didn't have to worry about the time commitment in travel. Knowing one of the generals made deciding which team I would be on made that an easy decision, and after some debate, I knew what I would be shooting. So I packed my gear, hopped on a plane, and flew out to the Pacific Northwest.
Having moved to Colorado recently, it was finally close enough that I didn't have to worry about the time commitment in travel. Knowing one of the generals made deciding which team I would be on made that an easy decision, and after some debate, I knew what I would be shooting. So I packed my gear, hopped on a plane, and flew out to the Pacific Northwest.
Sometimes, the stereotype fits
Looking at weather forecasts for the trip, rain was almost guaranteed. And sure enough, when I landed, it was already very wet out on Thursday in Portland. Thankfully, the rain would mostly stop by nightfall, and I was able to drive in and wander around camp. I'll be getting back to that rain shortly.
The event takes place at a field called Sniperz Den Paintball. The place is a bit unique, in that it's surrounded by wineries and is actually on a functioning and thriving hazelnut farm. There are trees everywhere in the camping and parking areas, literally about twelve feet apart in rows by the hundreds. The nuts that the farm produces go to the largest candy makers in the country, and are rightfully protected. It's definitely a bit of a sight for those who haven't been there before, and actually somewhat organizes the camping. It also has a giant open area for the vendors, where I was set up for the entirety of the weekend.
Looking at weather forecasts for the trip, rain was almost guaranteed. And sure enough, when I landed, it was already very wet out on Thursday in Portland. Thankfully, the rain would mostly stop by nightfall, and I was able to drive in and wander around camp. I'll be getting back to that rain shortly.
The event takes place at a field called Sniperz Den Paintball. The place is a bit unique, in that it's surrounded by wineries and is actually on a functioning and thriving hazelnut farm. There are trees everywhere in the camping and parking areas, literally about twelve feet apart in rows by the hundreds. The nuts that the farm produces go to the largest candy makers in the country, and are rightfully protected. It's definitely a bit of a sight for those who haven't been there before, and actually somewhat organizes the camping. It also has a giant open area for the vendors, where I was set up for the entirety of the weekend.
I got there Thursday night and came in Friday morning, only to see some of my favorite people in the sport. Tim Firpo of Paintball Tek, one of the best paintball techs in the world, was there working for Planet Eclipse, fixing markers all weekend long for any and all Planet markers. He has been a friend for years (do not let that he's a friend take anything away from what I'm saying as a tech---he's GREAT at it).
That morning also saw most of the guys from the Autococker World tent arrive. It was the home of quite literally most of the best autococker customizers in paintball today. Jason Antle of Angry Paintball was showing off his glorious Peckerwood, along with several other pieces. DocFire of DocFire Paintball was there representing Shocktech. Ryan Jameison of RKJ Paintball had his custom cockers there. Dan Vezzinni of Killshot Kustoms had several of his custom markers for sale as well. Brandon McCall of BMC Fabrication, one of the most prolific barrel freakers working today, and maker of tank removal tools and customs parts was there. Mark Davis, who has been in the industry for decades and is behind the Mark series of cockers and does hands-down the very best custom engraving in paintball, had several examples of his work. And Jake Berenyi of Bearded Works also called this tent home. This was an absolute murders row in the cocker world, and where I would stage for most of the weekend (along with Mr Firpo's repair tent and directly next to it with my buddy Wade).
There were several other vendors, sporting their wares in this main pavilion. There was Super Staunchy Customs, GI Sportz, PaintballDNA (who brought some incredible logo wall lights, loaders, and gun stands lit up with LED backlighting) and a couple of local paintball shops, along with food vendors. It was a good area to hang out and get almost anything paintball related that you could want.
There were several other vendors, sporting their wares in this main pavilion. There was Super Staunchy Customs, GI Sportz, PaintballDNA (who brought some incredible logo wall lights, loaders, and gun stands lit up with LED backlighting) and a couple of local paintball shops, along with food vendors. It was a good area to hang out and get almost anything paintball related that you could want.
