S.S. Ghost slays the most

S.S. Ghost Company showcased its ability to shoot, move, and communicate to haunt the competition in Gualo Rai over the weekend as the Pacifica-sponsored squad eliminated all comers to win the inaugural Pepsi 5 Man Pro Jam at Hard Corps Paintball.

S.S. Ghost Company was nearly untouchable in the opening rounds of play and carried their momentum into the finals where they skunked the Mallari Enterprises Recon in the early stages of each of the shootouts. Ghost worked its way through the flurry of paintballs to hunt down Recon 2:09 into the first seven-minute shootout before stepping it up a notch to eliminate all threats in 1:55 during the second match.

Tournament director Rob Hazlett said that he was pleased with the way tournament played out and that last weekend’s Pepsi 5 Man Pro Jam was just the start of things to come.

I think it went pretty well. There was a good turnout, everyone had a good time, and everyone was safe,” he said.

Hazlett and the crew at Hard Corps ushered in the most professional style of fake war this side of the trench by outfitting players with the same tournament-quality gear and obstacles used on the mainland.

Spectators lined the fence and cheered on their friends and family free of charge as the local boys maneuvered upon their opponents using the cover of the same inflatable targets that the pros use for the first time.

The tournament’s five-man capture the flag format was nothing like the methodical hunt-and-kill style that takes forever in the woods, as players advanced along the grass and took cover behind the big blue obstacles along the way.

S.S. Ghost Company cruised into the shootout after leading the Pro Jam with 849 points through the first two rounds of play, while Recon faced a little stiffer competition to get into the finals with 674 points. Once they met in the cage, it wasn’t even close.

The Finasisu Fache Boyz just missed out on the finals with a third place finish after racking up 526 points, while Team Chaos bagged fourth at 505. Team Citius finished in fifth place after compiling 226 total points, and the Canopy Sales Ichibang brought up the rear with 283 tallies.

For their efforts on the course, Ghost earned $500 in cash from Pepsi and the first trophy from Hard Corp Paintball, while Recon took home three cases of quality Diablo Heat ammunition, a trophy, and five complimentary field passes to Hard Corp Paintball. Third place was good to the Finasisu Fache Boyz, as they left with a 32-Degrees pack that came fully equipped with two pods and 280 paintballs in addition to a trophy and five complimentary field passes to Hard Corp Paintball.

Hazlett said that he plans to schedule the next major event at the Gualo Rai facility in February, but has not yet released any details. He said that he wouldn’t have been able to pull off the event without the support from the folks at Pepsi, the hard work from the members of Team Hard Corps who officiated the event, and the volunteers who spent the better part of the day under the sun ensuring that everyone had a good time.

The tournament created a buzz in the combat community, and while the competitors wait for next month’s tournament dates and times to be announced, Hazlett said that they can take advantage of Hard Corps Paintball’s weekend hours for open play from11am to 5pm.

Anyone 12-and-over can play, but if players are under 18 years of age, they need to have their parents sign a waiver. The cost to hit the field running is just $10, and those without their own markers can rent the BT4 Combat for $15

For more information about the Pepsi 5 Man Pro Jam or any of the other events at the course, contact the professionals at Hard Corps Paintball by calling 234-0774 or by stopping at their Gualo Rai shop on Middle Road next to the Shell stations.