Rich Telford began like just about everyone else in paintball. One day he went out, rented paintball equipment and just plain loved the game. Shortly after that he was asked to play for a local team called “Black Sunday”. It didn’t take long for Rich to take paintball seriously going on to play with a team called Kwick Maxx who won the AM World Title. Next Rich went on to join the Ironmen Two and played the Pan AM winning all of the events. Rich started playing Pro for a team called CP and from there to went on to play with the likes of Bob Long. The very first year out on Bob’s team they won the title.
A couple of years later he started for the LA Ironmen and went on to win two World titles with them. Finally Rich then started XSV and has been with them ever since. Rich mentions having also played with Joy Division, Image and a couple of other teams here and there. Rich has been lucky to play with the best of the best in his lengthy career. Oliver Lang, Nicky Cuba, John Richardson, Billy Wing, Billy Cernaski, Opie Thomas, Bob Long, Yosh Rau, Todd Martinez, Thomas Taylor, Junior Brown and the list just goes on and on.
Historically some of the greatest highlights for Rich as a pro paintball player over the years would have been back in the ten man team days. In fact at the last big ten man event Rich alongside The Ironmen won the World Cup and World Title all in the same year. It had never been done before and it was the rebirth of the Ironmen, that in itself was pretty cool. Starting XSV and being the Number One or Two Team in the first three years of their existence was really cool. Traveling all over the world playing with and against the best of the best was also equally awesome.
Rich shares his thoughts and insights on XSV and notes that XSV has been an incredible experience, its been the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It has had many different integral parts to it and best of all it’s survived. They have without question the best fans in the world all of whom have supported XSV through thick and thin, with all the great sponsors and support and it’s a very special thing to be a part of.
One question facing pro paintball would have to be what needs to be done to help put it back to where it needs to be. Rich shares some of his own personal thoughts on the issues plaguing the tourney circuits of today. “The industry needs to support events and teams. If you look at the industry as a giant pyramid, with rental players being on the bottom and essentially the largest cross section of paintball players. Then on the top it’s the tournament players and events being the smallest number. Some accountant figured this out and decided to stop spending money on the few players on top and to start marketing and promoting almost exclusively to the players on the bottom. Well that worked so well that now fewer people are playing then there was five years ago. People have to have that carrot dangling in front of them. Everyone wants to be the cool guy out there traveling the world playing paintball. You have to feed the top so that people on the bottom will want to stay in the game and climb to the top otherwise they lose interest and move on. Obviously this is a simplified version of the problem but none the less accurate because of its simplicity.
As an added editors note to the comments above, simply put yes in my honest opinion we need Pro Tournament paintball. When it comes to selling paintball to the general public and government, speedball is quite simply the marketable side of the game. We need those flashy bright jerseys and the shiny paintball markers. We need those Pros to take the reins and become the face of paintball, much like any real sports league and sports game anywhere. In short what is stated above I do agree with and would liken it to removing Major League Baseball and directing all the sales to the little leagues …marketing is key, likewise is Rich’s point that Top Tournament paintball gives players something to shoot for and aspire to be.
For 2010, XSV intends to do more of the same, they want to get back on top and the only way that they won’t is if they quit, a word that doesn’t exist amongst the members of XSV. Next year they will work harder then they have this year, they will play better, make smarter moves and get closer to their end goal of complete world domination.
For those of you that follow the Catshack regularly, you know the following is one question we always ask all the greats.
If you were to give advice to the novice paintball player just starting out in the game today, what would it be?
It would change from day to day but if you want anything bad enough you can get it if you work hard enough and have a little luck. Don’t give up, if being the best at anything was easy then everyone would do it and it wouldn’t mean anything.
What would be some of your favorite paintball markers and gear you have used or are using that you would recommend?
Autococker everyone should learn on one, followed by the Matrix, man they were bad ass, next Egos as they are fast, light and dependable. If I had to pick just one gun that really stands out, it is of course the XSV ego you should get one of these bad boys. No really please go out and grab one today.
More Cat Facts – Rich Telford loves Pizza and Pasta. Movies, he loves them to death, it’s like a sickness with him. Modesto is Rich’s favorite city. Rich doesn’t like humidity or extreme hot or cold.
XSV sponsors for the 2009 season are as follows: Visit them to see what they do to help the team
http://www.JTSports.com
http://www.PlanetEclipse.com
http://www.CustomProducts.us
http://www.TheSeventhElement.com
http://www.NinjaPaintball.com
http://www.TheRPL.com
http://www.ExtremePaintball.NET
http://www.UnderStood.com
http://www.ExaltPaintball.com
http://www.BallersCafe.com (Talk to the team on the forum)
http://www.ThePaintballPark.com
To keep up more with XSV you can follow them on their networks:
WEBSITE
http://www.XSVpaintball.com (New website coming soon!)
MYSPACE
http://www.myspace.com/SacramentoXSV
http://www.facebook.com/SacXSV
Dude wickd shit i see u guys do! When i was n tha 6th grade i loved playn, not jst once it was like every dollar i got i savd up and broght air and paint to shoot up my friends n da bck yard haha but at our school n cortez colo we always talkd about it then our teacher/assis teacher ovr heard our conver said yu where her brother i was jst woundering? If a real pro baller is from my town of cortez colorado