Tour de Force (paintball team)
Tour de Force was an American professional paintball team based in Northern California, active during the early 1990s. The team competed in major 10-man tournaments and won the 1992 Lone Star Open in Dallas, Texas, finishing ahead of the Ironmen, All Americans and Constant Pursuit.[1]
Tour de Force was among the established Northern California tournament teams of the period, alongside the Ironmen, Constant Pursuit and California Black Diamonds.[2]
History
[edit]Early competition
[edit]Tour de Force competed in national tournament paintball during the period preceding the establishment of the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL).
The team was part of the Northern California competitive paintball scene, which produced several nationally recognised professional teams during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Tour de Force was one of four Northern California teams featured in an article about the region's leading competitors in the April 1993 issue of Action Pursuit Games magazine.[2]
The team's precise founding date has not been established.
1992 tournament season
[edit]Tour de Force achieved its most significant documented tournament victory at the 1992 Lone Star Open in Dallas, Texas.
Competing in the open 10-man division, Tour de Force finished first ahead of the Southern California Ironmen and All Americans.
The top five finishers were:
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 1st | Tour de Force |
| 2nd | Ironmen |
| 3rd | All Americans |
| 4th | Constant Pursuit |
| 5th | Assassins |
The published standings also included the California Black Diamonds, Bad Company, California Bushmasters and Chicago Aftershock.[1]
Tour de Force subsequently finished third in the professional 10-man division at the 1992 Bay City Open in Northern California, behind the Ironmen and California Black Diamonds.
The tournament's top five were the Ironmen, California Black Diamonds, Tour de Force, Sudden Death and Florida Terminators.[1]
1993 and later history
[edit]Tour de Force was represented in the 1993 Smart Parts Paintball ProSet trading card collection, which featured six players associated with the team.[3]
The collection provides a surviving contemporary record of players affiliated with Tour de Force during this period.
The team's later competitive history and the date on which its original professional roster ceased competing have not been conclusively established.
Notable players
[edit]The following players were featured as Tour de Force representatives in the 1993 Smart Parts Paintball ProSet collection:
- Jeremy Garcia
- Dave "Weasel" Cook
- Jim Davis
- Greg Patterson
- James Conlow
- Kevin Garcia
These six players appeared on cards numbered 1–6 in the collection.[3]
Dave Cook subsequently played for the Ironmen and Avalanche, among other professional teams. His association with Tour de Force was confirmed in a 2023 interview published by Paintball Nerd.[4]
Professional player Oh Powlack was also associated with Tour de Force. His previous membership of the team was documented in an early WARPIG interview covering his paintball career.[5]
Selected tournament results
[edit]| Year | Tournament | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Lone Star Open, Dallas | Open 10-man | 1st [1] |
| 1992 | Bay City Open, Northern California | Professional 10-man | 3rd [1] |
See also
[edit]- National Professional Paintball League
- Ironmen (Southern California)
- Constant Pursuit
- California Black Diamonds
- List of historically significant paintball teams
References
[edit]- ClassicScores – 1992 Lone Star Open and Bay City Open Tournament Results.
- Action Pursuit Games – April 1993 issue, Northern California tournament team feature; issue description archived by Bacci Paintball.
- Trading Card Database – Tour De Force, 1993 Smart Parts Paintball ProSet.
- Paintball Nerd – Interview with Dave "Weasel" Cook, 29 August 2023.
- WARPIG – Oh Powlack, Hotseat Guest No. 1.