GIVING THE NEW MASKS A GRILLIN.

Everyone who plays ball has some sort of mask preference. Mine has always been the JT ProFlex. Since we first started playing it was the only mask I really wanted to use. It's kinda the mask that every baller could recognise even if you just saw the outline of it. It's the iconic paintball mask! Now Al never liked it? Something about it being too big for his pea head and too much fussy stuff like the soft ears and the large rubber chin piece. His joint was always the Dye Invision masks. They always felt too cramped for my head, and where a bit too much of a ghay design for me. Suited him perfectly for some reason.

So this season we where lucky enough to pick up V-Force as a sponsor. Now it's not like me to not want to wear anything that I got for free, but let me tell you, I was not looking forward to putting the Flex away! Al will tell you all about my whiny texts saying can't I just keep the flex, pwidy pweese!

See one of my problems was that back when we played EXL for Shockwave we where also sponsored by V-Force. They where a great sponsor and hooked us up with all the masks and lenses we could ever need, but at the time their flagship mask was the Profiler. It was actually a pretty good mask. Huge field of vision, lenses where straight forward to change compared to a Flex, and they were pretty bullet proof with the build quality. Problem was, I just didn't think they looked good with that massive fishbowl lens! Thing is, we all know paintball is 50% shooting fools and 50% looking good, so the Profiler just looked sooooo much worse than my trusty Flex. Yeah, a tinted lens helped, but it still didn't quite do it for me.

Now the one good thing about the Profiler was that for a whole year of full on EXL Xball, the mask performed perfectly. Never fogged once, hardly had to change a lens and it's still sat in my kitbag as a spare to the good ole Flex. This was the thing though. Once my sponsorship deal ended, I switched back to the mask I love. That is the true acid test.

Well now we're back in the V-Force stable, I was expecting to be a bit disappointed when I had to put the Flex to one side. Gotta say, they have really surprised me with the newest addition to the range......The V-Force Grill. This thing looks about a million times better than the Profiler! The lens has been shrunk but without cutting down on peripheral vision, and the whole feel and fit of the mask is better. It's close fitting, but not like the Dye masks that feel small. The lens can be changed in seconds by just ripping the strap off then popping it out. Even the foam round the lens can be whipped off and replaced if it gets to sweaty and stinky after those long 'Race Too' games.

Never thought I'd say it, but I'm actually a bit of a convert. It doesn't hurt that some of the top Pro teams out there are rocking them too like Impact, Heat, X-Factor and the always good to watch, Aftershock. This is the first mask I've actually considered as a replacement for my ageing Flex in forever! I've only used it a couple of times now, but it has all of the Profilers good points with non of the ugly looks. It looks totally bad ass, and throw in a smoke or mirrored lens and you'll look like a flippin serial killer at the field!

So there you have it, I might have finally found a new favorite mask. I guess time will tell, but you'll all know sooner or later as I'll always keep my Flex as a backup, it's just that that is all it might ever be now!!

Oh and the mask modding has already started. Couldn't help myself really. Every mask I have ever had has always had my K2 strap grafted onto it, and this thing is no exception. Double strapping it with the K2 was probably the easiest thing ever. Just push the new strap through the loops and your done! No sewing, or cutting. Just straight on and easily reversible. Now that's my kind of mod!!