Game Time
Friday kicked off the games for the weekend. There was a magfed game (note: I do not play magfed---had a marker, couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, and sold it), and then the Spoils of War. The Spoils of War was a smaller game that only went a couple of hours on Friday afternoon, and I definitely played in it. It was a fun way to kick off the weekend.
The Thursday rain had made the field a little muddy, but very playable as of Friday. Each side had what I would guess as maybe a couple hundred people at that point, and we were all fighting to take a central base style building in the DMZ where a flag was housed. Yellow, the Renegades Generaled by Joe Perez of the XIII Legionnares, at that point were playing with the Red Team. We made a strong push right off the bat, with several of us getting to the castle walls and then pouring into the castle. We were scored by members of the team in the Castle, and red built up a big lead quickly from not only the initial push, but several rounds of scoring within the castle. That push set up the win for red for the first round of SuperGame. This would mark a theme, but not necessarily what you might be thinking. You'll understand as I go here.
Friday kicked off the games for the weekend. There was a magfed game (note: I do not play magfed---had a marker, couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, and sold it), and then the Spoils of War. The Spoils of War was a smaller game that only went a couple of hours on Friday afternoon, and I definitely played in it. It was a fun way to kick off the weekend.
The Thursday rain had made the field a little muddy, but very playable as of Friday. Each side had what I would guess as maybe a couple hundred people at that point, and we were all fighting to take a central base style building in the DMZ where a flag was housed. Yellow, the Renegades Generaled by Joe Perez of the XIII Legionnares, at that point were playing with the Red Team. We made a strong push right off the bat, with several of us getting to the castle walls and then pouring into the castle. We were scored by members of the team in the Castle, and red built up a big lead quickly from not only the initial push, but several rounds of scoring within the castle. That push set up the win for red for the first round of SuperGame. This would mark a theme, but not necessarily what you might be thinking. You'll understand as I go here.
It was a Dark and Stormy Night...
After the first two hour round of battle to kick off SuperGame, there's a bit of a respite prior to the night game. I hung out with Tim Firpo and the Cocker guys, then went to the briefing. The organizers let us know the rules, and it started to rain again. This time, the rain would not relent. As everyone that was playing waited for the game to kick off, it poured more and more rain down on us and the field. So much so that they shortened the game from two hours down to one, and from two parts of the field down to one. They also changed the rules, dividing up the Renegades from being a third party that was to be fighting both sides to just playing with Blue at the start.
Honestly, at the time I was a bit disappointed in this decision. Looking back, it was not only the right decision, but one that likely stopped anyone from getting hurt.
The field, by now, had reached it's breaking point on moisture. And, being night, it was dark (I know, you're stunned). My mask, which generally doesn't have fogging issues, only allowed tunnel vision at this point, as my peripheral vision was obliterated by fog. The lighting on the field consisted of mobile lighting units that were about 20 feet in the air. While they did a really good job of illuminating the field, they did an equally good job of blinding you if you caught them in your line of sight. And your footing was just garbage, with several parts of this area of the field now having deep mud for you to try and move through.
One moment about 20 minutes into the night game really captured what the visibility was like. I was at a wall in front of the castle, at roughly the opposing sides 40. I was just trading paint, and looked to move up. I looked to my left to see if it was clear and I could slide down towards the end of the wall to make a move. I looked once, and saw that I was cleared. Then I looked down, and saw a glow stick tied to a barrel (they use these in lieu of armbands) less than a foot from my leg. I honestly couldn't see a grown ass man less than a foot from me with the combination of shadow and fogging. At that point, I thought it better than I didn't trying to run out there like a blinded buffalo, just hoping for the best.
Red was really at a massive disadvantage for the night game. They started at a spawn spot that required them to go uphill for the start and when returning from respawn. They also didn't get the Renegades to start with, and again the initial push that came from the Blue team on the level ground really cemented how this game was going to go. The massive push that Blue/Renegades had at the beginning not only allowed them to take around 2/3rds of the ground, it also allowed them to dig in and get into defensible positions in shadows and flat terrain. In short, after the first 10 minutes, Red was all sorts of screwed.
