The 2025 GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo is Saturday, April 12 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji. The event is one of the largest rural gaming events in the United States and features free arcade gaming/pinball, numerous gaming tournaments for cash/prizes, door prizes, and more.  Admission and all the gaming are FREE including entering a gaming tournament.

This year’s tournaments will include:

Rocket League- Main Stage

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

3-person team competition with 16 team maximum.

1^st Place- $900 per team 2^nd Place-$600 per team, 3^rd Place-$300 per team

Rocket League- GigaZone High School Invitational

**New** This tournament is exclusive to High School Esports teams.  It is a 3-person team double elimination tournament with 16 team maximum.  Schools interested in registering for this tournament should visit https://gigazonegaming.com/ for more information

Fortnite

This is a No-Build Solos leaderboard tournament. Tournament will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

1^st Place-$400; 2^nd Place-$300; 3^rd Place-$200; 4^th Place-$100

Madden24

Individual competition with 32-person maximum 1^st Place-$400; 2^nd Place-$300; 3^rd Place-$200; 4^th Place-$100

Valorant

5-person team competition with 12-team maximum

1^st Place- $1,000; per team; 2^nd Place-$500 per team; 3^rd Place-$250 per team

Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Individual competition with 64-person maximum. 1^st Place- $300; 2^nd Place-$200; 3^rd Place $100; 4^th Place $50

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Individual competition with 64-person maximum 1^st Place- $300; 2^nd Place-$200; 3^rd Place $100; 4^th Place $50

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

Individual competition with 32-person maximum   1^st Place- $200; 2^nd Place-$150; 3^rd Place $100; 4^th Place $50

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

Individual competition with 64-person maximum 1^st Place- $200; 2^nd Place-$150; 3^rd Place $100; 4^th Place $50

Magic The Gathering Booster Drafts

Tarkir Dragonstorm Draft at 11 a.m. with 64-person maximum. Top 8 player Championship Draft at 3 p.m. with live stream coverage. Commander Events starting at 3pm.

Cosplay Contest Adult

1^st Place- $300; 2^nd Place $200; 3^rd Place-$100

Cosplay Contest Juniors

1^st Place- $100; 2^nd Place $75; 3^rd Place-$50

Classic Arcade Games Top Score

Donkey Kong   $100

Galaga              $100

Ms. Pacman      $100

Bemidji Drift- PBC Truck Racing Simulator Best Time

Adults AM- $100  PM- $100

Juniors AM- $100 PM- $100

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arade Game High Score

$200

GigaZone Gaming Profile Required to Enter Tournaments

All the gaming is free, but a GigaZone Gaming profile is required to enter a tournament.  This is also free and can be created anytime online at www.gigazonegaming.com

Registration for all tournaments is first come, first in until full on the day of the event with doors opening at 10 a.m Special Guest Duncan Wardle, the former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney will be on the main stage at 2 p.m.

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

We are excited to announce the winners of the annual Pick-it Bowl Challenge, a free online contest for participants to pick the winners for the 2024-25 College Bowl games for a chance to win a credit on a Paul Bunyan Communications account.  There were a 676 participants.

Winners of the 2024-25 Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-it Bowl Challenge:

1^st Place- $500 credit              Dana DeMars, Lake George

2^nd Place- $250 credit             Lindsey Dougherty, Bemidji

3^rd Place- $100 credit              Robert Wickman, Grand Rapids

4^th Place- $50 credit                Nicholas Brown, Red Lake

5^th Place- $50 credit                Blake Nordin, Hackensack

6^th Place- $50 credit                Norman Mattson, Cohasset

7^th Place- $50 credit                Neal Adams, Bemidji

8^th Place- $50 credit                Megan Fratzke, Bemidji

9^th Place- $50 credit                Mike Hoffman, Bemidji

10^th Place- $50 credit              Bonny Siegford, Deer River

Random $100 Credit Prize Winner:  Kathy Wron, Deer River (404^th Place)

The next Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-It Challenge is March Mania for both the College Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments.

Please note that our offices will be opening at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 28.

That is 1/2 hour later than our regular opening time of 8 a.m.

The GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, a Paul Bunyan Communications event, will return on Saturday, April 12, 2025 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji and applications are now being accepted to be an exhibitor at the TechXpo. It is FREE to be an exhibitor but space is limited and the exhibit must display the use of technology. The application is online at www.gigazonetechxpo.com and the deadline to apply by Feburary 28, 2025.

The GigaZone TechXpo exposes 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 can demonstrate their innovation to a large group of tech-savvy potential employees. Educators and educational institutions can promote the technology training programs they have to offer.“We were thrilled to have over 25 exhibitors from area businesses and schools  and we hope to have even more this year.” said Chad Bullock, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General Manager

This year’s special guest is Duncan Wardle, the former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, will be the special guest in 2025.

Duncan helped teams at Disney Parks, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, Imagineering and Animation to innovate, creating magical new storylines and amazing experiences for consumers around the globe. From sending Buzz Lightyear into space on a space shuttle, to creating an Olympic-sized swimming pool for Michael Phelps to swim down Main Street USA at Disneyland, to creating the Super Bowl halftime show for the new Millennium, Duncan has given life to some of the biggest ideas imaginable.

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 one-of-a-kind event showcases Paul Bunyan Communications’ IT and web development team, which custom-built and integrated much of the online technology being used and leverages the speed of the GigaZone, one of the largest rural all-fiber optic gigabit networks in the country. The entire gaming event is run off a single residential GigaZone Internet connection.

