Tourneys - Competitions

[Krow]

I've been thinking this through for quite some time now (since i took up airsofting 6 years ago... lol)
But why is it with airsoft vastly expanding and becoming more and more popular in the UK now there aren't any official tournements or anything of the sort?

If anyone can recall back in 2001-2002 channel four ran a paintballing series called crossfire (Xfire) which was very successful and really opened up peoples eyes to what it really was and entailed...

With all the interest and national and international teams that play in the UK or a regular basis now it would be damn sweet to get some sort of mini league going between teams to play for honor and fame!

With the size of Ground zero you could have multiple teams going head to head in 1 on 1 skirmishes on different parts of the site.
If we got cameras rolling we could even air the matches over youtube or pitch the idea to a TV broadcasting channel where we could get sponsorship for it and really take airsofting to the next stage of british gaming!

I know what i'm saying is a hell of a lot of work but the concept is just too appealing to me to not be said. What is everyone elses thoughts on this?
If someone were to attempt to get the ball rolling would you stand behind it and give the crucial nurchering that is needed to make it happen? hehe

[Sabbath]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

Airsofting - Hobby/pasttime
Paintball - Sport

They won't really bother televising it.

[Krow]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

Maybe here in the UK at the moment, But thats what needs to be changed.
Paintballing didn't start out any different and look at airsofting in Japan and the US they consider it a "sport".

[Ajd]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

I think CQB would be more watchable than woodland. If you were to have set teams of say 5-10, decent marshal support to ensure everyone is taking hits fairly and a relatively small arena to fight in then I think you could get a working tournament that people might watch.

The only thing is it will come across as very similar to paintball which might get it hard to get the ball rolling.

Certainly setting up a league with set rules and such seems quite possible and I would imagine there would be fair interest. Putting it on youtube would be as possible as putting anything else on youtube, but trying to get it on TV less so.

[jagillham]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

You'd got to remember even Paintball does not feature on TV in any regular kind of basis.

Even the X-Fire show only lasted a couple of series, and was more based on missions/acting than real paintball.

[Krow]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

Yeah I was thinking more along the lines of youtube from the start as it doesn't cost anything! and then depending on the hits and popularity then maybe thinking about television. Should have been a bit clearer in the plan there!

And I agree with the idea of cqb rather than woodland. Would make it very difficult to get a real feel for it on camera otherwise... We all enjoy watching the weekender vids etc but as for decent action shots and real tactic and strategy it just goes a miss.

[Sabbath]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

You'd got to remember even Paintball does not feature on TV in any regular kind of basis.

Even the X-Fire show only lasted a couple of series, and was more based on missions/acting than real paintball.

There is tournament speedball on satellite channels. :-)


Also The main problem with airsoft, it's very hard to referee as no visible marks are left and the gametypes are not set on "official" league layouts.

[Krow]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

OK forget TV lol, its a farscaped idea mean't for the far future and not any time soon! and thats giving it credit jag... it only lasted one series :S haha

More feedback on the idea of a mini cqb league or something of the sort.

[Sabbath]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

It's good in it's theory, but then again so is communism :/

I can't honestly see it happening. Sponsors run sport and many non airsoft related companies would not want to be associated with anything involving RIFs

[LtPurcy]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

for airsoft to become a sport like sup air, tourney ball whatever it would have to go to the same route, small arenas, easy to watch etc.

[Krow]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

Could always try hooking an international company?... LOL now i'm just being stupid! :-D one that sponsors airsoft in another country. that would offer them a foothold in the UK if they were struggling to find one. Just food for thought.

We'll see... start my new job in marketing and sales next week so when i'm a bit more familiar i'll come back to that one if it still makes any sense :-P

[Sabbath]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

To be fair, there isn't a big enough parket in the UK to warrant a league. Paintball just about survives.

[jfox61]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

To be fair, there isn't a big enough parket in the UK to warrant a league. Paintball just about survives.

This. Any airsoft company could gain a foorhold in this country right this minute if they really want to. Why don't they? Well as Sabbath says. Not popular enough.

Whats the total amount of Uk players we have? well according to a prtty Crap magazine who list the amount of UKARA regd players it is a little over 10k add the estimated non reg'd players and lets be generous and add another 10k you have 20k in a population of over 60m.

But then, if they are like me and not even interested in competition (I do it for fun, and think that competitions take the fun out of it). I reckon way less than 50% of that number would be interested in taking it that seriously.

[Sabbath]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

Yeah sadly i would agree with the above statement. Professional leagues? That just promoted elitist attitudes :/

And also in my previous post i meant to type market instead of parket. No idea how i got that typo :-)

[jfox61]

Re: Tourneys - Competitions

I forgot to add. You would find, at least my personal opinion is this, that teams would require loadouts matching each other. For instance, standardised weapons teams and loadouts etc.

I think it would formalise the hobby in this particular category. You must wear this, or you cannot wear that, or that teams must carry x type gun and no more than y type gun. Stuff like that holds no interest for me whatsoever. If it did I would go paintballing.