After 30 minutes, they did flip the Renegades over to Red. But honestly, it was too little, too late at that point for the night game. It did, however, let me experience some of the silliest moments I've had on a field. I couldn't see a damn thing, and hadn't been on this side of the field. Turns out, there are dug out trenches out there.
I found three of them by walking and unintentionally falling straight into them like I was in a Looney Tunes cartoon. As in, 'Step, step, step, step, step, OH SHIT!!! Don't do the splits! Keep the knees from going the wrong direction! Keep the gun up! Keep the gun up! Jesus these things are deep! How far do these things go?!? Ok, I'll walk out. Ope, no I won't. Too damn steep and wet. Annnnnnd I'm sliding backwards. Toss the gun up there, and maybe I can crawl out on all fours?! Dammit, I'm soaked and muddy. This is a bitch. Ok, grab here. Grab there....pulllllllll myself up. Ok, and I'm out...well, that sucked you giant dummy' Now, repeat it two more times.
It was a bit of work, and that was just to get into any sort of shooting range. Now, the lighting and fogging at this point made it extremely difficult to see, and also tended to give players on this side of the field away with shadows on buildings and bunkers. We tried on several occasions to move up, but were generally greeted with blue paint howling out of the void. Blue took the night game, and we hauled ourselves off the field. I went back over to the Planet booth knowing that I would be spending a long time that night trying to get the caked-on mud out of my pants, and in the shower warming up. Was playing the night game in rain my best decision ever? No. Will I do it again next year if presented in the same situation? Also no. Do I regret doing it? Actually, no. It was ridiculous, but worth the experience.
After the first two hour round of battle to kick off SuperGame, there's a bit of a respite prior to the night game. I hung out with Tim Firpo and the Cocker guys, then went to the briefing. The organizers let us know the rules, and it started to rain again. This time, the rain would not relent. As everyone that was playing waited for the game to kick off, it poured more and more rain down on us and the field. So much so that they shortened the game from two hours down to one, and from two parts of the field down to one. They also changed the rules, dividing up the Renegades from being a third party that was to be fighting both sides to just playing with Blue at the start.
Honestly, at the time I was a bit disappointed in this decision. Looking back, it was not only the right decision, but one that likely stopped anyone from getting hurt.
The field, by now, had reached it's breaking point on moisture. And, being night, it was dark (I know, you're stunned). My mask, which generally doesn't have fogging issues, only allowed tunnel vision at this point, as my peripheral vision was obliterated by fog. The lighting on the field consisted of mobile lighting units that were about 20 feet in the air. While they did a really good job of illuminating the field, they did an equally good job of blinding you if you caught them in your line of sight. And your footing was just garbage, with several parts of this area of the field now having deep mud for you to try and move through.
One moment about 20 minutes into the night game really captured what the visibility was like. I was at a wall in front of the castle, at roughly the opposing sides 40. I was just trading paint, and looked to move up. I looked to my left to see if it was clear and I could slide down towards the end of the wall to make a move. I looked once, and saw that I was cleared. Then I looked down, and saw a glow stick tied to a barrel (they use these in lieu of armbands) less than a foot from my leg. I honestly couldn't see a grown ass man less than a foot from me with the combination of shadow and fogging. At that point, I thought it better than I didn't trying to run out there like a blinded buffalo, just hoping for the best.
Red was really at a massive disadvantage for the night game. They started at a spawn spot that required them to go uphill for the start and when returning from respawn. They also didn't get the Renegades to start with, and again the initial push that came from the Blue team on the level ground really cemented how this game was going to go. The massive push that Blue/Renegades had at the beginning not only allowed them to take around 2/3rds of the ground, it also allowed them to dig in and get into defensible positions in shadows and flat terrain. In short, after the first 10 minutes, Red was all sorts of screwed.
After 30 minutes, they did flip the Renegades over to Red. But honestly, it was too little, too late at that point for the night game. It did, however, let me experience some of the silliest moments I've had on a field. I couldn't see a damn thing, and hadn't been on this side of the field. Turns out, there are dug out trenches out there.
