15 minute read
EVENT: NATIONAL AIRSOFT FESTIVAL 2021
to build as groups of players form and merge and, following loads of “high-fives” and “man-hugs”, the inevitable “airsoft banter” begins!
Right alongside the event, the campsite rapidly fills with motorhomes and tents of all shapes and sizes and in previous years, has been home to
multiple team “swimming pools” and “bars” – although there is also a “quiet area” for those who prefer to sleep!
This year, the Airsoft Action crew, made up of myself and Nige and ably supported by PMCI’s Andy Nightingale, plus guest visitors, Jon, Ray and Vika, were looking forwards to another hugely entertaining event …and that is exactly what we got!
Before last year I would have been amongst the many UK airsoft players that said “Yeah, the National Airsoft Festival, what about that?” but after a totally entertaining and illuminating event in 2019 I was really, really looking forward to heading on down to Ground Zero to attend an event that I’ve done a total about face on! It’s one weekend that we all get to hang out together so that in itself makes the trip 100% worthwhile, and this year was especially poignant given the restrictions that we all faced during 2020 that meant “no NAF” for that year.
For those that are still oblivious to the event though, the National Airsoft Festival (formerly the National Airsoft Event) takes place every August Bank Holiday down at the Ground Zero site in the depths of the New Forest. The NAF/NAE has been running since 2007, when Ground Zero/Zero One made history by hosting what was at that time the largest airsoft event ever held in in the UK (and probably still is!), bringing in players from all over the UK and Europe.
At a time when we are a little bewildered as to what will happen in regards to our relationship with the rest of the world and travelling around it, in the month ahead I will say that amongst UK airsofters we frankly appear (although we are happy and willing to face some restrictions for the safety of all) to still get our game on! Many personal friends come to the NAF every year, and it’s a time when I can actually get together with them face to face, which I love. Things may change again in the months and years to come (who knows?) but one thing I do know is that these guys will always be my friends and it’s always a pleasure to see them!
The fact is that the NAF is just one HUGE celebration of airsoft, not just for UK players, but usually for players from much further afield, although of course this year the numbers were down due to ongoing international travel restrictions.
The thought of a massive airsoft game involving quite literally thousands of players is my personal worst scenario though; we all know that sadly you get the odd “cheater” at even the very best game, and the chance of that happening with so many players in one place at one time means that this is magnified. Many players, even good ones that are always willing to give the benefit of the doubt decide not to attend the NAF for this reason and, having now been twice, I think they are truly missing out on a great airsoft experience - even if they don’t play a minute! Even though the travel restrictions meant that certain friends were missing this time (Stef and the crew from the Netherlands, you WERE missed!) the Event still maintained the warm, friendly “Festival feel” and I for one needed a bit of that!
In the past the NAF appeared to be growing year on year, not perhaps in the number of active players, but in the volume of folk who turn up to camp for the weekend, see mates, bask in the sun with an ice cream or a cold beverage and shoot the breeze about
their favourite 6mm pastime. Many will say “don’t bother!” but when it comes to the NAF, pay the “naysayers” no heed! Okay, this year the numbers were down, but 1800 airsofters in one place is a goodly amount by anyone’s reckoning!
Upon arrival at the Ground Zero site you’ll be immediately impressed with the sheer size of the field and the diversity of terrain and that is just as you drive in! Ground Zero is situated about a mile from the nearest road on the private grounds of Somerley Estate in Ringwood Hampshire, and boasts some 175 acres of playable terrain, with a massive 50 acres of Safe Zone. Now you may find that latter number “overkill”, but I’m going to tell you that with nigh on 2,000 bodies and all the varied entertainment/logistics staff on site 50 acres soon becomes very, very small and intimate.
