For the 23 year old Ryan Bell, these past few weeks have been pretty taxing. Seven months ago, he and his x3o teammates made the switch to CS:Source. Their only goal was to make it in the CGS. When that dream was unrealized, Bell found himself facing a tough decision. Continue playing Source with his friends in x3o, or return to the game he loves with a new team?

That decision was made much easier two weeks ago when he was asked to ring for EG.USA at the inaugural x3o series qualifier. With his help the team went on to win that event by besting EG's primary rival, x3o, along the way. While Bell had been playing at the top of North American CS for quite some time, the skills he showed during that event left many fans wonder where this star came from. This article will serve to answer that very question.

Bell got his start during version 1.3, when his father brought home a copy of Counter-Strike after reading about it in a PC magazine. Bell only played casually back then, because he had little free time after school, sports, and his social life. But when he headed away to college, he found himself playing a lot more with the other students.

"It wasn't until my freshmen year at Western Carolina University that I found out about the competitive scene. After my first scrim I was absolutely addicted."

 After playing with his college buddies for about a year, Bell found that his competitive drive was much stronger than his teammates. After only reaching CAL's intermediate division, he moved on to his first LAN team. While that team was never able to place, failing to even get out of group play at the few events they attended, Bell was able to meet other local players. This eventually lead him to join up with Domination Factor, a local Virginia LAN team. With them, he enjoyed his first taste of success.

"We placed 2nd in CEVO-IM and I began to get the infamous title of being 'online.' It got to the point where instead of calling me NineSpot, I would be referred to as 'OnlineSpot.' This fueled my motivation to continue to get better and attend every LAN on the east coast to prove myself."

Bell's hard work eventually paid off. His team won their first LAN at ECL in Virginia, beating viGor in the finals. viGor was the best team in the area at the time, so when they approached Bell with an offer for him to join, he couldn't refuse.

  "It was a tough decision to leave my teammates who I had grown together with friendship and skill but it was an opportunity I felt I couldn't pass up."

With viGor, Bell experienced a great deal more of success. They were consistently winning most east coast LANs, and also took the top spot in CAL's premier division that season. Recognized as one of the top teams from the east coast, the team was invited to play in WCG's invitational tournament in New York. The top two teams would receive an auto berth in the WCG US Finals, and the team saw a huge opportunity to broaden their horizons.

The tournament did not start well for the team. They were sent to the lower bracket after an early loss, where they had to face off against a strong Meepins squad. It is in this match Bell would experience what he calls the defining moment of his career so far. viGor found themselves in a huge 13-2 hole after the first half on dust2. Then, they lost the opening pistol round in the second half. The team found themselves with their backs against the wall, down 14-2. They absolutely had to win the first eco round in order to take the match in regulation.

"You might have heard about the good ol' 'viGor deag.' If you haven't, viGor became notorious for making crazy shots and winning rounds with just deagles. Well she came out to play that round and we ended up winning the round and the match."

Although viGor did not win the event, their second place finish was enough to land them the auto berth in Vegas later that year. The 2006 WCG US Finals was Bell's first major event, and it opened his eyes to the highest level of play in North America. It would also drive him to become an even better player.

"Playing at the WCG US finals helped me understand where I and my team stood against the best. Watching 3D, coL, and other top teams showed me what it took to be at the top."