An estimated crowd of nearly 4,000 attended the GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo on Saturday, April 20 at the Sanford Center. The event featured free gaming, numerous gaming tournaments, over 25 technology exhibitors, door prizes, and special guest Danielle Feinberg from Pixar Animation Studios.

This one-of-a-kind regional gaming event showcases Paul Bunyan Communications’ IT and web development team which custom built and integrated much of the online technology and leverages the speed of the GigaZone one of the largest rural all-fiber optic Gigabit networks in the country.

Team Mingle Master from Bemidji- Ayden Sander, Cameron Oakgrove, and Milo Collings won the seventh annual GigaZone Gaming Championship and the top team prize of $900.  Team 50 Nations with Tyler Bos from Austin, David Bos from Brainerd, and Trevor Bos from Brainerd took home 2^nd place and the $600 team prize.  A total of 32 of northern Minnesota’s best Rocket League teams competed on the main stadium stage in the GigaZone Championship Arena.

In addition to the Rocket League Tournament, there was several other open tournaments including Fortnite, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Madden 25, and Overwatch 2, Valorant, Super Smash Bros. plus high score competitions in Bemidji Drift, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smugglers Revenge, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and Donkey Kong.  There were also two tournaments for juniors under 13 and Magic the Gathering Booster Drafts.

Official Results of the 2024 GigaZone Gaming Championship

“Again this year I’m blown away by the talent and energy on display and how people, technology, and fun come together at our event.  Everyone, including the participants, exhibitors, and our Paul Bunyan Communications team we’re all-in, showcasing the tech talent and enthusiasm that exists in our region.  I’m proud our broadband cooperative can produce and host such an exciting event!”, said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO.

.“Our cooperative continues to expand one of the largest rural fiber gigabit networks in the country and that brings many advantages to our members.  The GigaZone provides extreme speed and low latency which are critical for the best online gaming experience and the GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo showcases just that,” added Leo Anderson, Paul Bunyan Communications Technology Experience Manager.

“A huge shout out to our entire team for putting on one of the most unique events of this type in the country.  Thank you to all of the exhibitors that were a part of the TechXpo and our local partners, we couldn’t do this without them. We’re already looking forward to next year!” added Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

This Paul Bunyan Communications event includes the talents of many local partners including NLFX, Accidently Cool Games, Northern Amusement, the Sanford Center as well support from several regional and national partners.

For more information on the GigaZone Gaming Championship visit www.gigazonegaming.com

For more information about the GigaZone TechXpo visit www.gigazonetechxpo.com

We are excited to announce the winners of the 8^th Pick-it March Mania Challenge! A record 833 participants entered the free online contest to pick the winners of the college basketball tournament games for a chance to win a credit on a Paul Bunyan Communications account.

 The top 10 finishers all won a credit on their Paul Bunyan Communications account.

1^st Place-         Jacob Amble, Bemidji  $500 credit

2^nd Place-       Dean Britton, Menahga $500 credit

3^rd Place-         Sean Mull, Britt  $100 credit

4^th Place-         Dennis Bowman  $50 credit

5^th Place-         John Foster, Cohasset  $50 credit

6^th Place-         Darin Kapphahn, Laporte $50 credit

7^th Place-         John Skrbec, Grand Rapids  $50 credit

8^th Place-         Sarah Markert, Bemidji $50 credit

9^th Place-         Anthony Djonne, Bemidji  $50 credit

10^th Place-       Christina Brown, Bovey  $50 credit

Random Prize Drawing:

Jonathan Fraundorf, Bemidji   (666th place)  $100 Credit

Paul Bunyan Communications has announced that Julia Frenzel from Blackduck is the winner of the cooperative’s 2024 Youth Tour Essay Contest.  Julia is homeschooled, is in 10^h grade, and is the daughter of Chris & Jackie Frenzel. She will attend the 2024 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 3-7, with all expenses paid by Paul Bunyan Communications.

The trip features a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications industry, including careers in telecom, the critical role telecommunications plays in rural America, and how legislative and regulatory decisions affect the industry.  The tour allows youth to meet with members of Congress who represent rural constituents.  They also participate in educational sessions about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Students visit some of the nation’s most historic sites, including the Smithsonian Museums and a beautiful night tour of Washington D.C.

The Foundation for Rural Service is dedicated to informing and to improving the quality of life throughout rural America.  Each year, it organizes the Youth Tour, designed to educate rural youth about the telecommunications industry and the federal political process.  The FRS is a subsidiary of the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), of which Paul Bunyan Communications is a member.

This is the 27^th year that Paul Bunyan Communications has participated in sending a local high school student to the Youth Tour.

Register now for the Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-it March Mania Challenges, two free online contests for participants to pick the winners for the 2025 men’s and women’s college basketball tournament for a chance to win a credit on your Paul Bunyan Communications account!

You can enter one or both contests and the top 10 finishers in each will win a credit on their Paul Bunyan Communications account. First place winner will receive a $500 credit, second place is a $250 credit.  There is also a random bonus prize of $100 credit from among all who register.

