London Tournament Scene

[JcKa]

Hopefully this summer I'll be able to save enough up from work to play for a year or two. This is most definitely going to be hard to keep it going. What are the seasons in England? I'm sure you know that in the VA area we usually take a break for 2-3 months b/c of the cold (this winter it's been in the 70's ), but I heard you mention earlier that D7 has an indoor site (?), are most places indoor?

And that's great to hear about Xball lite. That's very good news to me.

 

[Robin Hood]

I don't know what your on about mate, at Skyline the Winter League starts in a week or two, Xball all the way baby Check it out at www.skylinepaintball.com if your interested, we have the most amazing astro turf field there for it too.

But back to the UK, it was TPC in Canary Wharf that is indoors. They're pretty much the exception (There may be an indoor place in bristol too, not sure if it's still open). All main sites that host tournaments and regular sunday training are outdoors. There was an indoor reball gym up north for a while, but it closed down and now there are really only private indoor reball practices amongst certain teams.

Most UK ballers fight it out through the winter though, we get so much **** weather over here all year round, we're used to playing in all conditions. The off season doesn't stop the best of the ballers over here.

 

[JcKa]

I don't know what your on about mate, at Skyline the Winter League starts in a week or two, Xball all the way baby Check it out at www.skylinepaintball.com if your interested, we have the most amazing astro turf field there for it too.

But back to the UK, it was TPC in Canary Wharf that is indoors. They're pretty much the exception. All main sites that host tournaments and regular sunday training are outdoors. There was an indoor reball gym up north for a while, but it closed down and now there are really only private indoor reball practices amongst certain teams.

Most UK ballers fight it out through the winter though, we get so much **** weather over here all year round, we're used to playing in all conditions. The off season doesn't stop the best of the ballers over here.

I'm well versed in Skyline airball, I love your field. Too bad it's about half a days drive away. Ya, I'm slightly worried about the weather, but if you truly do play year round, I feel slightly pampered for having the Dec/Jan months off. Just by reading a few threads I have noticed that there seems to be quite a few private fields and training areas, and that's really cool.

Does anyone really take the tube with all their paintball gear? I'm sure there are a few people without cars and rides who are forced to find alternative methods of transportation, but public transit seems an unlikely way to go. I wouldn't be caught dead on the Metro in all my gear

 

[Robin Hood]

That's great to hear you've been to Skyline! They're great people there.

As for the public transport issue, I've been travelling on the trains and tubes with my gear in the UK for years now. Most of the time when everything is packed away no one is the wiser, I've just got a big ass bag with me. When I trained in Canary Wharf and took the train out to dartford regularly I had some weird looks wearing my pants occasionally (as in paintball pants or trousers, not pants pants, ), but I always changed my top etc. so it's not too blatent. TBH there's so many random looking peeps on the public transport system in the UK you don't look too out of place most of the time, haha!

As for the metro...it may be a hell of a lot cleaner than the London Tube, but I feel a lot safer on the tube than the metro, especially when I'm packin'.

 

[JcKa]

lol, when I visited some friends in London I did notice how clean the DC Metro was, and that's something I really value now, but the London tube system did seem alot more peaceful, and well frankly, devoid of crazy people. I can see how taking a very large bag would look out of place, but it seems like it'd be a bit quieter on the tube when you're going out to the 'burbs (would D7 be considered in a burb?) The tube overall seems to be a very nice transit system, and it's trains were congested with seats, so there would be lots of room with a monster bag

 

[Robin Hood]

It's pretty easy to make room with a monster bag when you get on, especially when your wearing big ass baggy camo pants and other random shizzle

Although the London tube is a fcuking rip off IMO, especially in relation the DC Metro. The zone system sucks as opposed to the stop to stop system used over there, and unfortunately half the time on the weekends there are works so sometimes there's a replacement bus service, which blows
Still, it's better than nothing, and usually starts up early enough to make it to training session, not always 8am tourney starts though, lol.

D7's requires taking an actual train further out of London than the normal tube system, so it's definitely in 'The Burbs'

 

[JcKa]

It's pretty easy to make room with a monster bag when you get on, especially when your wearing big ass baggy camo pants and other random shizzle

Although the London tube is a fcuking rip off IMO, especially in relation the DC Metro. The zone system sucks as opposed to the stop to stop system used over there, and unfortunately half the time on the weekends there are works so sometimes there's a replacement bus service, which blows
Still, it's better than nothing, and usually starts up early enough to make it to training session, not always 8am tourney starts though, lol.

D7's requires taking an actual train further out of London than the normal tube system, so it's definitely in 'The Burbs'

Oh damnit, that's a bummer. How bad is taxi fare over there?

Hopefully I can find a carpool system. What's the average D7 sunday walkon group? And does D7 and other airball fields do a team practice component to their weekend play and also do they let their walkons have access to airball?

 

[Robin Hood]

Taxi's aren't cheap, but if you get a student rail card you can get out to dartford for under $15ish last time I remember. Then just grab a lift by hitching a rid off this forum if you can. If not, maybe you can find someone with a car in central london.

I've not been to D7's in a few months, but there's usually a fair few peeps there. Often you'll find some people/teams posting up on here to see who's going. D7's is purely airball. It's a random field with about 3 or so supair fields set up normally. They have descent air compressors and food/drinks on site too. The likes of Nexus, Shockwave, London Tigers, ECI have all trained there along with numerous other teams.

You can probably talk to a few peep on here by posting in the A,C&Q forum and arrange hook up and train with them at D7's on a particular day, or just meet people on the day depending on what's going on.

 

[JcKa]

Taxi's aren't cheap, but if you get a student rail card you can get out to dartford for under $15ish last time I remember. Then just grab a lift by hitching a rid off this forum if you can. If not, maybe you can find someone with a car in central london.

I've not been to D7's in a few months, but there's usually a fair few peeps there. Often you'll find some people/teams posting up on here to see who's going. D7's is purely airball. It's a random field with about 3 or so supair fields set up normally. They have descent air compressors and food/drinks on site too. The likes of Nexus, Shockwave, London Tigers, ECI have all trained there along with numerous other teams.

You can probably talk to a few peep on here by posting in the A,C&Q forum and arrange hook up and train with them at D7's on a particular day, or just meet people on the day depending on what's going on.

That sounds great. Thanks for answering all my questions, you're making my decision easy

I'm definitely excited to try out Stako tanks too. I just hope my guns can hold out for another two seasons lol. What's the average age of players at D7 and other fields? Paintball in Europe sounds so damn expensive. Are field and company sponsorships available to teams, as it seems there are very few sponsored teams.

 

[Robin Hood]

No worries man. Stakos rock too When you head back to the States you'll be pissed that you have to do use a DOT tank, lol.

Average age can vary from about 13/14 up to late 40's or even higher I'd guess. It really does vary on the team, you get pros training there in their prime (and some probably a little past it ) as well as rookie teams. It's a great environment.

Lots of teams are sponsored over here, if your in it for an entire season or more then I'm sure you can probably find a team with a few discount deals worked out if nothing more. It all helps to ease the cost burden.

Also, if you get bored of your current equipment when you come over, we have a great classifieds forum on this site which is very active, so maybe you can test out a few of the Brit designed mowing machines we've got over here

It's nearly 1am this side of the pond, so I'm gonna crash. But there's loads of top people on this forum who will be more than willing to help you out with any questions you've got. Hopefully you'll have a blast pballing in the UK, so don't worry man. Peace out.