02/26/2021
My Friends, industry partners and fellow airsofters,
Most of you know that Roundhouse Productions has been a staple in the Bay Area airsoft community for 20 long and amazing years.
Our first official event in 2001 was a fun little event in the stockade paintball facility on Fort Ord. We might have had a total of 30 friends come out to play that first day. Within a few months, we were growing and decided to host the first ever CQB Challenge. This training/competition event had around 40 participants complete with a shooting competition and force on force events and even trophies for bragging rights. Eventually the largest CQB Challenge we saw had 120 participants and some of the best action one could ever hope for. The Cadre, role players and staff made the event and all that it was so amazing.
As we grew, the stockade facility we were using wasn't quite big enough to host our explosive growth and the Fort Ord Reuse Authority granted us permission to use the Holtz Bay facility. With 125 attendees present, we saw our first event there and the famous and unfortunate discovery of a murder victim at our site a month later on the 2nd event date.
We moved 18 months later to Hayes Circle and the Crossroads and saw our largest events held monthly. 400-500 airsofters battling it out in the best urban environment we could ever want. We didn't just hold the largest monthly games at this point, we held the largest games anywhere in the country and consistently largest monthly games in the world. The staff running these events had to coordinate, track and keep safe 500 participants over 150 acres and 150 duplexes. No small feat and certainly could not have been done without the amazing team that backed up Roundhouse.
When the City of Marina took ownership of the land, we were moved to our current home at Heartbreak Ridge, named after the 7th Infantry Division which was stationed there and took part in the battle of Heartbreak Ridge.
We operated at this site for just over a decade. Hosted the TRAPs events, Ai500 international weekend events, Operation Marshall and consistently had an attendance average of 150 people on site every month. A common recurring theme is the staff and role players dedication to the sport. We had the best in the business coming out and acting as Opfor, role players, marshalls, medics, safety and facility personnel and game controllers.
Many of you who joined us in these events might have met and might not have met these people behind the scenes. These professionals, many Vets, Law Enforcement and First Responders and active Military made these amazing events like TRAPs and Op Marshall possible. Their experience, background and knowledge brought you the experiences we all loved. Their vision, direction and input created the scenarios we experienced. Without them, Roundhouse would not have been what it had become.
With this history though, it must come to an end.
With heavy hearts, I must inform you that airsoft at Fort Ord is no more.
The City of Marina has always been up front with us about being on borrowed time. The land we used was slated for a recreational park before we took ownership of it. The fact that we lasted for the decade at this location we had was a mixture of timing, good fortune, a little skill and some lucky breaks. The pandemic though gave the opportunity to the City to move forward with a demolition plan and funding that cleared to declare the 3 phase removal of the remaining buildings on Ord started this year and within the next 24-36 months the remaining buildings at Ord including Hayes Circle will be removed.
The recent City council meeting solidified that plan and solidified our future or lack of at Ord.
So my Friends, I thank you all for the amazing memories, times and experiences you joined with me and let me have with you at Fort Ord.
Thank you all for being a part of my Airsoft Experience.
Until our next adventure.