For the Men’s Tournament Contest visit http://paulbunyan.pickitchallenge.com/

For the Women’s Tournament Contest visit at https://paulbunyanwomen.pickitchallenge.com/

Register anytime but remember to come back to make your picks after the tournament teams are determined on Sunday, March 16 and before the first games start March 20 for the Men, March 21 for the Women.

The Pick-it March Mania Challenges are a fun and free way to interact with others in northern Minnesota and enjoy a little friendly competition.  Must be 18 years of age or older. Limit one entry per person per contest. Prizes not redeemable for cash. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions may apply. See Pick It March Mania Challenge website for complete contest rules.

Congratulations to the Grand Rapids High School Boys Hockey team on advancing to the State Tournament Semifinals!

The Thunderhawks play Edina Friday at 8:30 p.m.

The game will be televised on WDIO, PBTV channel 13/HD 513 for customers in Itasca, Koochiching, and St. Louis County and on KSTC, PBTV channel 45/HD 545 for customers in Beltrami, Hubbard, and Cass County.  It can also be seen online at http://www.prep45.com/

All of the Thunderhawks games can be heard on Rapids Radio J105 FM, PBTV channel 1079 and streaming live in kozyradio.com

Good luck Thunderhawks from all of us at Paul Bunyan Communications!

The GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, a Paul Bunyan Communications event, is Saturday, April 20, 2024 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji. The event is now one of the largest rural gaming and technology expositions in the United States!  Admission and all the gaming is FREE!

The GigaZone Gaming Championship is bigger than ever before and will feature open gaming on various console and arcade games plus numerous tournaments for cash & prizes!  For specific tournament rules, prizes, information, and to create a GigaZone Gaming profile required to enter a tournament visit GigaZone Gaming

Rocket League- Main Stage

The main stage tournament on the esports stadium style stage in the GigaZone Championship Arena.

3-person team competition with 32 team maximum.

Fortnite

This is a No-Build Solos leaderboard tournament. The player with the highest number of kills wins at the end of the day.

Madden24

Individual competition with 32 person maximum.

Overwatch 2

3-person team competition with 32 team maximum

Valorant

3 person team competition with 12 team maximum

Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Individual competition with 64 person maximum

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Individual competition with 64 person maximum

Super Smash Bros Ultimate- Junior Tournament (Kids under 13)

Individual competition with 32 person maximum

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe- Junior Tournament (Kids under 13)

Individual competition with 64 person maximum

Magic The Gathering Booster Drafts

Jumpstart 2022 Sealed Deck at 11 a.m.    March of the Machine Draft at 3 p.m.   32 person maximum

Retro Arcade Tournaments

Ms Pac-Man, Galaga, and Donkey Kong.

Bemidji Drift-  Paul Bunyan Communications Van Racing Tournament

1 morning and 1 afternoon session 13+ and Juniors under 13.

CosPlay Contest

One contest for ages 13+, one contest for juniors under 13.

All the tournaments and contests are FREE to enter but all those who want to enter a tournament will need to create a GigaZone Gaming Player Profile prior to registration at the event. This can be done online at GigaZone Gaming  This will expedite the onsite registration process to allow the tournaments to start earlier.

Registration for all tournaments will start at the Sanford Center April 20 at 10 a.m. and go until full.  Special Guest Danielle Feinberg from Pixar Animation Studios will be on the main stage at 2 p.m.

The GigaZone TechXpo will feature over 25 exhibitors that will expose a growing regional audience to technology innovation and potential career opportunities in technology right here in northern Minnesota.

This Paul Bunyan Communications event includes the talents of many local partners, including NLFX, Accidently Cool Games, Northern Amusement, and the Sanford Center, as well as support from several regional and national partners.

As a cooperative, Paul Bunyan Communications is governed by a seven-person member-elected Board of Directors. In 2024, there was one Board of Directors position up for election representing District 5.

The current director for District 5 is Board President Randy Frisk and he was the only applicant. As a result, his uncontested director re-election to the board for District 5 will be ratified by the members at the annual meeting scheduled for May 22, 2024 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.

As a cooperative, Paul Bunyan Communications is governed by a seven-person member-elected Board of Directors.  In 2024, there is one Board of Director position up for election representing Districts 5.

Article III, Section 3 of your Cooperative’s Bylaws requires any member interested in serving as a Director to submit a completed candidate packet to the Cooperative headquarters at least 25 business days prior to the Caucus Election date.  This enables the Cooperative to properly verify the eligibility of all candidates to serve as a member of the Board if elected.  Members interested can find the candidate application packet and related information online at https://paulbunyan.net/cooperative/documents/

The deadline for completed Director-candidate packets to be returned to the Cooperative is Monday, February 26.

If there are less than two pre-qualified candidates seeking election to the Board of Directors from the same district (an uncontested district election), no in-person Caucus Meeting and Caucus Election for that district will be held.

If there are two or more pre-qualified candidates seeking election from the same district, the in-person Caucus Meeting will be held and all members residing within the district will be notified by mail of the date, time, and location.  The purpose of the in-person Caucus is to select two pre-qualified candidates to seek election/re-election to be the district’s representative on the Paul Bunyan Communications Board of Directors. Directors serve a five-year term through 2029.

