Editing 1988 Big Apple Tournament of Champions

The '''1988 Big Apple Tournament of Champions''' was a [[paintball]] tournament held outside Newburgh, New York, in June 1988. Directed by [[Jerry Braun]], it was formally the second annual International Air Pistol Open. Forty-three teams and approximately 700 players from the United States and Canada participated.[1]

[[Navarone|Navarone Armageddon]] and the [[Lords of Discipline]] were declared co-champions and shared the first- and second-place prize money. Braun subsequently included the Florida Bushmasters in a three-way tie for first-place honours, without including them in the division of the leading prize money.[1]

== Format ==
The tournament combined initial round-robin competition with elimination rounds and a losers' bracket, allowing defeated teams another route into the prize-winning positions.[1]

Games took place on woodland fields of differing sizes and terrain. Round-robin standings used cumulative points, while later elimination games frequently lasted the full 45-minute time limit. Scheduling delays caused some matches to continue into darkness, with unfinished games carried over to the following morning.[1][2]

== Equipment ==
Markers were required to use a single 12-gram carbon dioxide cartridge, fire .68-calibre paintballs and have barrels no longer than 12 inches. The maximum permitted velocity was a three-shot average of 295 feet per second. Gravity-feed systems were permitted, while spring-feed systems were prohibited.[2]

Permitted modifications included direct feeds, quick-change cartridge systems, stocks and replacement barrels. External velocity adjusters were marked with silicone to discourage adjustment after chronographing.[1][2]

Competitors used modified Nel-Spots, Skirmish SI markers, Carter Comps and Sheridan-based markers. The Canadian team Express used prototype Brass Eagle semi-automatic pistols modified for gravity feed, although feeding problems prompted some players to switch to pump-action Nightmares.[2]

== Final four ==
The final four teams were Navarone Armageddon, Lords of Discipline, Florida Bushmasters and PMI Piranhas.[1]

Navarone Armageddon defeated the PMI Piranhas by capturing their flag. The Bushmasters and Lords of Discipline drew their match 0–0, then remained tied after a five-minute, three-player tiebreaker. A coin toss advanced the Lords of Discipline to the championship game.[1]

The Bushmasters subsequently defeated the PMI Piranhas in their placement game. The championship match between Navarone Armageddon and the Lords of Discipline ended 0–0 as darkness prevented further play.[1]

Braun declared Navarone Armageddon and the Lords of Discipline co-champions and divided the first- and second-place purse between them. He later awarded the Bushmasters a share of first-place honours because their win-and-tie record matched Navarone's.[1]

{| class="wikitable"
! Team !! Reported outcome
|-
| [[Navarone|Navarone Armageddon]] || Co-champion; shared first- and second-place prize money
|-
| [[Lords of Discipline]] || Co-champion; shared first- and second-place prize money
|-
| Florida Bushmasters || Subsequently included in first-place honours; did not share the first- and second-place purse
|-
| PMI Piranhas || Lost the placement game to the Florida Bushmasters
|}

== Contemporary reporting ==
Jessica J. Sparks' report criticised scheduling delays and the absence of announced tiebreaking procedures, while recognising the tournament's experimentation with formats and equipment rules.[1]

Russell Maynard reported that competitors used more than 650,000 paintballs during the event.[2]

The opening paragraph of Sparks' report gives 24–25 June 1988, but its subsequent account describes Sunday finals. Maynard describes a three-day tournament.[1][2]

== See also ==
* [[1987 International Air Pistol Open]]
* [[Jerry Braun]]
* [[National Survival Game]]

== References ==
# Jessica J. Sparks, “The Big Apple Tournament of Champions”, ''[[Action Pursuit Games]]'', October 1988, pp. 28, 30 and 32.
# Russell Maynard, “Tournament Notes: High-Tech Hardware”, ''[[Action Pursuit Games]]'', October 1988, pp. 29 and 31.

[[Category:Paintball tournaments in the United States]]
[[Category:Paintball in New York]]
[[Category:1980s in American paintball]]
[[Category:1988 in paintball]]
[[Category:Paintball tournament results]]