I was busy working on some online stuff around 1000H of the 25th of August when I got a text from Master Chief that he intended to leave his place early and pick me up. I planned on leaving around 1400H for Ground Zero Woodland in Ringwood as I had to do some work in the morning. But he told me that traffic was going to be horrendous for the rest of the day and we should be on the road as early as possible or else we’ll be at Ground Zero.
Indeed, the traffic was the worst for all these years we have been going to the Ground Zero Weekender, which has now settled to its name as the “National Airsoft Festival”, which we do agree is the best name for this event. With people making the most of the last Bank Holiday before Christmas and major London train stations closed for engineering work, thus rail companies suspending travel for many of the busiest routes, this meant that more cars will be out to clog up roads and motorways.
As expected, it took us longer to arrive at Ground Zero Woodland, but still early enough that we can pitch our tent without worrying that darkness will arrive. We arrived with “H”, the overall in command of the National Airsoft Festival, busy with all the various concerns at running an organization with a main task of keeping 2,500 airsoft players as well as other visitors and sponsors, happy for four days and four nights (some arrived the day before). So far so good, the organisation looked like a well-oiled machine save for that really long queue at the Chrono station, which was set inside the Salon. The chrono test was taking up more marshals than usual as players brought more than one primary airsoft gun for the chrono according to H. I saw one carrying around 4 airsoft guns for the chrono. This was the first time that Ground Zero made a mandatory chrono for airsoft guns whereas before it was more spot checking suspected hot guns.
At the registration area, we got our players tags and documents about the game for the next two days. We also saw Kelly of Femme Fatale Airsoft and Airsoft Action Magazine there as well who dropped by to have a short chat with us. We roamed around the marquee tent areas talking to familiar faces such as Viper Tactical’s Gavin and Paul Wignell of Action Sport Games (ASG) who was busy talking to airsoft players checking out the products on display as well as the ICS airsoft guns as ASG is now the official distributor of ICS Airsoft in Europe.
Going inside the Zero One shop, it was well stocked with products that any airsoft players will need for the weekend, from airsoft guns from the well-known airsoft brands, to tactical gear, as well as accessories to get kitted out fully for the next day’s battles.
Usually, the first day of National Airsoft Festival is more of socials with a pistol and shotgun game for those with itchy trigger fingers but had no bearing o the game for the main event. But for this year, the groups, Bravo, Delta, and The Others, get the chance to draw first blood for their groups not on the skirmish field but on digital tablets. The Forces of Freedom mobile game, which was first introduced here last year, was back with a mini-eSports tournament wherein the winning group can get special missions to earn more points for their groups in the next day.
The Forces of Freedom game kicked off around 2000H, starting first with warm-up games for the players to settle down before the online battles took place. The first match was between Delta and Bravo in which Delta won. This was followed by The Others taking on Bravo and win as well, paving the way for a finals showdown with Delta.
The final battle of the Forces of Freedom was an exciting one as it was a see-saw fight between Delta and The Others. Delta won the first round in a best of seven final but The Others took the next two rounds. Delta then took the fourth round, tying the game at 2-2. The Others then won the 5th round, leading at 2-3 but it was tied again by Delta to 3-3 bringing the game right down to the wire. After a few tense minutes, Delta emerged victorious, accomplishing the first objective for their group.
It was already 2200H when the Forces of Freedom showdown wrapped up and we eventually got to grab our pints of beer at the beer tent. Whilst many of the players were down at their camps and tents having their drinking bouts and telling war stories of past Ground Zero events, Master Chief and I spent our time at the beer tent on what we had to do for the next two days. We got interrupted time and again as familiar faces, people whom we have met over the years at the Weekender showed up and said hi to us as they made their way to the bar to chug down a pint or two before heading back to their tents.
By 2330, we decided to call it a night as we had a long day. Good thing it was just a short walk to our tent as we were just near the marquee. It will be a longer day tomorrow, when hostilities start and find out who will win the war at the National Festival 2017.
More photos at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.