I found three of them by walking and unintentionally falling straight into them like I was in a Looney Tunes cartoon. As in, 'Step, step, step, step, step, OH SHIT!!! Don't do the splits! Keep the knees from going the wrong direction! Keep the gun up! Keep the gun up! Jesus these things are deep! How far do these things go?!? Ok, I'll walk out. Ope, no I won't. Too damn steep and wet. Annnnnnd I'm sliding backwards. Toss the gun up there, and maybe I can crawl out on all fours?! Dammit, I'm soaked and muddy. This is a bitch. Ok, grab here. Grab there....pulllllllll myself up. Ok, and I'm out...well, that sucked you giant dummy' Now, repeat it two more times.
It was a bit of work, and that was just to get into any sort of shooting range. Now, the lighting and fogging at this point made it extremely difficult to see, and also tended to give players on this side of the field away with shadows on buildings and bunkers. We tried on several occasions to move up, but were generally greeted with blue paint howling out of the void. Blue took the night game, and we hauled ourselves off the field. I went back over to the Planet booth knowing that I would be spending a long time that night trying to get the caked-on mud out of my pants, and in the shower warming up. Was playing the night game in rain my best decision ever? No. Will I do it again next year if presented in the same situation? Also no. Do I regret doing it? Actually, no. It was ridiculous, but worth the experience.
Let's Go Pick a Fight
Saturday consisted of seven hours of paintball, as the Lord intended. Red started on one side, and blue on the other. One side was handed the Renegades, and again got a really strong push right away. The theme, if you haven't noticed yet, is that Red and Blue were very, very even. Because of this, the Renegades tended to push the scales in the team that they were helping's favor. And it was getting recognized by the organizers, who did a good job of flipping them back and forth once it became obvious. They would go on to split the group in order to maintain a balance.
Players on both sides really kept trying to make pushes, fighting both the other side and the copious amounts of now very thick mud. If you were in grass or vegetation, you and your footing were probably fine. If you were in a well-worn area, in the castle in the middle of the DMZ or bunkers right around it, or on a path...you really needed to watch your footing. You were going to get plenty of mud on you and hopefully not fall on your ass. It was a given.
The epitome of the whole mud thing for me was when I crossed a very small creek with another player behind me. I hopped over, and he stepped into the water...and he stepped out minus one boot. The mud just took it straight off his foot. Poor guy had to fish it out, and now it was filled with water and mud. And that was with a tall boot, not just some high top or gym shoe.
You also really needed to make sure that you didn't completely eat it when rounding a corner and set yourself up to get lit up like a Christmas tree. I'd be lying if I said that I definitely wasn't thinking of that before I made any move. Because I was, and I had to---especially when in the castle. Paint was constantly whizzing passed your head, and once you got to the front wall, it was gunfights from 10 feet away time. The motto for me was 'Stay low and get tight in the bunker/wall,' anywhere that you could.
It added a different element to the game that everyone just dealt with, and kept playing. The awesome thing was that it didn't seem to slow people down or kill enthusiasm. Players were still making pushes, diving and sliding into bunkers/buildings/forts/conexes, and shooting like crazy. I know I ended up with mud in every possible crevasse of my gun, gear, and clothes, and was far from alone there, but that didn't seem to concern many people at all. It was just play hard, call your hits, tag up, and get yourself back out there. As it should be.
I also have to say the field at the DMZ, where I was most of the time, really set up well for gun fights, both in tight and downfield. Once you got into the central castle or the wall in front of either main entrance, you knew that you were getting shot at nearly all the time, and that the person shooting at you was likely 10 to 20 yards away, if that. That's exactly what I like doing whenever I can find it, and it lead to some memorable moments like clearing out a guy trying to bunker my teammates over the top of a barrel, or gogging a guy 10 feet from me while we had ourselves a little snap shooting contest. And I definitely took it as often as I gave it, which was honestly pretty great. And the wings of the DMZ also provided for good cover and plenty of room to try and make pushes.
