Posted: 3/23/2026 5:40:27 PM EDT
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Wondering what this is? Click ME to see the CWW12 event thread... Peep Flynn endured a surreal adventure, returned to the user side of the screen. Long did we toil together, to master the grid and program our resilience to new levels. Attached File The desert sand circuits of the Wasteland yielded to few and penalized many. Fortunately no-one was derezzed, though one got close. Thanks to Wachs and Nick for the health overwatch and directing all to hydrate. Attached File Obstacle 0 presents a challenge every year. Dedicating the time and funds to travel is appreciated, thanks for joining us. The new road made traveling much easier this year, with just a few struggling on the new path. Thanks for persevering, and gratitude for those who ventured out to bring in those who wandered among the sands. A few small vehicle mishaps this year, but nothing permanent that I’m aware of. Huge appreciation to those who helped prep the early weekends ensuring the event was so successful. Big appreciation for the much equipment hauled in and trailers drug to and from. Heat during the event was fairly brutal. The weather at night quite comfortable. Each day warmer than the last until the final day when the grid overheated forcing us to the shade. It was great to see old friends and make new ones. I’m once again impressed with the quality of people who come out to enjoy the suffering together. This year was a ton of fun and very low drama. I appreciate that greatly. It’s easy to be concerned looking around the world we live in. I find immense joy and relief in knowing such excellent people exist. There is good in the world - you are proof of it. Huge thanks to all the event staff and volunteers who took the time to prepare for the event. To score runners, keep people safe at the range, call hits, reset targets, cook DELICIOUS food, help handle logistics, get porta potties to the site, a wonder CUCV water buffalo, hauling trailers and a MOUNTAIN of other things that needed doing. I appreciate everyone who “saw a need and filled a need” as the event went on. A special shout out to Baja Gringo for providing many tables, shade, trash trailer, and cooking implements. Thanks to HDLS for all his long days of toil to keep us fed. Lunch on Thurs, breakfast Friday, tasty various things at the fire Friday night. To Josh for delicious dutch oven chicken pot pie for Thurs dinner and Friday lunch. Shout out to 8edeuce who donated the red shin and cooked it, and HDLS for the Birria. Friday lunch Birria spicey noodles was amazing. Huge thanks to my father for coming out and feeding us the largest dinner of the event on Friday. So much tasty barrel smoked chicken and sides. Apple pies this go, I think I ate a whole pie!! If anyone went hungry, it was their own choice. Anthem_of_the_mind for hauling out the water trailer, coordinating the bathrooms, running the kids course and so much more. I'm happy event funds could replace those poor worn tire. Everyone tasked with minor or major items, sometimes with little notice or even without request. THANK YOU ALL! Thanks for your patience with the dust, my kiddos greatly enjoying running the light karts around bringing friends along for the ride. Attached File Thanks to the sponsors, for sending an overflowing amount of swag for us to enjoy. Some attendees felt the love of cola so deeply they too donated items to the prize table. If you won something or were awarded something at this event - go track those sponsors down. Hit them up on social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, their websites, email them & call them. Make an order for the things they sell and leave notes about loving their support of Cola Warrior. Review the items they make, design, and sell so others can find their wonderful products. Have an issue? Please contact the sponsor directly to address. If there is an improvement to be made - they LOVE feedback and improving their wares. Attached File I'm excited about the hard work everyone put in preparing themselves physically and training to perform better. There were fewer obstacle penalties this year. This was a highly penalized event due to the challenges at the range. 24 pistol targets and 18 rifle targets made for a tough course. The importance of building up a shooting position quickly and engaging targets was driven home. This year being able to build a tall unsupported position was critical with a ¼ IPSCA at 107y and 115y shot standing off hand at. CW West is a great place to learn how important high-capacity magazines can be (also known as standard capacity). Be ready for a wave of Master Command’s henchmen, but be accurate as they are many. Never give up in the face of the challenge, find a way. Thus we have come to the end of our circuit, the laser re-rezzing us into the real non cola world. Attached File All who attended, I hope you learned something about yourself. A strength you didn't know you possessed. A weakness you identified, to turn into a strength. I look forward to hosting West 13 and seeing how everyone improves. I hope everyone returned with a memory disk full of adventure, knowledge, and goals to crush. The families who attend, I can't wait to see your kids grow and improve, learning to challenge the world. See you next year :). If you saw families enjoying themselves and think yours might enjoy the trek next year, bring them. We really do mean a family friendly event. People from all walks of life can feel at home amongst our brother (and sister) from another mother reunion. Never stop improving. Let's keep climbing together! Do hard things - be excellent to each other. |
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What a great event! Thank you Stoner for hosting, our generous sponsors: Geissele, ADM Mfg, Leupold, ALG, SirSqueeboo, CCI/Speer, Arms Unlimited, Jolly Green Juan & Esstac as always. New candle sponsor Splat2013 sent some really good smelling peep candles as well! Big thank you to fellow staff/helpers meester murphy, B & L Clowers (side note, congrats to all 3 of you for your top 10 finishes!), Ginger Jew, HDLS, 8edeuce, wax, Papa Stoner.. oh and maybe my husband too. I'm sure I'm blanking on others so thanks to anyone else who helped. It was hot and there were many people who ensured we had water and shade whenever we needed it. Congrats to our winners: BurnNTurn (high lady), LocalGuitarHero (overall), Fazertron (combat) and BlackTuono (night, but also ran combat) I shaved about 4 minutes off my raw time but tacked on an extra 20-25 minutes in penalties on the range. Sucked at the obstacles as expected (pretty sure the kettlebells get girthier and heavier every year), actually jogged most of the downhill, began rifle and just could not locate the targets that have been in the same spot forever so went to pistol & cleaned that relatively easily and returned to rifle where I think I might have picked up 1-2 more. Still only 5 cans via puke & rally but it is what it is. It was too hot to bring Foxy's old ass out but she definitely missed all the pets and camp food. Good to see people from last year and before improve as well as newbies who showed up and now have a good baseline for where they need to improve: hope to see yall next year better. Surprised there was only 1 thermoregulation, but he was a good sport and still wanted to run after turning greyer than the dirt on his shirt. 68 runners including Stoner, 5 of which were kiddos under 18 (not a single one of them got last place so good work, be proud!!), 11 ladies (including 1 kiddo) & I believe 12 kids on the kiddo course- at least 2 of them committed to running the adult course next year. Those of you with times higher than 200 minutes better prepare mentally to lose to even more children next year (or you know, better yourselves lol) GingerJew had the idea to compose a list of money spent on gear compared to scores and hopefully someone will be autistic enough to do that kind of math next year. Never knew grown adults would fail so hard on the chug but I witnessed two grown men barely get 1 can and another guy who bailed halfway through his first can.  See ya next year! |
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What a great event. Thanks to everyone that helped make it great. I’ve been to a few of these Cola Wars over the years and West is still my favorite. Special thanks to staff for accommodating my geriatric run. To anyone that thinks that they are too fat, old, out of shape or broken to attend a Cola War, you are wrong. |
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Thank you to Stoner, the staff, and all the generous sponsors that made West 12 possible. My favorite part about being staff is getting to meet and learn from all the incredible people that attended the event. My goal this time around was to get in to the top 10 and I ended up in 10th place. Was hoping to make the top 10 by a little bit more, but I'll take it. The first Cola Warrior I attended was West 7 and I got 42nd place. I have definitely have come a long way since then and still have a long ways to go. Thank you all for inspiring me to be better and for being the best group of random people from the Internet I could ever hope to find. Love you all and look forward to seeing you at West 13. |