DURTY DAN BIO

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT DURTY DAN

I joined the Canadian Forces (CF) in 1979 and spent a few years in the infantry (2nd Battalion, the Royal Canadian Regiment). I gained qualifications as a reconnaissance patrolman, sniper, machine-gunner and small arms instructor (foreign and domestic). After a brief stint in CF Air Traffic Control trade, I transferred into Military Intelligence (let's skip the obvious jokes), where I still serve today. My specialty was Imagery Interpretation (you know, from the spy planes, and stuff?). I eventually became an expert in biological and chemical warfare.

In November 1999 I completed 20 years of military service and went to work for a company that does satellite imagery intelligence analysis. So basically I'm doing what I was doing in the military, but for more money!

Please note that there are some links at the bottom of this page to the places I used to work.

Is Durty Dan One Person Or A Collection Of Writers Under One Name?

I get this one, or versions of it, a lot. No, there is just one Durty Dan. My real name is Dan Leger.

You see, Durty Dan has been a closely guarded secret. The "Mystery Man" persona was an idea of Randy's (then editor of Action Pursuit Games). It was fine to be anonymous for a while, but it has backfired on me. Many players believed that Durty Dan is not one person, but a collection of several writers. They sight the fact that no ONE person could write on so many different topics as "Durty Dan" has.

When Did You First Start Writing?

I started my writing career in 1992 when Randy Kamiya (then Editor for Action Pursuit Games magazine) published my first article in the February issue.

How Did You Get Started?

I just sent two articles into Action Pursuit Magazine. Randy published them and asked me for more. Nothing too interesting there.

How Many Magazines Do Your Write For?

In the order I started writing for them.

Action Pursuit Games.

Paintball Sports International.

Paintball Industry Magazine.

Paintball News.

Paintball RAGazine. (now defunct)

Paintball Magazine

Links to these publications can be found at the W.A.R.P.I.G. Resources page. (Link at bottom of page.)

How Did You Come Up With Your Motto?

Since 1993 all my articles have ended with my slogan "Play hard! Play fast! Play safe!" and it has become somewhat of a trademark for me. Randy suggested that I have some type of "closing line" for my articles. Kind of like news anchors have: "I'm Durty Dan and that's news to me." Check out the translations. Fellow players on the Internet helped me out with them.

Is Writing Your Main Source Of Income?

I wish. You don't make a lot of money at this. It's only about $100.00 an article. It pays for my addiction, though (paintball). Check out the ImStrat Corporation's website and see what I do. (Link at the bottom of this page)

Why Are You "The World's Most Famous Recreational Player"?

Because no one else is?

Actually, it's because the three most popular ways to become a "household name" is either to be a tournament player, a major retailer or a manufacturer. All these have eluded me. In over ten years of paintball playing experience, I have never participated in a tournament. (Although I play in a local paintball league, it's more of a fun thing, there's no real competitive desire to win at all costs.) I'm just a recreational player.

I have had many articles published, and although I'm not a household name, I'm still well known, I guess that makes me famous.

How Long Have You Been Playing?

I played my first game in June of 1984. I really sucked. I still suck, just not as bad. I played off-and-on until the summer of 1991 and them I started working at a local field (since closed--not my fault, that camp fire was completely extinguished when I left) and I played pretty much every weekend. Our club, the Canadian Contingent, plays about twice a month.

How Did You Get Your Nick Name?

It had nothing to do with paintball. I was on my qualification course for Military Intelligence [insert tired and obvious joke here]. I decided to take it seriously (something I rarely do). Because I was so quiet and unassuming, one the fellows on course decided I needed a "rep". He started calling me Dirty Dan (note spelling). The nick name followed me to Ottawa because the guy that gave it to me was the supervisor for the section I worked in. Pretty soon every body started calling me that. The spelling came about when a friend of mine (a fellow American Civil War enthusiast) wrote me a note. We had a habit of writing notes and reminders to each other in a southern drawl. The note read, "Come to yur desk. Ya'll wern't here. Whar is ya'll, Durty Dan?". The rest is history. My original paintball nick-name was "Tex" because I wore American Wild West costumes when I played.