Saturday consisted of seven hours of paintball, as the Lord intended. Red started on one side, and blue on the other. One side was handed the Renegades, and again got a really strong push right away. The theme, if you haven't noticed yet, is that Red and Blue were very, very even. Because of this, the Renegades tended to push the scales in the team that they were helping's favor. And it was getting recognized by the organizers, who did a good job of flipping them back and forth once it became obvious. They would go on to split the group in order to maintain a balance.
Players on both sides really kept trying to make pushes, fighting both the other side and the copious amounts of now very thick mud. If you were in grass or vegetation, you and your footing were probably fine. If you were in a well-worn area, in the castle in the middle of the DMZ or bunkers right around it, or on a path...you really needed to watch your footing. You were going to get plenty of mud on you and hopefully not fall on your ass. It was a given.
The epitome of the whole mud thing for me was when I crossed a very small creek with another player behind me. I hopped over, and he stepped into the water...and he stepped out minus one boot. The mud just took it straight off his foot. Poor guy had to fish it out, and now it was filled with water and mud. And that was with a tall boot, not just some high top or gym shoe.
You also really needed to make sure that you didn't completely eat it when rounding a corner and set yourself up to get lit up like a Christmas tree. I'd be lying if I said that I definitely wasn't thinking of that before I made any move. Because I was, and I had to---especially when in the castle. Paint was constantly whizzing passed your head, and once you got to the front wall, it was gunfights from 10 feet away time. The motto for me was 'Stay low and get tight in the bunker/wall,' anywhere that you could.
It added a different element to the game that everyone just dealt with, and kept playing. The awesome thing was that it didn't seem to slow people down or kill enthusiasm. Players were still making pushes, diving and sliding into bunkers/buildings/forts/conexes, and shooting like crazy. I know I ended up with mud in every possible crevasse of my gun, gear, and clothes, and was far from alone there, but that didn't seem to concern many people at all. It was just play hard, call your hits, tag up, and get yourself back out there. As it should be.
I also have to say the field at the DMZ, where I was most of the time, really set up well for gun fights, both in tight and downfield. Once you got into the central castle or the wall in front of either main entrance, you knew that you were getting shot at nearly all the time, and that the person shooting at you was likely 10 to 20 yards away, if that. That's exactly what I like doing whenever I can find it, and it lead to some memorable moments like clearing out a guy trying to bunker my teammates over the top of a barrel, or gogging a guy 10 feet from me while we had ourselves a little snap shooting contest. And I definitely took it as often as I gave it, which was honestly pretty great. And the wings of the DMZ also provided for good cover and plenty of room to try and make pushes.
Sunday was a shorter version of very much the same. Paint flinging at its finest in target rich environments. Both sides went hard, and didn't stop. You could easily find action if you tried, or pull yourself off for food and rest without worrying that you would be letting anyone down or missing too much. You knew you could just hop right back in, get yourself right up to the front, and find gun fights. I know I did over and over, and I saw a lot of other people doing the same regularly. I felt like I kept running into the same group of Hitmen at the front over and over, as well as the same teenage girl that might have been all of 15 right there next to me as well. The action was there if you wanted to find it.
There wasn't any quit in anyone, and the scores reflected that. It was a remarkably close game, with Red pulling out a hard-earned win. And while I didn't take part in the other events that happened, it's worth mentioning that there was also a 1-on-1 pistol tourney, the magfed game, a 3-on-3 mech tourney, and about $25,000 in gear that was given away in raffles throughout the event. There was plenty going on at any given time if you elected to join in the fun.
There wasn't any quit in anyone, and the scores reflected that. It was a remarkably close game, with Red pulling out a hard-earned win. And while I didn't take part in the other events that happened, it's worth mentioning that there was also a 1-on-1 pistol tourney, the magfed game, a 3-on-3 mech tourney, and about $25,000 in gear that was given away in raffles throughout the event. There was plenty going on at any given time if you elected to join in the fun.
So what's the verdict?
