Editing 1998 ZAP International Amateur Open

'''The 1998 ZAP International Amateur Open''' was a tournament [[paintball]] event held from 4 to 9 August 1998 at [[Three Rivers Paintball]] near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It was the 1998 edition of the annual [[International Amateur Open]] and combined three-player, five-player, pump and ten-player competitions with a paintball trade show and industry conference.[1][2]

More than 1,000 players attended. Johnstown Highlanders won the amateur five-player competition, Missouri Magic won the novice five-player division and Thunderstruck won the ten-player competition. Team Brass Eagle won the three-player arena tournament, while Adrenalin won the five-player pump event.[1]

== Organisation ==

The tournament was produced by [[Debra Dion Krischke|Debra Krischke]] and Ryan Krischke through Team Effort Events, with [[ZAP Paintballs]] as its title sponsor. Tournament play took place from 5 to 9 August, following the opening of the wider event programme on 4 August.[1][2]

Three Rivers Paintball used approximately 70 acres of rolling woodland for the competition. The fields incorporated flat, sloping and uneven terrain with natural trees, constructed bunkers and brush. Field layouts were intended to avoid giving either flag station a significant advantage.[1]

Teams attended from across the United States and from countries including Brazil and Japan.[1]

== Competition ==

The tournament attracted 98 five-player teams, 48 ten-player teams and 24 three-player teams.[1]

=== Five-player competition ===

The amateur five-player division contained 64 teams divided into eight preliminary groups of eight. Higher-ranked teams were seeded between the groups, while organisers attempted to separate teams from the same geographical regions. The two leading teams from each group and four wildcard teams advanced to the semi-finals.[1][3]

Games used a centre-flag format. Teams attempted to capture a single central flag and hang it at the opposing team's starting station. Games lasted ten minutes and used a 110-point scoring system.[1]

The novice classification was restricted to entry-level teams. Organisers reviewed player eligibility and experience in an effort to prevent experienced competitors from entering the division.[1]

A separate five-player pump tournament used [[Brass Eagle Talon]] pump markers. Players received a limited quantity of paint and a single twelve-gram carbon-dioxide cartridge for each game.[1]

=== Ten-player competition ===

The ten-player tournament ran from Friday to Sunday. Games used a traditional two-flag format in which each team began at its own flag station and attempted to capture the opposing flag and return it to its starting station.[1]

The preliminary competition contained six groups of eight teams. The two leading teams from each group and four wildcard teams advanced to the semi-finals.[1][4]

=== Three-player arena competition ===

The three-player tournament was played on an arena speedball field near the principal spectator and vendor area. Twenty-four teams entered the competition.[1][5]

== Eligibility and rules ==

The International Amateur Open was intended for amateur and developing players. Professional players were prohibited from competing. Eligibility checks considered professional team rosters and [[National Professional Paintball League]] rankings from the 1997 and 1998 seasons.[1]

Teams that had won a division at either of the previous two International Amateur Opens could not enter the same division in 1998. Organisers checked team rosters and photographic identification before play, with approved competitors receiving identification wristbands.[1]

The competition rules were derived from amateur regulations originally developed through the National Survival Game–International Paintball Players Association. The maximum permitted marker velocity was 285 feet per second when entering a field and 300 feet per second when leaving it. Fully automatic and auto-response firing systems were prohibited.[1]

== Results ==

=== Five-player amateur ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Team
|-
| 1
| Johnstown Highlanders
|-
| 2
| Sonic Rage–Black
|-
| 3
| Rebellion
|-
| 4
| Iron Legion
|-
| 5
| Boyz
|-
| 6
| Team Bezerkers
|-
| 7
| Rapid Fire
|-
| 8
| Final Notice
|}

=== Five-player novice ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Team
|-
| 1
| Missouri Magic
|-
| 2
| Wrecking Crew
|-
| 3
| PA Trespassers
|-
| 4
| Team Rogue
|}

=== Ten-player ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Team
|-
| 1
| Thunderstruck
|-
| 2
| T.B.A.
|-
| 3
| Missouri Magic
|-
| 4
| Oh-No's
|-
| 5
| Green Dragons
|-
| 6
| Outsiders
|-
| 7
| Actiontown Sports
|-
| 8
| Zero Tolerance
|}