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.

Area High School Students age 16 or 17 can enter the Paul Bunyan Communications Essay Contest for a chance to attend the 2025 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. June 2-6, with all expenses paid by Paul Bunyan Communications.

Students interested in attending the Youth Tour need to submit a short essay, no more than 500 words in length, on why they would like to attend the Youth Tour. Students must be 16 or 17 years of age and in high school with their parent/guardian a member of Paul Bunyan Communications Cooperative.

Entries can be dropped off at the Paul Bunyan Communications office in Bemidji or Grand Rapids, or mailed to:

Paul Bunyan Communications Essay Contest
1831 Anne St. NW
Bemidji, MN 56601

The deadline for entries is Friday, February 28.

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 our Washington D.C.

“We hope by providing our region with latest in technology, as well as exposing them to cultural and educational opportunities, such as the FRS Youth Tour, that our youth will remain in and become active members in their rural communities,” said Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

Paul Bunyan Communications has participated in sending a local high school student to the Youth Tour since 1996. Recent Youth Tour winners include Julia Frenzel of Blackduck (2024), Michael Van Horn of Blackduck (2023), and Amelia Scherling of Bemidji (2022)

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 NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association of which Paul Bunyan Communications is a member.

Paul Bunyan Communications is expanding its all-fiber optic network the GigaZone®, to over 2,200 locations this year in Koochiching, Itasca, St. Louis, and Aitkin County this year.  Visit www.gigazone.com to see if your location is included, get more information, and sign up!

Itasca County expansion includes the city of Taconite, the city of Keewatin, and an area of the Greenway Township east of the city of Calumet.  Construction is completed and services are now available in all 3 expansion areas.

St. Louis County expansion includes the city of Buhl and over 240 locations in the Forbes area southwest of Eveleth.  Construction is completed and services are now available in both expansion areas.

Aitkin County expansion includes an area of Aitkin Township and an unorganized township northwest of the city of Aitkin, an area of Ball Bluff, Cornish, and Verdon Townships south of the city of Jacobson and areas of Kimberly, Spencer, Jevne, Flemming, and Morrison Townships between Aitkin and McGregor.  Construction is completed and the project is now in the fiber splicing phase.  Service installations in all these areas are expected to begin by late January once the network is operational.

Koochiching County expansion includes areas of Lindford, Ericsburg, and Pelland south of International Falls.  Construction is completed and services are now available.

Anyone interested in getting connected to the all-fiber optic broadband network should sign up for service now.  That can be done online, over the phone, or in person at our Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center or Cooperative Headquarters in Bemidji.

The cooperative’s services will become available once the network is operational including GigaZone® Internet with its unprecedented broadband speeds of up to 10 Gig and low cost unlimited local and long distance GigaZone® voice telephone service.  There is no membership fee to join Paul Bunyan Communications, membership is included by subscribing to either local phone service or GigaZone® Internet service.

Who’s Ready to Rumble?

The Rural Rumble is an online national Rocket League esports tournament where you will compete against teams from across the country for prizes!

The Rural Rumble is open to teams of three ages 13+ and is FREE for members of Paul Bunyan Communications.

Elimination rounds will be played on Sunday, February 2; the championship round will be played on Sunday, February 23.

For more information and to sign up, visit Rural Rumble 2025 Registration deadline is January 15.

The GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, a Paul Bunyan Communications event, has announced that Duncan Wardle, the former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, will be the special guest in 2025.

Duncan helped teams at Disney Parks, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, Imagineering and Animation to innovate, creating magical new storylines and amazing experiences for consumers around the globe. From sending Buzz Lightyear into space on a space shuttle, to creating an Olympic-sized swimming pool for Michael Phelps to swim down Main Street USA at Disneyland, to creating the Super Bowl halftime show for the new Millennium, Duncan has given life to some of the biggest ideas imaginable.

He is a multiple TEDx speaker and frequent contributor to Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes, and he teaches Innovation and Creativity Masterclasses at Yale and Harvard Universities. Duncan holds the American Citizen Award presented at the White House, an Honorary Doctorate from Edinburgh University, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, presented by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

The 2025 GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo will be April 12 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.  It is free to attend, free to game, and free to be an exhibitor. The doors will open at 10 a.m.  As special guest, Wardle will present on the main stage at 2 p.m.  He will also be a judge for the Greater Bemidji NorthStar Pitch Competition.

The mission of the GigaZone TechXpo is to spark excitement and create opportunities with technology by connecting students and job seekers with employers, educators and technology enthusiasts from across northern Minnesota.  Schools and businesses can get in front of thousands of potential students, customers, and employees. There is no cost to be an exhibitor but space is limited and the exhibit must display the use of technology. Applications must be submitted by February 28, 2025 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.

Get in to win with the Paul Bunyan Communications Pick-it Bowl Challenge, a free online contest for participants to pick the winners for the College Bowl games for a chance to win a credit on a Paul Bunyan Communications account.

The top 10 finishers will win a credit on their Paul Bunyan Communications account. First place winner will receive a $500 credit, second place is a $250 credit.  One random entry will also win a $100 credit on their account.

To sign up for the Pick It Bowl Challenge go to http://paulbunyan.pickitchallenge.com

The first official College Bowl game is Saturday, December 14 so be sure to register and make your picks by the start of the first game!

The Pick-it Bowl Challenge is 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. Prizes not redeemable for cash. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions may apply. See Pick It Bowl Challenge website for complete contest rules.