SuperGame Oregon was really encompassed by a father and son that were staged next to us. The Dad was there supporting his son, who was playing magfed for the first time and loving it. The son had a new EMF, and was loving shooting it. He was having a ball, and his Dad could see it while he hung out off in the staging area. The Dad started talking to us, and hadn't ever really played but was glad to see his son having a ball.
I came off the field in the middle of the afternoon only to see him gearing up. I am talking gearing up in a full, brand new set up. Marker. Loader. New tank. Jersey. Pants. Pack. The whole enchilada. He had bought everything that you would need to play. He hopped right onto the field, playing both next to and on the other side of the field from his son, and he had a great time. It was honestly one of the coolest things I saw all weekend, and really kind of summed what SuperGame was really about for me. It was a weekend about our families, either those by blood or those that we chose.
Many of us collect guns, masks, or other gear. But a lot of us also collect paintball friends, and I mean that in the best way. We meet people from all walks of life. We come from different backgrounds, with different jobs and points of view, at all ages, and with different life experiences. People that you never would have met or been friends with otherwise, but are just that now to you. We all have one passion in common in this game of ours. And SuperGame seemed to embrace that idea and be a celebration of every way to play, and every type of player. At least it did for me.
You were around every type of player, from legends that have been in the game for three decades, to industry leaders, to professional players, to scenario players, to renters, to kids that lacked the fear gene, and everyone just seemed happy to be there, playing, and involved. The organizers gave away prize after prize over the weekend, had a DJ blasting music, and kept the mood very happy and light. The players did their part in having a great, positive vibe out there, and kept answering the bell in trying their hardest to win for their side. It was just fun. All of it. On and off the field.
It was great to see Wade, Joe, Tim, Jake, Ryan, Doc, Jason, Mark, Brandon, Russel, and Rich. It was awesome to see Callista with her family, and to witness a father and son go out there and shoot some faces together for the first time. It was an awesome celebration of all things paintball and of the families and friends we choose, crappy weather be damned. It was a great event for the players and because of the players. This game is likely to be one in the yearly rotation for me, as it lived up to the name of SuperGame.
SuperGame Oregon was really encompassed by a father and son that were staged next to us. The Dad was there supporting his son, who was playing magfed for the first time and loving it. The son had a new EMF, and was loving shooting it. He was having a ball, and his Dad could see it while he hung out off in the staging area. The Dad started talking to us, and hadn't ever really played but was glad to see his son having a ball.
I came off the field in the middle of the afternoon only to see him gearing up. I am talking gearing up in a full, brand new set up. Marker. Loader. New tank. Jersey. Pants. Pack. The whole enchilada. He had bought everything that you would need to play. He hopped right onto the field, playing both next to and on the other side of the field from his son, and he had a great time. It was honestly one of the coolest things I saw all weekend, and really kind of summed what SuperGame was really about for me. It was a weekend about our families, either those by blood or those that we chose.
Many of us collect guns, masks, or other gear. But a lot of us also collect paintball friends, and I mean that in the best way. We meet people from all walks of life. We come from different backgrounds, with different jobs and points of view, at all ages, and with different life experiences. People that you never would have met or been friends with otherwise, but are just that now to you. We all have one passion in common in this game of ours. And SuperGame seemed to embrace that idea and be a celebration of every way to play, and every type of player. At least it did for me.
You were around every type of player, from legends that have been in the game for three decades, to industry leaders, to professional players, to scenario players, to renters, to kids that lacked the fear gene, and everyone just seemed happy to be there, playing, and involved. The organizers gave away prize after prize over the weekend, had a DJ blasting music, and kept the mood very happy and light. The players did their part in having a great, positive vibe out there, and kept answering the bell in trying their hardest to win for their side. It was just fun. All of it. On and off the field.
It was great to see Wade, Joe, Tim, Jake, Ryan, Doc, Jason, Mark, Brandon, Russel, and Rich. It was awesome to see Callista with her family, and to witness a father and son go out there and shoot some faces together for the first time. It was an awesome celebration of all things paintball and of the families and friends we choose, crappy weather be damned. It was a great event for the players and because of the players. This game is likely to be one in the yearly rotation for me, as it lived up to the name of SuperGame.