The main Safe Zone is split away from the camping area and is almost a self-contained “festival village” in its own right. There are numerous gear-sellers around the village, with Jo from www.flecktarn.co.uk and the Enola Gaye team, Ian and Dave (Ratty and Rocky to their friends!) with the VIPER stand (who made a couple of players VERY happy with their “locked crate” gear giveaway!) and the guys from BRAVO TWO TWO with their excellent t-shirts, newcomers Spartan Precision Equipment with their superb bipod system (more on that in “SHOP DROP” this issue!), Neil and Rob from AttackSense Targets (more on them later…), our good friend Taig from Kydex Customs (who is REALLY pushing along with his range and even tempted me with a rather nice MC holster for my G17!), and you could even have your photographic portrait done by Josh from Krios Photography! Then there’s a whole plethora of stands that make up the “food court”. If you wanted an ice cream or a bacon bap, then it was there for the having, and if you didn’t want to cook over the weekend then you had a choice of very well-priced Greek food (absolutely stunning kebabs!), Thai red or green curry with rice, burger and chips, good old fish n’ chips, wood-fired pizza and even fresh coffee and donuts! The licensed bar marquee this year was put up with safety in mind, being fully open on one side, and the usual outdoor table area was wider-spaced than usual for the same reason; in fact, the Ground Zero team did an excellent job of making sure that they did the best possible for player’s safety.
And I’m still not finished with what was on offer in “The Village”, as Zero One had their own Site Shop, stocking the essentials, again this year with an online ordering system that allowed you to order from their warehouse and have your goods delivered to site for collection the same day. Personally I was again a little disappointed to see their “HUGE SHOP” not there again this year, and I know others that were of the same opinion, but it was more comprehensive than 2019 in fairness. I understand it’s an enormous job for Zero One to put this together but I honestly believe that they probably lose sales to those, like me, who can’t resist an “impulse buy”, especially at a festival! I hope that they did okay, I’m sure they did, but I missed the old “big top shop”.
GAME ON!
As per past years I was able to watch all the proceedings as players arrived and booked in, and this was again done very efficiently with an absolute lack of fuss. The queue dispersed surprisingly fast though, with each player coming away with a “goodie bag” and their player armbands, Green for “Delta”, Orange for
“Bravo”, and “Blue” for the “Others”. Whilst the players booked in a multi-chrono station and zeroing range was run next door within the “Saloon” building, and once again I saw very little in the way of long lines forming. In fact the “range” stayed open late into the evening, and was in use the whole time. Across from this you could also try out the AttackSense target system that we’ve been raving on about and use for our Red Cell Test Days, and this was busy the entire time, and proved especially popular (to say the least!) with the very competitive fellows from the British Army display stand!
After a relatively swift and to the point safety brief (Team Briefs had happened well before this) it was time for “Game On” and players headed out to their respective start points. After a rousing brief from the team I/C the game started properly with a pyro barrage, and it was time to get your fight on. Although the site is HUGE it’s also broken down into smaller “game zones” that are eminently playable in their own right, and that on a regular “skirmish day” would delight anyone. There’s a small village, a “prison”, outposts, guard towers, trench systems and numerous other structures to play through. Of course, for the weekend EVERYTHING is in play at the same time, and wherever you went there was the sound of a firefight taking place. All three teams had objectives to achieve and points to be earned from them and from what I saw every objective was hard-earned by the eventual victors. Play continued throughout the day, with some hardy souls lasting the duration, whilst others returned to the camping grounds and “The Village” for much needed R&R as this year it was yet again hot, darn hot, REAL HOT and the ice cream van did outrageous business!
As Day One wound down, the evening “action” started with the raffle, and the now usual “banter” from Marshal Rich; this has become something of a legend, but if you’re of a gentle disposition it’s best to stay away, especially if you’re ginger, skinny, or a Russian it would seem! The main “action” for Saturday night appeared to be once again centred on the camping grounds where many groups had BBQs lit and their party heads on! This was where the real “festival spirit” took over, and in “The Village” the bar rocked thanks to a live band that played a real old mixture of classic tunes, but it seemed that the heat of the day had sapped everyone and the only ones dancing were numerous fancy-dressed ‘softers - and a player in a rather floppy inflatable pink pig! Beers went down in a sociable and thoroughly chilled out atmosphere, with groups from all the teams exchanging their “war stories” from the day and having a genuinely good laugh. As the evening progressed though many players moved on outside, standing by roaring fire pits and shenanigans continued… what happens at NAF stays at NAF though!
You need to make sure you have sufficient sun cream to last you the weekend at the festival, and this year you really needed it as players needed to contend with heat and the sun blazing down on them without mercy! The teams obviously felt there was still more to play for though, and on Sunday morning they headed back to the game, and they just kept on playing, gaining objectives and points whilst having a thoroughly good time. Reports are that there were actually very few heat-induced incidents, although by early afternoon a few players were heading back in as tempers wore thin. Again I believe that this was in the minority though, as most players were having a great time of it!
