What ever happend to the SOBs?

[Old S.O.B.]

Air America was either bought by someone else or decided to get rid of the quality in recent years. In any case they still sell tanks but, no longer honor my lifetime warranty, nor do they make anything adjustable anymore.

And, yes they really have started selling Air America at Walmart: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4324529

I heard that Debby took over the business from Dan and his father. I am not surprised about the quality issues. I was at Dan's field only a few times in the late 80s and they touted safety, but enforced none of the rules. He told me it was a business and that he was in it for the money. I reminded him that the money would disappear as soon as someone got seriously hurt. But, it just was not a priority. The field (Paintball Blitz) still sits just north of Milwaukee Road and Rt 41 in Gurnee, but I believe they closed because the land was designated a wet land.

[93civiccpe]

Maybe I shouldn't post this because it is hearsay, but one of the shop owners in town had told me that Air America had been bought out and when that happened several of the original guys behind those regs created Guerilla Air, who now makes the Myth. Not sure how much truth is behind that but the shop owner is one of the few intelligent ones in the area who typically has his facts straight.

[Old S.O.B.]

Maybe I shouldn't post this because it is hearsay, but one of the shop owners in town had told me that Air America had been bought out and when that happened several of the original guys behind those regs created Guerilla Air, who now makes the Myth. Not sure how much truth is behind that but the shop owner is one of the few intelligent ones in the area who typically has his facts straight.

I think I heard that, as well, except that Debby Colby was the new owner as I heard it. Could be both stories are correct.

[tasker89]

Maybe I shouldn't post this because it is hearsay, but one of the shop owners in town had told me that Air America had been bought out and when that happened several of the original guys behind those regs created Guerilla Air, who now makes the Myth. Not sure how much truth is behind that but the shop owner is one of the few intelligent ones in the area who typically has his facts straight.

I can't speak to who the principals are behind Guerrilla Air...but I can confirm your hearsay with my first hand knowledge. The new regs being sold by Guerrilla are designs from the same gentleman who created all of CenterFlag's regulators.

Most, and in fact all, of the HPA products and the HyperFrames sold by Centerflag were designed by the same guy. As CenterFlag was fading out of the US market they tried to put out a rebuildable screw-in called the 4CE. That reg ended up being brought under the stable of products sold by Guerrilla. The Ambush series is virtually identical to the 400/420 series. The 4CE became the Assault and the Myth was a newer design that Guerrilla was given the opportunity to manufacture.

I apologize....cause this is some MASSIVE thread drift. LOL!

I'll bring it back on track by saying that as a former SWARM player...I always enjoyed working with and playing against the guys on the SOBs...and many of us considered them a sister team. The transition from 15 and 10 man woodsball to the arenaball formats pushed out one kind of competitive player in favor of another...and teams like the SOBs, SWARM and others eventually faded...so it goes.

[Old S.O.B.]

I can't speak to who the principals are behind Guerrilla Air...but I can confirm your hearsay with my first hand knowledge. The new regs being sold by Guerrilla are designs from the same gentleman who created all of CenterFlag's regulators.

Most, and in fact all, of the HPA products and the HyperFrames sold by Centerflag were designed by the same guy. As CenterFlag was fading out of the US market they tried to put out a rebuildable screw-in called the 4CE. That reg ended up being brought under the stable of products sold by Guerrilla. The Ambush series is virtually identical to the 400/420 series. The 4CE became the Assault and the Myth was a newer design that Guerrilla was given the opportunity to manufacture.

I apologize....cause this is some MASSIVE thread drift. LOL!

I'll bring it back on track by saying that as a former SWARM player...I always enjoyed working with and playing against the guys on the SOBs...and many of us considered them a sister team. The transition from 15 and 10 man woodsball to the arenaball formats pushed out one kind of competitive player in favor of another...and teams like the SOBs, SWARM and others eventually faded...so it goes.

Well, now!!! CenterFlag was started up by one of your teammates, Dennis Ashley, wasn't it? He and Chip Kuhrt and Sandman (Tim Glavin) were all partners in Fox River Games for a number of years. Sandman still runs that field and the store, now, as well... I think.

And of course we were sister teams - even before AGD came into the picture. If you remember an S.O.B. named Biff, that is who you got here. But, yeah, we played with you guys, After Shock and Thunderstruck every other week.

As for getting off topic, this is the topic - What ever happened to the SOBs?

[tasker89]

Well, now!!! CenterFlag was started up by one of your teammates, Dennis Ashley, wasn't it? He and Chip Kuhrt and Sandman (Tim Glavin) were all partners in Fox River Games for a number of years. Sandman still runs that field and the store, now, as well... I think.

Correct on all counts. Dennis did found CenterFlag, but he wasn't the primary designer on the technology. Chip sold his share of Fox years ago, and Sandman does still run both the field and the store.

I do remember you Biff...though you may not remember me. My name is Adam. I was a young whippersnapper (15) in 1990-91 when I started playing down at Fox River. I worked for Tim, Chip and Dennis for years while in high school and junior college and joined SWARM in 1993, playing three years or so in the NPPL with SWARM before I left to finish my BA downstate.

I basically grew up playing paintball down at Fox River and as a result I know all the old names.

Actually one of my better memories of you was at the Chicago Open in '96 (I think). You were head judge on one of the spectator fields (the one with the plexiglass window in the bunker). You were standing right over me when I shot myself in the hand while trying to clear the ports in my barrel. Possibly my biggest bone-head move ever. I looked up at you, shook my head and called myself out. I think you said, "that sucks" or something similar.

[Old S.O.B.]

Correct on all counts. Dennis did found CenterFlag, but he wasn't the primary designer on the technology. Chip sold his share of Fox years ago, and Sandman does still run both the field and the store.

I do remember you Biff...though you may not remember me. My name is Adam. I was a young whippersnapper (15) in 1990-91 when I started playing down at Fox River. I worked for Tim, Chip and Dennis for years while in high school and junior college and joined SWARM in 1993, playing three years or so in the NPPL with SWARM before I left to finish my BA downstate.

I basically grew up playing paintball down at Fox River and as a result I know all the old names.

Actually one of my better memories of you was at the Chicago Open in '96 (I think). You were head judge on one of the spectator fields (the one with the plexiglass window in the bunker). You were standing right over me when I shot myself in the hand while trying to clear the ports in my barrel. Possibly my biggest bone-head move ever. I looked up at you, shook my head and called myself out. I think you said, "that sucks" or something similar.

Adam, didn't you also work at the store? Yeah, I remember you and the shot in the hand, altho I did not know who the player was behind the mask, until now. That plexiglass bunker was pretty cool. But, of course, the other team painted it within seconds of the game starting, making it pretty useless. That window probably earned Rennick Miller $500 additional in paint sales.

[tasker89]

Biff,

At one time or another I worked at FRG as a ref and at their store as a manager/sales guy. (I'm not to be confused with Big Adam who I believe is currently working in Aurora) I've also worked at Bad Boyz and I even put in some time at CenterFlag before things went south there.

That hand shot stung.

[Old S.O.B.]

Biff,

At one time or another I worked at FRG as a ref and at their store as a manager/sales guy. (I'm not to be confused with Big Adam who I believe is currently working in Aurora) I've also worked at Bad Boyz and I even put in some time at CenterFlag before things went south there.

That hand shot stung.

Yeah, I can still feel it. And I know which Adam you are.