The current director for District 5 is Board President Randy Frisk and he has expressed his intent to seek re-election.

Based on the results of any contested Caucus Election, the names of two candidates are listed on the ballot to be voted on by the general membership of the Cooperative.  Votes are tallied at the Annual Meeting, scheduled for May 22, 2024.  The candidate with the greatest number of votes from the general membership is elected/re-elected as the Director for such district.

The GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, a Paul Bunyan Communications event, has announced that this year’s special guest will be Danielle Feinberg, Visual Effects Supervisor for Pixar Animation Studios and mentor for girls in STEM.

Danielle Feinberg began her career at Pixar Animation Studios in February 1997, and since then, she has worked on 14 of Pixar’s feature films. She cut her teeth on early films like A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and the Academy Award®-winning Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Fein­berg was the director of photography-lighting for the Academy Award®- winning features WALL•E, Brave, and Coco. Most recently she completed her work as the visual effects supervisor on Turning Red, released on March 11, 2022.

Pixar’s Turning Red saw Feinberg take on the position of Visual Effects Supervisor, the first woman in 20 years to hold that role at Pixar. With her combination of strong visual and technical skills, Feinberg was uniquely positioned to join this film that had goals of finding a new style of its own.

“We are so excited to have Danielle as our special guest this year!  Not only is she heavily involved with cutting edge technology at Pixar, but she is a champion for women in STEM.  She will inspire our guests by sharing her journey into the world of technology,” said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General Manager.

Feinberg continues to champion women in STEM by participating in science and math mentoring programs for young women and continuing to tell her story. In fact, her TED Talk, The magic ingredient that brings Pixar movies to life, was named one of the top TED Talks of 2016.

“The GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo is a one-of-a-kind event that is something truly special for our region and provides the chance to see up close and personal how local schools and businesses are incorporating the latest in technology into what they do.  Danielle’s story is very inspirational which aligns perfectly with our event.  We want to inspire students and potential employees to consider a career in technology right here in northern Minnesota,” added Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

The 2024 GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo will be April 20 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.  The doors will open at 10 a.m.  As special guest, Feinberg will speak on the main stage at 2 p.m. followed by a Q&A session.  She will also be a judge for the Greater Bemidji Northstar Pitch Competition.  She may also visit with local STEM students on Friday, April 19 if her schedule allows.

The GigaZone TechXpo will expose a growing regional audience to technology innovation and help them turn their technical skills and enthusiasm into successful careers right here northern Minnesota. Start-ups and companies creatively leveraging technology will be able to demonstrate their innovation to a large group of tech-savvy potential employees. Educators and educational institutions can have their tech-oriented students show off projects and promote the technology training programs they have to offer. There is no cost to be an exhibitor but space is limited and the exhibit must creatively display the use of technology. Applications must be submitted by March 1, 2024 at www.gigazonetechxpo.com

The GigaZone Gaming Championship will feature free gaming on various console and arcade games, numerous tournaments, door prizes, and more. There is no cost to enter the tournaments or for any of the gaming.  Tournament details will be posted on the GigaZone Gaming Discord, Twitch channel, and Facebook page as well as www.gigazonegaming.com

This Paul Bunyan Communications event includes the talents of many local partners, including NLFX, Accidently Cool Games, Northern Amusement, and the Sanford Center, as well as support from several regional and national partners.

Paul Bunyan Communications, a leading fiber internet provider, has joined the Fiber Gaming Network (FGN), a nationwide gaming platform that connects fiber internet users across the country for weekly community game nights and tournaments.  Access to FGN is free for all Paul Bunyan Communications members.

FGN Hosts a series of online gaming events every week featuring popular games such as Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Minecraft, Fortnite, Rocket League, and more.  Participating players must register in advance to compete in events or watch the livestreams, where they can score exciting giveaways.

“We’re thrilled to partner with FGN to offer our members another unique gaming experience that takes full advantage of the GigaZone our all-fiber optic network’s speed and reliability, said Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor, “ we hold one of the largest rural in-person gaming events in the United States, the GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo, and by partnering with FGN our customers can now enjoy a seamless online gaming experience throughout the year and compete against gamers all over the country!”

According to a 2021 study, fiber internet is 10 times faster than cable and offers better latency, resulting in a smoother and more responsive online gaming experience.  The partnership between Paul Bunyan Communications and FGN highlights the importance of fiber internet for online gaming and further solidifies Paul Bunyan Communications position as a forerunner in providing top quality internet service and unique gaming experiences.

“FGN is excited to partner with Paul Bunyan Communications to offer gamers exciting online gaming experiences, said Robert Gilbert, co-founder of Fiber Gaming Network. “With their fiber internet offering, Paul Bunyan Communications is uniquely positioned to be an esports leader in the community and we’re excited to bring a lot of extra value to gamers in northern Minnesota.”

For more information on FGN and to register for upcoming gaming events, visit www.fibergamingnetwork.com