Brimstone Smoke
Brimstone Smoke, also known as Team Smoke, is an American tournament paintball team associated with the Ohio and West Virginia region. Established in 2001, the team competed nationally in five-player, seven-player and 10-player tournament formats, including events organised by the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) and Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP).[1][2]
Brimstone Smoke won the amateur five-player division at the 2002 International Amateur Open and subsequently competed in professional X-Ball and 10-man tournaments. The team later returned to classic-format competition through the International Classic Paintball League (ICPL), winning the professional 10-man division at the 2025 ICPL Classic Cup.[3][4]
History
Formation and early competition (2001)
According to its official history, Brimstone Smoke began in 2001 as a five-player team before joining forces with Team Centerflag to compete in national 10-man tournaments.[1]
Contemporary WARPIG reporting from the 2001 International Amateur Open described Brimstone Smoke combining its established five-player squad with players from New York to enter the 10-man competition.
The combined team finished fourth in the amateur 10-man division.[2]
Brimstone Smoke was closely associated with Milt Call, owner of the team and the Ultimate Air Ball inflatable bunker business.
Call was also involved in organising the Ultimate Madness tournament in Huntington, West Virginia.[5]
National tournament success (2002)
Brimstone Smoke recorded several significant results during the 2002 season.
At the PSP Las Vegas Open, the team finished second in the amateur five-player division behind ECX Factory.[6]
In August, Brimstone Smoke won the amateur five-player championship at the Diablo International Amateur Open, defeating Tippmann Effect, Boston Paintball Factory Team and Team Bam in the final round.
The team competed using Spyder paintball markers and received the tournament's Kingman-sponsored prize.[3]
Later that month, Brimstone Smoke finished second in the amateur five-player division at the NPPL Atlantic City Open.[7]
At the Aruba Pro/Am in September, the organisation entered two amateur squads, Brimstone Smoke This and Brimstone Smoke That.
Brimstone Smoke This won the amateur division, finishing three points ahead of Bushwackers in the round-robin standings.[8]
Professional competition (2003–2005)
Brimstone Smoke entered higher-level tournament competition during 2003.
At the PSP Los Angeles Open in March, the team competed in Division One X-Ball, finishing third behind Strange and Jax Worriors.[9]
At the PSP Chicago Open in June, Brimstone Smoke won the Pro-Am 10-man division, finishing ahead of Cartel, Nasty and Fusion.[10]
The team subsequently finished third in the Pro-Am 10-man division at the 2003 PSP World Cup.[11]
Brimstone Smoke continued competing in national tournaments during 2004 and 2005, including the PSP and NPPL circuits.
Its official history records appearances at the 2004 Chicago Open and 2005 Denver Open.[1]
Ultimate Madness and Ultimate Air Ball
The team maintained a close relationship with Ultimate Air Ball, the inflatable bunker manufacturer associated with team owner Milt Call.
Members of Brimstone Smoke helped officiate at Ultimate Madness, an indoor three-player tournament promoted by Call and Paul Bollenbach.
At the 2003 Ultimate Madness, the team participated in an exhibition of Arena Ball, a short-format competition using enclosed playing fields, music and spectator participation.[12]
Brimstone Smoke again appeared in an exhibition Arena Ball match during the 2004 tournament, dividing its players into Brimstone This and Brimstone That squads.[13]
The team's association with Ultimate Air Ball also connected it with the development and demonstration of inflatable tournament field equipment.
Return to classic paintball (2017–2024)
Brimstone Smoke returned to national classic-format tournament competition in the late 2010s.
Official tournament records document the team's participation in the Southern Open 10-man Classic in December 2017 and the Iron City Classic in August 2018.[4]
The team subsequently competed under the Team Smoke name in the International Classic Paintball League.
At the 2019 ICPL Florida Open, Team Smoke finished second in the amateur 10-man division.
The team won the amateur 10-man division at the 2021 ICPL Windy City Classic, then finished second in the professional 10-man division at the 2022 Sunshine Classic.[4]
In 2024, Team Smoke competed at the NXL World Cup in Florida, entering classic-format competition.
The team's own tournament report documented a third-place finish in the 10-man event.[14]
Professional classic competition (2025–2026)
Team Smoke continued competing in the ICPL professional division during 2025.