My final thoughts on the National Airsoft Festival 2021? The site is superb and the organisation impeccable, especially with new restrictions to contend with! The facilities on site were first rate, and the scheduling spot-on. Once again I’ll echo my thoughts of past years, as the play that I saw was hard, fast, and in the main fair, with hits taken and compliments given where they were due. The “after game” was as much fun and as lively as I’ve seen, and the bottom line is that everyone seemed to be having a thoroughly bang-on time whether they played for the duration, for a few hours, or not at all!
Whatever your style of play may be, the National Airsoft festival has something to offer you. The Festival is first and foremost just that, a joyful event that celebrates airsoft in all its diverse and wonderful forms; a festival that just happens to be set on an awesome site that has an enormous game going on at the same time… and long may it continue!
For further information for the 2022 National Airsoft Festival please keep an eye on www. groundzeroairsoft.com/nae, and I look forward to seeing you there - you don’t need an inflatable pink piggy suit to impress us …but it does help!!
A huge thanks to Josh at Krios Photography for letting us use his awesome photos. If you want to see all his photos from the event (and maybe buy some of your favourites), head over to https://bit.ly/3jLfSGW
FAVOURITE LOADOUTS
AS THIS IS A “SPECIAL ISSUE” TO TALK ABOUT OUR LOVE FOR AIRSOFT OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, WE GOT TOGETHER WITH THE LEGION AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THEIR FAVOURITE AIRSOFT LOADOUT, AND WERE SURPRISED TO HEAR THEIR ANSWERS (GIVEN THAT THESE DAYS IT SEEMS TO BE ALL ABOUT THE MULTICAM)! BILL SETS THE SCENE…
Okay, I’ve been playing airsoft on and off now for years, and in fact it’s over 27 years since I picked up my first-ever springer! In that time I’ve see a major shift in what folk wear to play, from the early days of jeans and DPM to the current “mil-spec” standard that we all see every time we play. Over the years - and especially over the last 10 since Airsoft Action kicked off - the internet and easy e-commerce has really opened up new doors for us to step through when it comes to our personal kit, and nowadays we can order direct from source if we want something specific.
Dedicated airsoft gear companies have also come into being as airsoft itself has grown and matured, and these appear to be flourishing! This means that we can have gear that otherwise would not be available to us given ITAR and other restrictions, and although they are often not made from the same MilSpec fabrics and components of the “real”, they look pretty darn close!
Many tactical clothing and gear companies have also embraced the fact that airsoft is now a major potential source of income and have sent their respective sales pitches our way at last, and when
you roll it all together it means that we have greater choice, at better prices, with quality gear designed for airsoft use! Although there are items of clothing and gear where “only real will do” for some, the fact is that we can have pretty much anything our hearts desire if we search hard enough; from boots to helmets, gloves to socks, UBACS and combat pants, TDUs, plate carriers and comms… you name it and it can be had if you know where to look!
And of course, that’s BEFORE we even get to “historic airsoft” where the growth in availability of
gear for the re-enactor market has opened up further different directions for airsoft loadouts…
I am known as a bit of a “gear magpie” and having played on numerous teams over the years, with numerous different loadout requirements, to say that I’ve built up a sizeable collection would be an understatement, but then I have had the benefit of time! My personal collection ranges from WWII “Pacific USMC”, through an entire “Nam” era collection that’s big enough on its own, 1980s British Cold War, and into modern day! There’s complete A-TACS AU and FG loadouts, ATP and MTP, Tri-colour and Multicam, DPM and DDPM all tucked away - and that’s before I get onto my “contractor” and OPFOR gear… what is my favourite you may ask, and I would answer my simple OPFOR setup!
A simple yet decent chest rig and a minimal set of belt order with a holster is my basic requirement for this, along with a good pack if ‘m going to be out longer. Some good eyepro (in my case the Australian brand BLUEYE), black First tactical combat pants, a decent
set of boots, First Tactical gloves, and of course my favourite “Team Three Stripe” Adidas tops!
Coming back to this simplicity again I found it immediately more comfortable and, in turn, I can be more “switched on” when I start playing. I’ve spent time discussing this with friends locally and it
