Paintball - Take No Wounded

Camouflage clothing blending into the foliage, the assault-rifle carrying soldier slowly crawls towards his objective; a log pillbox, defended by several other men similarly dressed and armed. As his comrades lay down covering fire, the soldier makes a sudden dash, reaches the side of the fort, and sprays the defenders with non-stop fire.

No, it’s not the army on training maneuvers. It’s a paintball game, being played by thousands of Americans. Their arms are high-tech air rifles, shooting biodegradable plastic balls filled with paint. On impact the balls splatter. Hits are instantly registered, because the paint shows clearly on the opponent.

“In fact,” points out one avid enthusiast, “most of the time the referee doesn’t have to see it. Players call hits on themselves."

Paintball has become a national craze. Maybe it’s an attempt to recapture our youth, when steal the flag and other games of tag were important to us. Maybe it’s Hollywood style cowboys & Indians again, where nobody gets hurt despite all the “bang, bang, bang, you’re dead!” shouted back and forth. Maybe it’s the movies that make war, for those who have never experienced it, a romantic activity.

Whatever the reason, the sport draws new adherents every day. Ironically, many of them fit the archetypical image of the anti-gunner. Nationally, the average player is a liberal, upper-class professional who would never think about owning a gun and who would like for you and me to give ours up. Yet, these people spend their weekends crawling around in the mud, shooting each other.

An advocate for a national organization explained that to me several years back. “They don’t think of it as shooting guns,” he insisted. “To players, it’s just tag they can play at long distance.”

Besides which, says the owner of a club near me, that’s been rapidly changing. “For every one who fits that image,” he says, “there is a former or current military person or a hunter or someone who doesn’t fit any particular category.” Basically, he says, paintball appeals to everybody; men, women, and children, from all walks of life. “Mostly, they’re just out to have fun.”

Indeed, as part of this new image, they’re not even called guns anymore, but are marketed as “paintball markers” instead.

Like most sports, there’s an upfront investment. While it’s true you can outfit yourself for as little as $150, that’s kind of bare bones. Some people pay as much as $2,000 just for their guns. Add in all the safety equipment, shooting accessories, clothing, and the paintballs themselves, and it can add up quickly.

Most ranges will rent you the equipment, however. So, for as little as $10-15, you can inexpensively introduce yourself to a sport you might find to your liking.