The fascinating game of paintball
Crouching behind a bunker, your eyes sweep past the trees ahead of you to someone sneaking through the bush, trying to remain quiet. You lift your paintball gun to eye level your target and aim. At the pull of the trigger, gas is released from the chamber, causing the paintball to speed towards your opponent. The paintball hits him in the leg, signalling that he is out. Every weekend, hordes of enthusiast spend their time playing paintball, the newest non-lethal war game in the world of extreme sports. Although non-lethal, being hit by a paintball is not a pleasant experience, sometimes even causing a welt. However, most players find that this is a small price to pay for the thrill and adrenaline rush of going to war with your family and friends in the friendly game of paintball.
Paintball can trace its roots back to 1976. Charles Gaines, a writer, was telling his good friends, Hayes Noel and Bob Gurnsey about his trip to Africa and his hunting adventure. Hoping to relive the thrill of hunting, Gaines, Noel, and Gurnsey decided to create a game in which they would pursue and hunt each other. Partly inspired by Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” the trio purchased a “NelSpot 007” gun, which was used by farmers to mark trees and property by firing balls of paints. In their first-ever paintball game of “capture the flag,” twelve players participated. Gaines was successful in replicating the thrill of animal hunting, and after the first game, national interest started to build steadily.
Gurnsey later started the National Survival Game Company (NSGC). He struck a deal with Nelson Paint Company to be the sole supplier of the paintballs used in the games. After setting up franchises to sell their guns, paintballs, and goggles, the NSGC formed a monopoly, and was able to turn profit after only six months of business. The NelSpot pistols were still being used, powered by CO2 cartridges, although they were inefficient, holding on ten rounds and were difficult to reload. Players used shop glasses, as masks were not used at the time, which left the face exposed to the oil-based paintballs. Being oil-based, the paint was difficult to remove, as the paint was not water soluble. Shooting was rare because of the limited shots and players would stalk each other for hours on end. By 1982, rival companies, such as PMI began manufacturing their own brands of guns, goggles, and paint. Advancements in technology made reloading the guns easier, and later the original 12-gram CO2 cartridges were replaced with larger air tanks to provide more shots without changing cartridges as well as increasing shooting power. By 1984, paintball fields were being set up in Australia and England.
A typical paintball player requires only three pieces of equipment. First and most importantly is the paintball gun, now known as the “paintball marker.” A loader is attached to the marker to supply paintballs as well as a cartridge of air, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen to power the gun, known as propellant. The second key piece is the paintballs. The ammunition for the markers is made of gelatin, and filled with non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and, of course, dye, to mark the players if they have been shot. High quality paintballs have a thin outer shell to break upon contact and viscous, brightly coloured liquid. Since it is always safety first, masks or goggles are required. This protects the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose of the wearer and can also feature a throat guard. Modern masks are light and more efficient compared to their earlier, hulking designs.
In a game of paintball, each field has their own rules and regulations, but some are strictly enforced in all games. Safety is the number one priority for all businesses, so all players, spectators, and referees must have their masks on while in the playing area and vicinity, to protect themselves from stray paintballs. Also, players must be a minimum of fifteen feet from their target to fire a shot, since a close shot can be painful. Many fields have a modified distance rule, called the “surrender rule.” This allows the target a chance to surrender if the attacker is within fifteen feet, to prevent injury. The Hit Rule of all fields basically states that if a paintball leaves a firm, quarter-sized mark on the body of a player, then the player is considered hit. Splashes, which are a result of paint splatter from hitting a nearby object, do not count as a hit. Overshooting is also prohibited, and shooting the target repeatedly with the knowledge that they have already been shot results in elimination from the game. Wiping off paint from themselves and pretending as if they were not hit, is also prohibited.
Many find paintball an adrenaline filled and exciting game, and rightly so, as it is not as dangerous as some believe. The rate of injuries is estimated to be around 45 injuries per 100,000 participants, yearly. Although paintball usage outside of designated facilities has caused a problem, fans continue to pour into paintball fields for a day of enjoyment, fun, and most likely, just to shoot friends.
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