Adam Stocks - So, Mr. Millennium
Adam Stocks is now handling Europe's premier paintball circuit.
A mathematics graduate and expert in many fields, he excels
at being a good spokesperson, about not divulging information.
Let's try to break the code.
Adam Stocks, 27, Director of
Operations for the Millennium Circuit
We know very little about you.
Niall (Squires, president of the Millennium circuit) knows me.
Because you live next door.
We live a couple of minutes away, in Cobham (UK). I met him
through working at his site, which must have been ten years
ago. I started working there, marshaling and hanging out on
the site. It was actually before Niall moved there, he was on
a different site. It was a corporate site, we did a lot of booking
for companies.
You were in school back then?
I finished school when I was 18 and worked in kitchens for a
couple years, before I worked full time for Niall full time
in the office and on site. And then I went to University in
Brighton for three years and studied mathematics.
Was this part of a plan?
I was always going to go to university, but when I finished
school, I decided to take a year out... you know, get a job,
make money. I never got around to going back, but after three
years, it was about time.
What did you think that you would do after your degree?
Never really had a clue. Never knew what I wanted to do. When
I finished, I didn't really do much for a year, and then got
offered the job for the Millennium.
You did play for a team called Campaign Power, or am
I mistaken?
Yes, it was composed mainly of people who worked at the site.
Niall used to play with us as well. That all kind of finished
last year.
You didn't have the time?
Now, I have to work at every event. Last year, I was only working
part time, so I could still handle it.
Did you consider yourself a good paintball player?
Not 'great' good, but OK. I was a mid player.
Do you miss it?
Not really, we didn't really have a proper team last year, it
just wasn't happen and we didn't really do well last year. I
don't miss it that much.
You are now being paid full time to run the Millennium
Circuit?
Yes.
So you did fill Niall's shoes (the president of the
Millennium)?
The way that the company is structured is changing. Last year,
each event did its own promotion, it's own tournament. They
met two to three times a year to establish what was going on,
but apart from that, there wasn't really a central unit for
the Millennium. Now, I've taken over running the company, so
I do anything from sorting all the accounts, financial stuff,
buying the equipment that we need for the events. This is to
ensure that each event doesn't have to buy the same things that
they would only use for one weekend anyway. The big part of
my job is all the scheduling. I even do things like ID cards
at the events, I'm there to answer questions...
 So
you're moving away from national tournaments towards one structure
that administers it all, much like Pure Promotions or the PSP...
It's a more centralized organization. Each promoter still does
a lot for their event, so it's not quite as if the Millennium
runs all the events. The promoters are still in charge of the
venues...
But the infrastructure is trying to be more present...
Yes.
Are you thinking of actually taking over the role of
choosing venues, and administering the events like your American
counterparts?
There isn't any plans for that at the moment.
There were many changes to the Millennium this year,
the consolidation of the 7-man and staying very close to the
US-based Super 7, to the point of having an almost joint ranking...
On the other hand, there's also been a further development of
X-Ball. Let's start with the EXL.
Last year, we ran the nation's cup in terms of X Ball, which
was held in the evening, after the 7-man thing, and people do
like it. We went to Canada for meetings with Richmond Italia
(CEO Procaps and X-Ball developer), we spoke to the teams, and
a lot of the teams do like X Ball... That's why we decided to
bring the EXL, but not in terms of nations as it was done last
year, where each national team gathered players from three or
four different teams. This year, it is a team thing more than
a national thing. And then, there's the whole meeting of the
NXL and the EXL in Orlando, Florida, for the grand finale.
How were the 8 EXL teams selected?
On the WPS ranking last year, not including marshaling points.
That was from all the tournaments, Millennium, Super 7 and PSP.
Does this ranking actually represent the paintball
penetration in each country?
For example, there's three British teams... The fact that we
have three English team is not great for geographic representation,
but if you look at the rankings from last year, we too the best
eight.
Could we talk a little bit about the tournaments this
year?
There are four events that are only doing 7-man (all
divisions including the pros), and then four events will have
EXL and X Ball as well as the three Division 7-man teams.
Some people complained about having too many events...
It's giving people the opportunity to play what they want, you
don't have to play all eight events for the ranking. You can
pick and choose according to time, location. We're offering
them a choice, not telling them to do all of them by any means.
We're coming close to the Euro Disney event in Paris
(Camp Masters), Disney is a huge deal, is this the biggest thing
accomplished by paintball in Europe for a while?
I think that Camp is doing a big job of promoting the event
well.
Is there a consolidated and grouped strategy by the
Millennium to promote paintball in Europe?
That really goes down to each organizer. They get their
local media, it's mainly just them.
Do you think that it will remain that way, or do you
think that the Millennium as a European circuit could do more?
At the moment, for media on a local scale, it's far easier to
get the promoters' local knowledge and contacts to work that
aspect.
 Will
there be more control by the main body of the Millennium over
issues like marshaling?
We still have teams to marshal some of the fields, and they
get points for their rankings. But the X Ball fields and some
7-man fields are handled by special paid referees that we fly
in. In theory, the quality should be better.
What major problems did you encounter last year in
marshaling?
Last year! Trying to remember... It was more of a consistency
thing, some of the teams are excellent, some of teams aren't
up to standard. Another thing that we've done to improve on
that, we still have teams judging for points. But we also brought
in a head marshal for each field that is independent, basically
there to watch the other marshals and make sure that they're
doing their job.
