Welcome to The Catshack Reports Mr. Wayne Montle, host of the Blast Radius Woodsball Podcast. Blast Radius is yet another source for broadcasting paintball goodness alongside a growing group of media outlets covering the sport of paintball.In this article Wayne covers his beginnings and discusses his Blast Radius Woodsball Podcast that has taken him on an incredible journey across continents as follows.
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First let me say thank you for inviting me to the Catshack, it’s a pleasure to be here.
I grew up in southeast Ohio with some great friends that were (and are) as close as brothers. Sometime around 1990 we ordered two Splatmasters. Since we didn’t have masks at the time we began by taking turns shooting each other in the back at about ten paces – just to get the feel of it. Later we played capture the flag and simple elimination games in the woods, and at night we would turn on the lights in my uncle’s barn to keep the game going. We were hooked. Later we started a small field where more friends and family could come rent Pro-Lites and buy paint and CO2 from us.
I started the show in July 2006. The idea began when my wife showed me an article in our local paper about podcasts . I loved the concept of individuals sharing their ideas and hobbies with the world via the internet. It seemed like the perfect way to share the camaraderie and friendship I got out of paintball with a larger audience.
Blast Radius Woodsball Podcast is an online radio show that focuses on
recreational, scenario, and woods paintball. The website is http://brwp.net. Each episode can be played back from the website or downloaded as mp3 to listen later. We are listed on iTunes. We cover everything from team profiles to gear reviews to industry news and event coverage. I think our specialty, though, has been long-form interviews. I enjoy getting past the headlines and digging deep to hear the whole story from a guest. Plus we love traveling to great events and sharing our adventures with the audience.
When the show began I was part of an SPPL team. My then-teammates helped me pick the show name and get things rolling. If you listen to those early episodes you’ll hear segments contributed by them.
Within the first year Ben Holder joined the show as my cohost. Ben had written an email to me describing how he and his mates in Australia were playing bushball (aka paintball). He said they enjoyed listening to BRWP. I invited him and his friend Richard Maconochie on as guests. I laughed more during that interview than any before or since – they had me cracking up. Ben and I kept in touch after the interview and he gradually became a regular part of the show. Now he is one of my best friends despite being on the opposite hemisphere.
There are so many events we have been a part of it’s difficult to pick. My trip to Australia to cover a scenario game there in 2008 was amazing. I have the terrific fans to thank for that (and my wife). I had a great time at the Skyline Nation game in Alberta last year. There have been so many great guests that I admire for a variety of reasons – Jim “Hangernaid” Helton, “Paintball” Pete Russell, Rob “Tyger” Rubin, Chris “Doobie” DuBois, Mike Casady, Jason “Foolybear” Lineberger, and I could go on. Also, our recent coverage of the 50cal controversy received a record-breaking number of downloads plus acclaim within the industry.
Last year we reported on events in the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe, plus OK D-Day and additional reports and guests from all over the world. In 2010 we will continue to get out to as many events as possible, plus in-depth reporting from the studio. We will continue to emphasize safety and sportsmanship as underlying themes in each episode. I have some slight format changes in mind, but overall the show will continue on the same path. Broadcasting live video while we record the episodes is something we started recently, and there are plenty of ways we want to improve that aspect of the show. It’s a good way to bring BRWP to a larger audience.
One last comment, Tom – I want to say thanks to all the fans that have downloaded our show and continue to play paintball the way the sport deserves to be played, with honor and integrity.
Best,
Wayne Montle
Blast Radius Woodsball Podcast
Your online resource for recreational paintball, woodsball, and scenario games