At the ICPL Classic Cup, held at Tiki's Paintball Park in Seffner, Florida, from 3 to 5 October 2025, Team Smoke won the professional 10-man division.
The team finished ahead of Image and Chicago Aftershock in the final round.[15]
In 2026, the organisation continued competing in classic-format tournaments, with entries under both Team Smoke and Brimstone Smoke.
At the Pittsburgh Open Classic, held from 31 July to 2 August 2026, Brimstone Smoke finished second in the professional 10-man division behind Chicago Aftershock.[16]
Notable players and personnel
Documented individuals associated with Brimstone Smoke include:
- Milt Call – Team owner and paintball industry entrepreneur associated with Ultimate Air Ball and Ultimate Madness.
- Jonathon Call – Player who won the one-on-one competition at the 2003 Mardi Gras Open.
- Anthony Call – Player associated with the team's early national tournament period.
- Rocky Cagnoni – Professional player who competed with Brimstone Smoke during the early 2000s.
These associations are documented in contemporary tournament coverage and later player interviews.[5][17]
Selected tournament results
| Year | Competition | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | International Amateur Open | Amateur 10-man | 4th |
| 2002 | PSP Las Vegas Open | Amateur 5-man | 2nd |
| 2002 | International Amateur Open | Amateur 5-man | 1st |
| 2002 | NPPL Atlantic City Open | Amateur 5-man | 2nd |
| 2002 | Aruba Pro/Am | Amateur | 1st (Smoke This) |
| 2003 | PSP Los Angeles Open | Division One X-Ball | 3rd |
| 2003 | PSP Chicago Open | Pro-Am 10-man | 1st |
| 2003 | PSP World Cup | Pro-Am 10-man | 3rd |
| 2021 | ICPL Windy City Classic | Amateur 10-man | 1st |
| 2022 | ICPL Sunshine Classic | Professional 10-man | 2nd |
| 2024 | NXL World Cup | Classic 10-man | 3rd |
| 2025 | ICPL Classic Cup | Professional 10-man | 1st |
| 2026 | ICPL Pittsburgh Open Classic | Professional 10-man | 2nd |
The table lists selected documented results rather than the team's complete tournament history.
See also
- International Amateur Open
- National Professional Paintball League
- Paintball Sports Promotions
- International Classic Paintball League
- Chicago Aftershock
- Rocky Cagnoni
References
- Team Smoke Paintball – About Us. Official team history documenting its establishment in 2001, national competition and return to classic paintball.
- WARPIG – 2001 International Amateur Open. Contemporary reporting on Brimstone Smoke's 10-man team and fourth-place finish.
- WARPIG – 2002 Diablo International Amateur Open. Contemporary reporting documenting the amateur five-player championship.
- PBLeagues – Brimstone Smoke. Official tournament registration, results and team history.
- WARPIG – 2003 Mardi Gras Open. 20–23 February 2003. Documents Milt Call's ownership and Jonathon Call's one-on-one victory.
- WARPIG – 2002 PSP Las Vegas Open. Contemporary amateur five-player tournament results.
- WARPIG – 2002 NPPL Atlantic City Open Five-Man Results. August 2002.
- WARPIG – 2002 Aruba Pro/Am. September 2002. Documents Brimstone Smoke This winning the amateur division.
- WARPIG – 2003 PSP Los Angeles Open. March 2003. Division One X-Ball competition and results.
- WARPIG – 2003 PSP Chicago Open 10-Man Results. 18–22 June 2003.
- PBLeagues – Brimstone Smoke Historical Results. Includes the 2003 PSP World Cup Pro-Am placement.
- WARPIG – Ultimate Madness III. 4–6 April 2003.
- WARPIG – Ultimate Madness IV. April 2004. Exhibition Arena Ball matches and refereeing.
- Team Smoke Paintball – World Cup 2024. Team account of its classic-format World Cup participation.
- Paintball Dirt – Team Smoke Wins ICPL Classic Cup. Brandon Olson, 6 October 2025.
- Paintball Dirt – ICPL Pittsburgh Open Classic Results. Brandon Olson, 3 August 2026.
- Paintball Nerd – Fun Five Interview with Rocky Cagnoni. 23 December 2022.