Actiontown Sports and Zero Tolerance qualified for the final round but did not compete in it.[1][4]

=== Three-player arena ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Team
|-
| 1
| Team Brass Eagle
|-
| 2
| Rapid Fire
|-
| 3
| Nemesis
|-
| 4
| The Family 2
|-
| 5
| Bad Karma
|-
| 6
| Thor Omega
|}

=== Five-player pump ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Team
|-
| 1
| Adrenalin
|-
| 2
| Wide Load
|-
| 3
| Bad Boys
|}

== Sportsmanship and other awards ==

Bad Dream received the five-player sportsmanship award. Missouri Magic received the ten-player sportsmanship award in addition to finishing third in the ten-player competition.[1][2]

Other awards presented during the event included:

* '''Ms. Paintball International 1999:''' Emily Fleming of Phantom Force and the Iron Maidens;
* '''Mr. Paintball:''' Bill Milburn of the Outsiders;
* '''Young Guns award:''' The Little Warriors;
* '''ZAP Ambassador Award:''' Bad Dream;
* '''Five-player long-distance award:''' Far East Dragons of Japan; and
* '''Ten-player long-distance award:''' Mercenarios of Brazil.[1]

The event's charitable programme allowed recipients of its In Search of Excellence awards to nominate charities for donations funded by raffle proceeds and event sponsors.[1]

== Trade show ==

The International Amateur Open included a trade show with more than 70 vendor booths. Manufacturers and distributors used the event to demonstrate or introduce new paintball equipment.[1]

Products displayed at the 1998 event included:

* the [[Tippmann Model 98]];
* the Air Star Nova 700;
* the Barrel International Rhino;
* the Airgun Designs Z-Grip;
* a replacement circuit board for the [[Smart Parts Shocker]];
* the Xtreme Paintball ProMag 600 feed system;
* the ADCO HotShot sight;
* USA Performance Products VXT accessories; and
* an AKA low-pressure kit for the [[WDP Angel]].[1][6]

== Industry conference ==

Approximately 200 people attended the associated paintball industry conference. Its programme included discussions of marketing, firing-rate controls and commercial field and retail operations.[1][2]

Lifetime achievement awards were presented to Bob Maguire of American Paintball League and Jerry Dobbins of Indian Creek Design. Fifteen product awards were also presented during the conference.[1]

== Media coverage ==

''[[Action Pursuit Games]]'' published an eight-page illustrated report on the tournament in its January 1999 issue.[1]

[[WARPIG]] provided contemporary online reporting, including tournament scores, photographs and equipment coverage. Three [[PigTV]] programmes covered the industry conference, tournament action, trade show and players' party.[2]

== See also ==

* [[International Amateur Open]]
* [[Three Rivers Paintball]]
* [[ZAP Paintballs]]
* [[1998 in paintball]]

== References ==

# “The 1998 ZAP International Amateur Open: Experiences to Dazzle and Tantalize!”, staff report, photographs by Skirmish USA, ''Action Pursuit Games'', Vol. 13, No. 1, January 1999, pp. 54–61.
# [https://warpig.com/paintball/tournament/zapam98/index.shtml WARPIG – 1998 ZAP Amateur Open coverage]
# [https://www.warpig.com/paintball/tournament/zapam98/5mansemi.shtml WARPIG – 1998 ZAP Amateur Open five-player semi-finals]
# [https://warpig.com/paintball/tournament/zapam98/10mansemi.shtml WARPIG – 1998 ZAP Amateur Open ten-player semi-finals and finals]
# [https://warpig.com/paintball/tournament/zapam98/3man.shtml WARPIG – 1998 ZAP Amateur Open three-player results]
# [https://warpig.com/paintball/tournament/zapam98/newprod/index.shtml WARPIG – New products from the 1998 ZAP Amateur Open]

== External links ==

* [https://warpig.com/paintball/tournament/zapam98/index.shtml WARPIG contemporary event coverage]

[[Category:Paintball tournaments]]
[[Category:Paintball tournament results]]
[[Category:International Amateur Open]]
[[Category:1998 in paintball]]
[[Category:Paintball in Pennsylvania]]