1997 NPPL World Cup
The 1997 NPPL World Cup was a National Professional Paintball League paintball tournament held at Paintball World in Kissimmee, Florida, from 21 to 26 October 1997. Produced by Jerry Braun, the event included professional and amateur five-man and ten-man competition, with professional and amateur teams meeting in the preliminary rounds.[1]
Jax Warriors won the professional five-man competition, while Image won the professional ten-man title. Fighters and Lockout won the respective amateur competitions.[2][3]
Organisation and schedule
The tournament brought together teams from the United States and overseas. Braun, who was also editor of Paintball Sports International, produced the event.[1]
Five-man preliminary results covered 21–22 October, followed by the semi-finals and finals on 23 October. WARPIG published completed ten-man preliminary results on 25 October; the ten-man semi-finals and finals took place on 26 October.[1][2][3]
Playing fields
Most fields occupied the sandy, palmetto-covered woodland at Paintball World, behind the Old Town attraction in Kissimmee. Natural vegetation was supplemented by coloured wooden bunkers.[4]
The tournament also featured a Hyperball field, which was reserved for ten-man competition and remained under construction during the five-man preliminary rounds. WARPIG reported that it was intended to move to Cousin's Paintball on Long Island after the tournament.[4]
An inflatable field identified in the contemporary report as Superball used cylindrical and conical bunkers. WARPIG recorded paintballs rebounding from the inflatable obstacles and eliminating players. Its coverage also highlighted the field's portability and suitability for spectators.[4]
Five-man competition
The five-man semi-finals and finals took place on 23 October. Jax Warriors won the professional final with 106 points, ahead of All Americans 1, Rage and All Americans 2.[2]
Professional and amateur results
The following are final-round totals.[2]
| Position | Professional team | Points | Amateur team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jax Warriors | 106 | Fighters | 137 |
| 2 | All Americans 1 | 85 | Farside | 82 |
| 3 | Rage | 72 | Shockwave CA | 78 |
| 4 | All Americans 2 | 64 | Canadian Express | 30 |
Novice competition
WARPIG reported that no teams initially entered a novice division. An additional competition was formed through a random selection of teams finishing in the bottom three places of the amateur semi-final groups, giving selected teams another opportunity to compete for trophies.[2]
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bizzaro |
| 2 | Chameleons |
| 3 | Bad Karma White |
| 4 | Nemesis Jr. |
WARPIG initially reversed the third- and fourth-place finishers, subsequently correcting its report following confirmation from the Paintball Sports International scoring staff.[2]
Ten-man competition
The ten-man semi-finals and finals took place on 26 October. Two professional teams advanced from each of two semi-final groups, while the winner of each of four amateur groups progressed to the amateur final.[3]
Image won the professional final with 300 points. Aftershock finished second with 215, followed by Ironmen with 130 and All Americans 2 with 31. Lockout won the amateur final with 218 points, ahead of OBR, Marine Team and Nemesis.[3]
WARPIG credited Bob's Ironmen, Ground Zero and GBD with refereeing the ten-man competition.[3]
Final results
The following are final-round totals.[3]
| Position | Professional team | Points | Amateur team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Image | 300 | Lockout | 218 |
| 2 | Aftershock | 215 | OBR | 193 |
| 3 | Ironmen | 130 | Marine Team | 133 |
| 4 | All Americans 2 | 31 | Nemesis | 40 |
Equipment and contemporary coverage
WARPIG provided written reports, photographs, score updates and five instalments of PigTV coverage. The programmes combined tournament action with interviews, equipment demonstrations and the closing ceremonies.[1]
Products covered included the Brass Eagle Rainmaker, Pneu Ventures Cyber 9000, Smart Parts Shocker Sport 4x4 and Viewloader Revolution loader. Other interviews featured manufacturers and suppliers including DYE, JT, WDP, KAPP and Palmer's Pursuit Shop.[1]
See also
References
- World Cup 1997. WARPIG, October 1997. Contemporary event overview, schedule and PigTV coverage.
- 5 Man Semi-Finals and Final Scores. WARPIG, 23 October 1997. Includes corrected novice placings.
- 10 Man Semi-Finals and Final Scores. WARPIG, 26 October 1997.
- World Cup Fields. WARPIG, October 1997.