Do You Play In Tournaments?

Nope. I do have one of those pull over "bouncy" shirts, though. I do play in the local Golden Triangle Paintball League, but it's a "fun league". I do it so I have more than just my friends, in the Canadian Contingent, to shoot at me. Complete strangers don't gloat as much when they nuke me. Also, we attend the recreational tournament that is held in conjunction with Big Game East in New York.

I did play in Skyball 2000, but it was in the Pump Division and Bob Long told me that didn't count as tourney play.

Where Do You Live?

Just south-west of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In a very large and famous Canadian community of Carleton Place. I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia (same country) and lived in Moncton, New Brunswick (still the same country) from 1970 until I joined the Canadian Forces (of the same country).

I've Read A Lot Of Your Articles, You Must Be Pretty Good, Right?

Puh-leeze! I'll give you a hint as to my prowess on the paintball field. The group that can say "Durty Dan shot me" is more exclusive than the group that can say "I shot Durty Dan". Newbies aren't even afraid of me.

How Can I Get Published?

Read How To Be A Paintball Writer. I don't guarantee it'll get you published, but it'll put you in the right direction.

What Are Some Of Your Other Interests?

First and foremost, I consider myself a writer and artist (mainly pen and ink drawings and recreations of 18 th century magazine illustrations). I enjoy a good military sci-fi novel (few writers can do military sci-fi well--I hope to be one of them someday.)

I am interested in Irish Celtic history and mythology, the American Civil War and Wild West. I'm a big John Wayne and Clint Eastwood fan. I practiced martial arts for ten years, mostly Chinese arts (Hung Gar kung fu, to name one) and took a little kenjitsu (with the actual steel samurai sword not the bamboo stick, that's kendo). I once spoke almost fluent Mandarin Chinese (which gives an indication of how heavily I was into the martial arts), but I haven't spoken a word of it in over ten years and I couldn't tell you what "hello" is now.

However, I CAN say "crap" in seventeen languages, including Comanche (it's "ki-yi"). When someone asks me what I collect, I say I collect crap, and I'm not lying.
I also do a pretty decent Peruvian, mountain muskrat mating call.

How Many Articles Have You Written?

Since 1992 I have had close to two hundred articles published (it's amazing how far a little creative photography -- of the magazine's editor -- can go). As Randy Kamiya (the editor of Paintball Industry) so nicely put it, "Durty Dan is the most prolific writer in paintball. (We didn't say he was good, he just writes a lot."

How Many Games Have You Played? How Many Paintballs Have You Shot? How Many . . .

I honestly don't know, exactly. Here are some ball-park stats.

• I have played around 20,000 games of paintball (including big games and scenario games).

• I've eliminated about 7,000 players (notice I didn't say OPPONENTS?)

• I have been eliminated around 15,000 times. (At the very least.)

• I have spent well over $10,000.00, in Canadian dollars (which is about $5.50 US) on equipment, paint, playing fees, and sundry repairs and modifications.

• I've shot around 1,000,000 balls. (This includes target practice and chronographing.)

What markers do you own?

For the last 10 years I've been changing markers more than I've been changing my socks. I've had a Bushmaster (the old pump, not the semi), an F2 ILlustrator, and AFT, a couple of Palmer's markers, a KP3 and dozens more. I've managed to settle on the following:

CLICK HERE for the Guns of Durty Dan

All of these markers run on 12 grams. I don't use constant air, nitrogen or any of the bulk air systems. The markers that have direct feeds have stick feeders on them. I also only use ten-shot stock class tubes to carry my paint. Yes there are more efficient systems out there, I just choose not to use them. (With the exception of the Tippmann semis, they're old and they're gas pigs, so I'm forced to use constant air. I got about five shots per twelve gram out of them, so at least I tried. I also run the 68 SPecial with a 60 round hopper I made myself.)

Are you ever going to write a book?

I WAS going to write several. Instead I decided to eventually put all my articles on this site.