So I've noticed a lot of new players out at the local airball fields that have the potential to compete in tournament series, but may not have the means or connections to play. Although it seems complicated from the outside, playing local series is as simple as going out to the local field for a regular walkon day, with slightly more planning. These events are usually 3-man, 4-man or 5-man, and do not require teams to commit to a whole season of events.
You really only need a couple of friends with paintball gear to easily throw a team together to play at these local paintball events!
There's nothing holding you back from playing tournaments but you. Just DO it!
Ontario: The ESPL Series
The ESPL Series is hosted by Flagswipe Paintball and Canadian Express in London, Ontario. We offer two divisions of tournament play:
- D3 Young Guns, 16 & under: 3 man format
- D2 Rookie, all ages: 5 man format
Events are held on Sundays, with the Young Guns division playing in the morning and the Rookie division playing in the afternoon.
Prices are very reasonable too:
- Young Guns Entry: $100 per team
- Rookie Entry: $300 per team
Blizzard Ball
A separate event from the rest of the ESPL Series following the same rules, Blizzard Ball is a yearly indoor tournament at the end of the outdoor season that has been a favourite for years. Same rules, prize structure and great reffing as the ESPL series, but at the nice indoor field!
Prizes for these local events are great, cash or gear which will help players get more into the sport.
If you're looking at getting into paintball tournaments in Ontario, Blizzard Ball on the 18th is a great place to start!
The first paintball tournament I ever played was a local 3man tournament at DieHard Paintball back when I was in grade 8, and my teammates were two classmates. We lost every single game against the more experienced locals, but the event was a blast. We were undergeared and outgunned compared to the regulars, but everyone was friendly. Our team won the sportsmanship prize, and got some free gear for coming in last place. On top of that, other players were quite friendly, and one older player even let me borrow his A-Bomb Intimidator for a few games when we had some marker problems throughout the day. Sure we lost, but it was definitely worth the experience and rush to get into the sport!
A few months later, we put another team together and played a PETS event at Flagswipe, and our new team came in fourth place in Young Guns, winning some free Halo loaders. These local tournaments are a great way to get started in competitive paintball as there is literally nothing to lose, and only great experiences to be gained!
