SPECIAL FEATURE AIRSOFT ACTION 10TH ANNIVERSARY WHERE IT ALL BEGAN... ISSUE 1 OCTOBER 2011 When we started this journey 129 issues ago, we didn’t dare to dream it would be as successful as it has become, going from (as it was then) the “new kid on the block”, to the largest global airsoft magazine available today! Let me say right up front, a MASSIVE thank you to our readers and the companies that have supported us over the years; without you we would not be where we are now. I would also like to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to the many writers, photographers and industry professionals who have contributed to <strong>Airsoft</strong> <strong>Action</strong> because without them, quite literally, we would not have a magazine! From the beginning we determined to be different by maintaining editorial independence and, while we understood the need for commercial, as well as editorial success, that we would not be led by it. To us, the most important thing was to give our readers honest, professional, un-biased content that was relevant, well-researched and written by people who knew what they were talking about …experienced airsoft players, not “desk jockeys” or “keyboard warriors”! From day one we stated that <strong>Airsoft</strong> <strong>Action</strong> would be all-inclusive and cover every genre of the game, rather than focus on just the “Gucci”, ego-tickling bits and coined the phrase “If its in airsoft, its in <strong>Airsoft</strong> <strong>Action</strong>!” – something that is as true today as it has always been. Sure, there have been some “bumps” along the way and even challenges to the very survival of airsoft, such as when new regulations threatened to shut the game down throughout the EU and although we would never claim to be solely responsible, we are extremely proud to have been in the position to offer help, advice and assistance. I guess the biggest “bump” has been the last 20 months or so, as Covid-19 ran riot around the globe, shutting down not just airsoft but life in general. Thankfully, as I write this, things are slowly returning to some semblance of normality and, like a huge bear shaking off enforced hibernation, airsoft is roaring back to life again! Over the last 10 years airsoft has not fundamentally changed. Of course, there has been loads of innovation, masses of new kit and hundreds of new guns but when it comes down to it, the game is still the same, played with honour, integrity and respect - and we hope that we have reflected that on the pages in <strong>Airsoft</strong> <strong>Action</strong>. To celebrate our ten years of continual publication, we thought we’d dig back into our archives and re-publish a selection of articles from the thousands we have on file – but that left us with a HUGE problem… With so much to choose from, we found it impossible to decide not what to include, but what to leave out! So, instead we decided to ditch the text and just run with as many pictures of the last 10 years that we can fit onto 10 pages …a sort of “Ten Years in Ten Pages”. For some this will be a “patrol down memory lane”, for others an exploration of what came before but no matter how long you have been playing we hope you enjoy the pictures - and don’t forget, if you want to read any issue (or even all of them), our entire archive is available free of charge via the <strong>Airsoft</strong> <strong>Action</strong> website. All that remains is for me to say, on behalf of the entire <strong>Airsoft</strong> <strong>Action</strong> team, thank you once again, the last ten years have been an absolute blast and we cannot wait to see what the future holds. Play well, play hard, play with honour! See you out there, Nige. AA 44 OCTOBER 2021
SPECIAL FEATURE AIRSOFT ACTION 10TH ANNIVERSARY www.airsoftaction.net 45