Shatnerball Trip 2004
Challenge Park Extreme Chicago Saturday Open Day
  • Travelers included: George Lewko, Kathie Labossiere, Darryl & Colene Kuny
  • We drove 2,100 km straight to Chicago, leaving Thursday Sept. 2, 2004, late evening until Friday Sept. 3 11 p.m., with only minor stops.  Darryl & I only slept about 1/2 hour.
  • It was nice driving at night.  We only hit one skunk out of a possible 20 in Saskatchewan, then never saw one the rest of the trip in the USA.
  • The field was Challenge Park Xtreme just outside Chicago.
  • The Open Day on Saturday was nice to get to know some of the field.
    • Darryl had Airgun look at his X-mag, and they replaced his charger.  Worked like a charm after that.
    • I played a few fields Armageddon, Bedlam and Apocalypse (which wasn't on the main field for Sunday).
    • The field paint was of seconds grade, plus you couldn't use it on Sunday either.  Has to buy event paint which was top notch (choice of Zap, Tippmann and one other brand).  I used Zap Chronic.
    • They performed the mandatory safety inspection on the tanks.
    • Many players were in costume, as on Sunday you had to wear the event shirts or jerseys while playing.There were about 6-7 tanks total, maybe more.
    • Many players only play scenario ball and travel with their teams to many events across the U.S.A.  Quite a few local players were at their first game.
  • Shatnerball had 660 players plus.
Shatnerball Trip 2004
Challenge Park Extreme Chicago Game Day

  • George Lewko played on Bill "The Shaft" Shatners's (73 years old) team and his west side boys. The Blue Team. 
  • Darryl Kuny played on Tom "The Don" Kaye's team side. The Maroon Team.
  • The field was Challenge Park Xtreme just outside Chicago.  The story line is everybody wants to be a "Bad Guy", so it's mobster vs. mobster.
  • All players had to wear the event shirt or commemorative jersey, so it was easy to tell what team players were on.  Blue or Maroon. 
  • Game Day started early.
    • Tom Kaye arrived in a Model T.
    • Mancow (the shock jock) was a foul mouth jerk, on stage in front of many children.  He shot himself in the foot during the game.
    • William Shatner power parachuted in, and was them picked up in the Model T.
  • Kathie & Colene guarded our equipment in the staging area.  That was great so we didn't have to walk out to the parking lot every time we left the playing field.
  • Shatnerball had 660 players.
    • Tom's team took control of the field within 1/2 hour.  His team had some very experienced scenario teams which Tom sponsored.  They had great commanders & most of the tanks.
    • Bill's team was stuck at our HQ for all of the first half and couldn't break out.  It was shoulder to shoulder action.
    • About 1/2 way through the morning, The Shaft gave us a pep talk to earn some points.  During that mission, I charged into the closest bush and helped push The Don's forces back. Eventually I was overrun and alone.  I crawled forward, up to an unsuspecting maroon player.  I waited until he shot and nailed him from 10 feet away.  He never saw me, but he got up and told his buddy my location.  [Later, he told me if he knew were I was he would had shot back and "got me too".]  I crawled away from this player, and ran into a couple.  I shot them and then they returned fire.  I called out hit. As I approached them, they now called out hit, once I could see their hits.  And kept calling for a medic (only good for 1 minute after being hit, and not in the head or body) all the way off the field (a good 5 minute walk).
  • Transport to the field entrances was provided by special buses.
  • Tom's team kicked Bill's team all day.  During half time, they switched some commanders and tanks over to Bill's team.  The battle in the afternoon was more fair.
    • I played the far tape line and shot out numerous players.  I was by myself most of the time, and had to circle back continuously, and lose ground until help arrived. 
  • The Last Battle was held on "The Jungle of Doom" field.  It was crazy as 600+ players attached the Temple.  This was shoulder to shoulder and re-entry was to tag your end (our was the giant poopy head).  It lasted 1/2 hour.  Crazy stuff.
  • The bush could be very thick or fairly open.  The field was an old apple orchard, as there were tons of apples on the ground everywhere.
  • I purchased one of the autographed event banners after the auction from a kid.
  • One kid donated a marker to the auction, and three times it was bought and donated back to the kid.  This marker raised to most money of all items auctioned.
  • The auction took 2 hours and ended when it got dark.
  • We then drove home, straight away.  Arriving home Monday evening near midnight.