Editing 1993 ZAP International Amateur Open

The '''1993 ZAP International Amateur Open''' was an amateur paintball tournament and industry event held in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area. It was produced by Debra Dion Krischke and Ryan Krischke of Team Effort Events and [[Three Rivers Paintball]], with [[ZAP Paintballs]] serving as the primary tournament sponsor.[1][3]

The four-day event attracted 80 five-player teams and 40 ten-player teams from the United States and Canada. Outta Control won the five-player competition, while Nemesis won the ten-player competition.[1]

== Organisation ==

The tournament formed part of the annual [[International Amateur Open]], which was established to provide competition for amateur paintball teams. The 1993 event was the second consecutive edition sponsored by ZAP Paintballs, which supplied the tournament paint.[1][3]

Competition used standard [[International Paintball Players Association|IPPA]] and Lively Productions rules. A trade show, target-shooting competition, speedball arena, referee training, manufacturers' reception, player party and awards ceremonies accompanied the main tournament.[1]

NAPRA representatives Reggie Denner and Mark Stiffler conducted a referee-training class. The principal judging group included Dennis Day, Mark Stiffler, Reggie Denner, T. W. Squires and Lee Draper, supported by amateur and professional players recruited from across the United States.[1][3]

Contemporary reporting estimated that the tournament, trade show and associated activities attracted more than 1,000 players, vendors, spectators, visitors and staff.[3]

== Five-player competition ==

Eighty teams were divided into 20 groups of four. Teams played four preliminary rounds, after which the 16 highest-ranked teams advanced to the semi-finals. Four teams then qualified for a three-game final round.[1]

The finalists were:

* Outta Control of California
* Maniacs of West Palm Beach, Florida
* Rad Busters of Virginia
* Arch Angels of St Louis

Outta Control completed the finals with 180 points. The Maniacs finished second with 158 points, followed by the Rad Busters with 124 and the Arch Angels with 48.[1]

=== Final standings ===

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! Place
! Team
! Place
! Team
|-
| 1 || '''Outta Control''' || 41 || Thunderstruck (Hurricane)
|-
| 2 || Maniacs || 42 || Venom (Maryland)
|-
| 3 || Rad Busters || 43 || New Jersey Overkill
|-
| 4 || Arch Angels || 44 || Bad Boys (Maryland) (Lightning)
|-
| 5 || Phantom Force || 45 || Hurricane
|-
| 6 || Avant Garde (Black) || 46 || Silent Knights
|-
| 7 || Minnesota Terminators || 47 || Gary's Guerrillas
|-
| 8 || Team Sadisfaction || 48 || Indianapolis Sewer Rats
|-
| 9 || Runnin' Rebels || 49 || Splat City Underdogs
|-
| 10 || Wildside || 50 || Child's Play
|-
| 11 || Shadow Company (B) || 51 || Capital Punishment II
|-
| 12 || Alliance || 52 || Hazardous Waste
|-
| 13 || Thunderstruck (Typhoon) || 53 || Mega Power (Black)
|-
| 14 || Dragons || 54 || Ruby Shooters
|-
| 15 || Avant Garde (Gold) || 55 || Skippy Posse
|-
| 16 || Apple Dumpling Gang || 56 || Reservoir Dawgs
|-
| 17 || Global Warriors || 57 || Team Amazing
|-
| 18 || Capital Punishment I || 58 || Tagg Team
|-
| 19 || Blackhawk || 59 || Shadow Company (A)
|-
| 20 || Body Count || 60 || Silent Stalkers
|-
| 21 || Pack Rats I || 61 || Black Watch
|-
| 22 || Green Dragons || 62 || Pack Rats II
|-
| 23 || Gurkhas || 63 || Lethal Attitudes
|-
| 24 || Full Tilt || 64 || Juggernaut
|-
| 25 || Kalamazoo Colonial Marines || 65 || Ballbusters
|-
| 26 || Darksiders || 66 || Barnyard Beasts
|-
| 27 || Personal Vendetta || 67 || Stealth
|-
| 28 || Deadly Assault Force || 68 || Maryland Minutemen
|-
| 29 || Guns of Paradise || 69 || Marlboro Men
|-
| 30 || Mega Power (Gold) || 70 || Deathaholics
|-
| 31 || Bad Boys (Maryland) (Thunder) || 71 || NBC Destroyers
|-
| 32 || Michigan Highlanders || 72 || Beach Boys
|-
| 33 || Boys in the Woods || 73 || High Intensity
|-
| 34 || Battle Dragons || 74 || Team Havoc
|-
| 35 || Black Reign (Ohio) || 75 || Imminent Thunder
|-
| 36 || No Quarter || 76 || Boys in the Woods (Gold)
|-
| 37 || Thor Omega || 77 || New York Firestorm
|-
| 38 || Psycho || 78 || Timber Wolves
|-
| 39 || Penetration || 79 || Warlords
|-
| 40 || Kwik Maxx || 80 || Wild Bunch
|}

== Ten-player competition ==

Forty teams were divided into ten groups of four. Following the opening round, the teams were reranked for a second preliminary round.[1]

The eight highest-ranked teams then contested a single-game semi-final. The four winners advanced to the championship bracket, while the remaining teams played for fifth through eighth place.[1]

The championship finalists were:

* Nemesis of Florida
* Avant Garde of Virginia
* Personal Vendetta of Alberta, Canada
* Black Reign of Indianapolis

Nemesis won the competition, ahead of Avant Garde, Personal Vendetta and Black Reign.[1]

=== Final standings ===

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! Place
! Team
! Place
! Team
|-
| 1 || '''Nemesis''' || 21 || Rad Busters
|-
| 2 || Avant Garde || 22 || Kalamazoo Colonial Marines
|-
| 3 || Personal Vendetta || 23 || I.C.E.
|-
| 4 || Black Reign (Indianapolis) || 24 || Guns of Paradise
|-
| 5 || Thunderstorm || 25 || Clear & Present Danger
|-
| 6 || Storm || 26 || Diamondbacks
|-
| 7 || Indianapolis Sewer Rats || 27 || Apple Dumpling Gang
|-
| 8 || Lightning Force || 28 || Mega Power
|-
| 9 || SOB's || 29 || Full Tilt
|-
| 10 || Black Hats || 30 || PB Tazmaniacs
|-
| 11 || Black Reign (Ohio) || 31 || Landsharks of Erie
|-
| 12 || Recon South || 32 || Gunslingers
|-
| 13 || Phantom Force || 33 || The Plague
|-
| 14 || Tazmanian Devils || 34 || Body Count
|-
| 15 || Gary's Guerrillas || 35 || Team Genocide
|-
| 16 || Zone Troopers || 36 || Team RealTree
|-
| 17 || Section 8 || 37 || Sudden Impact
|-
| 18 || War Party || 38 || Bad Image
|-
| 19 || Michigan Young Guns || 39 || Jacksonville Warriors Blue
|-
| 20 || Thrill || 40 || Fatal Company
|}

== Additional competitions and awards ==

=== Tippmann Sportsmanship Awards ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Division
! Recipient
|-
| Five-player
| Gary's Guerrillas
|-
| Ten-player
| Team I.C.E.
|}

=== Pro Team Products target-shooting competition ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Division
! Team winner
! Individual winner
|-
| Five-player
| Team Venom, Maryland
| Rich Mann, Team Venom
|-
| Ten-player
| Gary's Guerrillas
| Chris McKee, Gary's Guerrillas
|}

=== Zany ZAP Awards ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Award
! Five-player recipient
! Ten-player recipient
|-
| New Kids on the Block
| Team Sadisfaction
| Black Hats
|-
| Cool Team
| Personal Vendetta
| Body Count
|-
| Dapper Dan
| Shadow Company A and B
| Black Watch
|-
| Long Distance Runners
| Apple Dumpling Gang, Santa Rosa, California
| Apple Dumpling Gang, Santa Rosa, California
|-
| Best Referee
| Brian Stowers
| Tom Cole
|}

== Trade show and social events ==

The tournament incorporated a substantial paintball industry trade show. National Paintball Supply representatives Rick Fairbanks and Doug Brown sponsored the trade show, while National Paintball Supply East and Indian Springs Paintball contributed to the industry dinner and manufacturers' reception.[3]

Brass Eagle, represented by Aldo Perrone, hosted the player party. The event offered food from several regions and refreshments supplied in association with Frank Colucci and the Pittsburgh Brewing Company.[1][3]

Additional activities included a constructed speedball arena, a manufacturers' cocktail party, equipment demonstrations and prize raffles.[1]

== Media coverage ==

The 1993 tournament received coverage from two local network television affiliates. An Associated Press photograph and accompanying feature were distributed nationally, while a Boston radio station interviewed tournament producer Debra Dion Krischke.[2]

The contemporary account presented this coverage as an important opportunity to portray paintball as an organised recreational and competitive activity to audiences outside the existing paintball community.[2]

== Sponsorship ==

ZAP Paintballs was the principal tournament sponsor and supplied the event paint.[3]

Other documented sponsors and prize contributors included:

* [[Action Pursuit Games]]
* [[Airgun Designs]]
* Brass Eagle
* [[Carter Machine]]
* [[Crosman]]
* Indian Springs Paintball
* [[JT USA]]
* Lively Productions
* [[National Paintball Supply]]
* [[Pursuit Marketing Inc.]]
* Pro Team Products
* RealTree Pursuit Garments
* [[Sheridan]]
* [[Smart Parts]]
* [[Tippmann Sports|Tippmann Pneumatics]]
* Vents Goggles
* [[Worr Game Products]]

== See also ==

* [[International Amateur Open]]
* [[Three Rivers Paintball]]
* [[ZAP Paintballs]]
* [[Debra Dion Krischke]]
* [[Brass Eagle]]

== References ==

# Ken "Hollywood" Gilder, "Party Time in Pittsburgh: The 1993 Zap International Amateur Open", ''Action Pursuit Games'', January 1994, pp. 62–70 and 72.
# Ken "Hollywood" Gilder, "Paintball Gets National Media Attention", ''Action Pursuit Games'', January 1994, p. 70.
# Ken "Hollywood" Gilder, "To Those Who Made It All Possible", ''Action Pursuit Games'', January 1994, p. 71.

[[Category:International Amateur Open]]
[[Category:Paintball tournaments]]
[[Category:1993 in paintball]]
[[Category:Paintball in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Paintball tournaments in the United States]]