NABV-IAPS Pull Off Highly Successful Dutch Open 2018 Airsoft Practical Shooting Tourney

OptimusPrime

24 Nov 2018

The BBs have been swept away, the targets discarded, and the courses of fire dismantled. That’s all in a more than week’s worth work with the NABV-IAPS, members of which worked hard and meticulously executed a smooth running of the largest airsoft practical shooting tournament in Europe this year ---- the Dutch Open 2018.

Held last 10-11 November 2018 with a pre-match for ROs (Range Officers), the Dutch Open 2018 took place the NABV National Airsoft Centre in Geldermalsen, The Netherlands for the second time. With the tournament site being under the auspices of the Dutch airsoft association, the IAPS group has full control to pull off a massive undertaking in one of the most competitive disciplines in airsoft.

We arrived on the 9th, having spent the night before in Rotterdam. Most shooters were already at the hotel in Zaltbommel, other shooters were billeted at hotels in other nearby areas but for most ROs and shooters, they were booked at the hotel in Zaltbommel. It was a pleasure to see the same crew from NABV –IAPS led by Luuk Van Hulten and Bart Verwijst as Gerard Timmers, Director of the NABV Office and Chairman of the Competition Committee was caught up in the preparations at the National Airsoft Center, as they prepare for the biggest event of the year. A pleasant dinner was hosted by them and we capped off the night at the hotel bar, though we had to call it a night early as it is going to be a long weekend.

Saturday, the first day of the match, we hurriedly ate our breakfast as we needed to drive to Geldermalsen so we can start the big day. On the dot, Gerard Timmers and Bart Verwijst welcomed all shooters and representatives of sponsoring companies to the Dutch Open 2018. They quickly went through the briefing and rules as they wasted no time to get the event going. In under the five minutes, they finished the opening ceremonies and broke up the big crowd of shooters who went to their squads so they start shooting through the COFs (Courses of Fire), the Dutch Open 2018 was finally on.

Events like this usually start slow, with shooters still trying to get themselves orientated to the layout of the stages in order to determine the best way to shoot the targets at the fastest time possible and in the most accurate way possible too. In some of the videos we posted on the Popular Airsoft YouTube Channel you’ll see them going through a stage plotting how to shoot through it fast in their minds.

We also made history in cooperation with the NABV-IAPS as Gerard Timmers immediately worked in providing us the bandwidth we needed to do the first livestream of an airsoft practical shooting event. Still a new thing for us, expect us to do more livestreaming either on our YouTube Channel or the official on Facebook.

As they day progressed, we see the shooters picking up the pace, shooting faster and of course with some in their haste, made mistakes that resulted into their disqualifications. But that’s how it goes in this highly competitive environment, even the best do commit mistakes, and they usually charge that to experience and avoid in the future.

The presence of shooters from Hong Kong, who are a class in themselves, brought the level of competition even higher. They are quick and accurate, and they set the benchmarks in every airsoft practical shooting competition that we have covered.

The officiating of the event was so smooth that by 1700H, most of the squads were done with the stages for the day. Whilst waiting we all waited for the dinner hosted by the organisers, Gerard went ahead with the raffle draw, giving away prizes provided by the competition sponsors, which was a lot. After the raffle draw, dinner was served, and we all gorged down the food, as the night was full of hungry shooters and ROs.

Back at the hotel, I almost lost the video footages I took on the first day, and frantically tried to retrieve them which took me the whole night. I was able to get most of them back, at the expense of lack of sleep.

On the second day, we were a bit late in arriving at the National Airsoft Center, as I needed to catch some sleep given the lack of sleep I had trying to retrieve lost video footage and just went about quickly taking photos and videos of the shooters in action. The second day has settled into a rhythm, with shooters going through the stages like clockwork. Still the competitive atmosphere was tense, it is the final day the shooters get to improve their scores and get higher into the standings in their categories and divisions.

As such, they upped the ante of shooting, going for the fastest and most accurate approach they can. Anyone has the chance to be the winner in their categories and divisions, so for an event such as the Dutch Open, one can be crowned as the European Champion as well.

Even if fatigue was starting to set in, being competitors, they didn’t show it one bit. They went through the stages as expected of practical shooters, prompt and abiding with the rules of that stage. Past 1600H, all the squads finished the Dutch Open 2018 stages, save for one squad but still finished on the day on time.

Tallying all the scores is quicker now as compared before in which everything was done manually, meaning pen and paper. In the past years, scores are done using tablets connected to the internet and the scores are quickly tallied. So the waiting time is shorter now as the organisers had to make sure that by 1800H, everyone will be on their way to catch flights and ferries home.

Also introduced at the Dutch Open is the Practical Shooting Duck, which is actually two toy ducks that are main features in the Dutch Open since Papendal. Now, they get to travel around the world attending airsoft practical shooting events, with one already making it to Barcelona, Spain. They even have their own Facebook Page so you can follow their travels in the airsoft practical shooting world.

Overall, it is a well-executed tournament, and for a group such as the NABV, the level of organisation is something that needs to be emulated by airsoft organisations wanting to hold events that need a lot of time and planning such as the Dutch Open. No stone was left unturned and every detail was thought of.

But that’s only half of it. The Dutch Open 2018 won’t be successful without the shooters’ participation. This year’s competition brought more shooters from more countries with Asia being represented for the first time by shooters from Hong Kong and the Philippines, apart from Brazil and European countries. As for the total of shooters the organisers were able to register 144 shooters in the match day, and 24 in the pre-match.

The NABV-IAPS, according to Gerard Timmers, are planning an even bigger Dutch Open next year, pending planning and approval by the organisation’s board. If indeed such expansion gets approved, and with the shooters up to the challenge, the Dutch Open 2019 will be a massive three-day event.

Congratulations to all the winners, shooters and organisers of the Dutch Open 2018.

Photos and livestream videos of the 2-day airsoft practical shooting action can be found at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page. More videos can be found at the Popular Airsoft YouTube Channel.

Here are the winners of the Dutch Open 2018:

OPEN DIVISION DUTCH CHAMPIONSHIP