Speaking of cheating, the Super 7 has started to look
more into the problems linked to electronic guns... It looks
like this is a war that we're not close to winning.
They had a prototype for a checking robot in Huntington Beach,
you're never going to be able to catch everyone. In Germany,
we had people checking markers randomly, and at least two people
were caught, and games were forfeited for that. We're trying
to check as many teams as we can, randomly throughout the day.
If when you catch people, you go down hard on them, it's more
of a deterrent.
It also reminds me a little of Formula 1, and after
a pilot death in the early 90s, all cars were slowed down. Do
you think that technology in paintball should be more regulated?
Some people even suggest full auto... For a start, it's actually
illegal to have full auto markers. Sure, you could reduce it
to 8 balls a second, but go full auto... But it becomes a legal
thing and also an insurance thing. That's a whole world of other
problems. Frankly, I don't really know. It's really down to
ramping, hacking the cards, etc...
So you don't see this problem being solved any time
soon?
You'll never be able to get every one.
And now, for something completely different, in a preceding
interview, Gary Shows, promoter for Dye, said that going to
the Millennium was like stepping ten years into the past. What's
your take on that?
I don't know what aspects he's really referring to, but I think
that we're certainly one of the best series in the world.
Could you give us three things that will make the Millennium
better than last year?
Basically the link with the Super 7 in terms of 7-man
and bringing in the EXL. Originally we planned just for the
EXL, but because of demand, we had to create an open X Ball
division as well.
From a European standpoint, is it now a given that
there can coexist two major leagues in the US, the PSP and the
NPPL?
I don't really know anything about the PSP, I've never
been to one of their events. I work for the NPPL at their events
as well, I know that they're doing well, but I don't know much
about the PSP.
Yet you are tight with the NXL?
The top four European X Ball will go and play against the top
four US NXL teams.
 Rumors
about the NPPL Super 7 stepping into Europe.
I've heard those rumors, but that's all I've heard. I don't
know anything at this time.
Why would they want to?
Don't know, I haven't spoken to them so I can't comment.
Something you love, something you hate?
I love fast cars and beer, but not mixed. And I hate... interviews
and photos.
INSER:
"But the X Ball fields and some 7-man fields are handled
by special paid referees that we fly in. In theory, the quality
should be better."
"But we also brought in a head marshal for each field that
is independent, basically there to watch the other marshals
and make sure that they're doing their job."
"For a start, it's actually illegal to have full auto markers.
Sure, you could reduce it to 8 balls a second, but go full auto...
But it becomes a legal thing and also an insurance thing. That's
a whole world of other problems."
TRUE LIES?
So we knew that Adam wouldn't want to talk to us about your
personal life, so did done something different. We asked players
to anonymously pitch questions that they wanted to ask you.
We received around 50 and picked five. And yes, they're all
very mean.
1. Is it true that the chrono judge at the
Maxs master who had found so many cheating guns was relieved
of duty during the testing of Dynasty and Arsenal's markers...
Is it true that both teams accepted each other's illegal markers
and an Ultimate judge agreed on this kind of deal? I haven't
talked to the judge yet. I can give you an answer later... Not
that I heard, this is completely false.
 2.
The entry fees for teams and vendors in the Millennium series
is higher every year. Is it true that prize money in divisions
1-3 is much lower than in the years before? Are the pros getting
all the money or are the promoters greedy? We've changed the
way that we're doing prizes in Divisions I and II. Previously,
we would give them vouchers for products, but now, they're actually
getting cash. We haven't published anything on our website yet
because the prize money is basically linked from what sponsorship
money we get in. And we're still waiting for last minute deals
to give a final figure. Last week, Kingman just stepped in,
which will represent more money for the prizes.
3. Is true that very famous players from a
certain triple world champion team played for a Division II
team (two categories down from their normal level). Isn't that
a little unfair? It's true that one well-known player did that
(Rodney Squires). The wording in the rules will explain it.
This is technically the first event of the season, if he had
played an event and then transferred down, he would be stuck
in Division II. But since it's the first event, it's within
the rules that he can play this first event.
 4.
Is it true that there are no more prizes for the series winners?
Last year, the first eight teams in each category got some prizes,
this year, there is nothing. Does this mean that marshaling
points are valueless, and if this is the case, where's the incentive
to marshal? What about the plan to give 10, 000 Û to three
randomly chosen marshal teams? Yes, there aren't any prizes
at the end of the season, the prize money is being given out
after each event. The incentives to marshal, it looks good for
the teams if they do come first... It's great for their sponsorship,
and the marshaling helps for the ranking. I don't think that
any other series gives prizes at the end of the series. As for
the 10,000Û, it's not 'randomly' chosen teams, it's for
the three teams that have had the best feedback. Each judge
evaluates them at the events.
5. Is it true that winners of the Millennium
Series (the most prestigious European Paintball Series) will
be determined and crowned in Miami (US)? So all the teams probably
making it to the podium in the series ranking have to fly to
Florida to get trophies and a little recognition? Miami is part
of the Millennium series ranking. We're sharing rankings with
the NPPL and the other way around, so yes, the rankings won't
be determined until Miami. The last event will not be a European
event, but it is part of the Millennium.
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