Badlandz Paintball Field

Badlandz Paintball Field, commonly known as The Badlandz, is an American paintball facility located in Crete, Illinois, south of Chicago. Established during the early 1990s, the venue is closely associated with professional tournament team Chicago Aftershock and the development of competitive paintball in the Midwestern United States.[1][2]

The field has hosted major events sanctioned by the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL), Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP) and International Classic Paintball League (ICPL), including numerous editions of the Chicago Open.[2][3][4]

History

Establishment

Badlandz was developed during the early 1990s in association with professional paintball player and team owner Renick Miller.

The facility was established as a training ground for Chicago Aftershock, providing space for the team to practise and compete against other experienced tournament players.

Billy Ceranski, who later became chief executive officer of Kore Outdoor, worked with Miller to open and manage the facility during its early years.[1]

The field subsequently expanded to accommodate recreational customers, private groups and organised tournaments.

NPPL Chicago Open

Badlandz became closely associated with the Chicago Open, one of the principal tournaments on the American professional paintball calendar during the 1990s.

The venue hosted the 1998 NPPL Chicago Open, which featured woodland, Hyperball and inflatable-bunker fields.

Contemporary WARPIG reporting identified Renick Miller as the tournament promoter and documented the participation of established professional teams, including Bob Long's Ironmen, All Americans and Revolution.[3]

The Chicago Open returned to Badlandz in subsequent seasons.

For the 2000 edition, held from 21 to 25 June, the facility added a second Hyperball field alongside its existing woodland and inflatable-bunker playing areas.[5]

The 2001 tournament took place from 20 to 24 June.

That year, Badlandz introduced a third Hyperball field and improved spectator safety infrastructure, including new netting and protected access routes between fields.

Chicago Aftershock continued using Badlandz as its home training facility.[2]

The venue also hosted the 2002 Chicago Open, when the tournament operated entirely on constructed concept fields rather than woodland playing areas.[6]

PSP era

Following changes to the organisation of American professional paintball, Badlandz continued hosting events within the PSP tournament structure.

The 2004 PSP Chicago Open returned to the venue with five-player, ten-player, X-Ball and NXL competitions.

Contemporary reporting described Badlandz as the birthplace of the Chicago Open and noted its location on the grounds of the Balmoral Park racetrack.[7]

The PSP Chicago Open returned again from 24 to 27 June 2010.

That tournament included professional and divisional X-Ball competition, five-player divisions and an associated Ultimate Woodsball League event.

Los Angeles Infamous won the professional division.[4]

Classic paintball

Badlandz subsequently became a venue for classic and mechanical tournament paintball.

On 1–2 June 2019, the facility hosted the inaugural Windy City Classic organised by the International Classic Paintball League.

The tournament featured ten-player mechanical competition in professional and amateur divisions.[8]

The ICPL returned to Badlandz for the Windy City Classic on 12–14 June 2026.

The event included five-player and ten-player competition, with Hyperball and mound fields among the playing areas used.[9]

Facilities

Badlandz operates from 306 West Elms Court Lane, Crete, Illinois.

Its playing areas have historically included woodland, Hyperball, mound and inflatable-bunker fields.

The facility accommodates recreational paintball, private group bookings, tournament training and organised competitions.[10]

Its official website describes more than 22 separate playing areas, depending on the field configuration.[11]

Association with Chicago Aftershock

Badlandz has a longstanding relationship with Chicago Aftershock, one of the major professional paintball teams of the 1990s and 2000s.

The facility was originally developed as a practice venue for the team and became associated with its owner, Renick Miller.

Contemporary tournament reports repeatedly identified Badlandz as Aftershock's home field.

The team also assisted with officiating at Chicago Open events during the tournament's early history.[4]

Selected tournaments

Year	Tournament	Organisation
1998	Chicago Open	NPPL
2000	Chicago Open	NPPL
2001	Chicago Open	NPPL
2002	Chicago Open	NPPL
2004	Chicago Open	PSP
2010	Chicago Open	PSP
2019	Windy City Classic	ICPL
2026	Windy City Classic	ICPL

The table lists selected documented tournaments rather than a complete event history.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

References

External links