“Go for the can! Doritos, Doritos! Doritos is down! Go!”
While hearing that screamed above the rapid-fire sound of semi-automatic fire may make you think of a concession stand hold-up, in reality it is the most recent incarnation of a game.
That game is paintball.
Daniel Vickery has been playing paintball for 11 years. Starting with scenario games, games that mimic military style combat, and moving up into tournament speedball games. The team he is a part of now, Team Barricade, includes members from Jackson, Banks and Franklin counties.
“What got me into it was just to have something to do,” said Vickery. “Everybody has their thing. Some people like to fish, or hunt, or things like that, everybody has their thing they like to do. One of the biggest things is the adrenaline rush. When you get out there, you forget all the stuff about work or problems. You get out there and just have fun, and that gets you addicted.”
While many beginners start with scenario games, players who want to take the game to a more sporting challenge take up speedball. The average speedball game lasts under five minutes and to watch is like being on a rollercoaster. Each marker fires a .68 caliber paintball between 280 – 300 feet per second at a rate as high as 13 balls per second.
The game takes place on a field that is roughly half a football field and broken up with inflated bunkers that provide cover to the players. The bunkers are arranged so either side is a mirrored image of the other. The bunkers look like soft-drink cans, pyramids (Doritos), an X, and snakes. One five-person team tries to eliminate the other five-person team first. Points are awarded based on the number of team members left in the game, as well as achievements (grabbing a flag in the center of the field and carrying it to the opposite side).
Vickery said, “It is a game of skill and teamwork. One person cannot carry a team. [Paintball] builds communication and teamwork. It takes a lot of strategy and time to think about what you want to do.”
Team Barricade members Vickery, Baer Schiffer, Brad Webb, Corey Gunter, Ben Norris and Blake Stevens all play to have fun. On the field, the teamwork between them is crucial to advancing in the game.
The idea of teamwork is what has evolved the game into arguably the safest sport in the country. A decade ago, parents and activist groups were trying to get the sport banned due to injuries and players not being safe.
According to Vickery, the game is now about players wanting to win fairly without cheating or intentionally hurting someone.
“I would rather hit someone in the pack and get a clean hit than showoff and shoot them in the mask,” Vickery said. “It comes down to treating the other player like you want to be treated. It used to be about ego, but now is more like other sports and wanting to win and have a good time.”
Safety is the number one factor for the players and field operators like Chuck Thornton. Thornton is the owner of Athens Paintball and hosted the June 14 Georgia Field Owners Association (GFOA) tournament.
“Safety wise, [paintball] is one of the safest sports out there,” said Thornton. “The players use their eye protection like they are supposed to. A lot of the guys, especially for the tournaments, wear extra padding and they use the barrel plugs when they are off the field. Most players are really conscientious at this level of the game.”
The GFOA has a 20-page set of rules for the games including acceptable clothing and conduct. On the field referees watch the players and will pull a player violating the rules from the game without hesitation.
Thornton said, “These guys are coming out here to play a game. They come out here to escape … to get away from the average and ordinary. You are getting more of an adrenaline rush than with a video game and you get the physical exercise.”
The most appealing factor to the game according to both Vickery and Thornton is that anybody can play the game.
“I have seen a guy with muscular dystrophy that couldn’t move his arms rig up a shoulder sling to hold the marker and put an electronic switch between his teeth to fire. He would aim and bite down to fire. He was having a blast,” said Thornton. “In the last two years, I have had more groups of high school girls come out to play and the only guys were the boyfriends they drug along.”
While both dedicated and casual players play year round, Thornton said the only time people do not come out is if it is too cold.
While a complete list of fields in Georgia can be found just by a quick internet search, some fields include Athens Paintball, Winterville; and Knights Crossing Paintball, Commerce.
Most fields offer rentals for people who want to play on the weekend or just to see if the sport is for them for around $40. Beginner players can get gear that costs usually less than $500 for a set.
Vickery, who owns two markers, said that it depends how much you want to get involved in the sport as to how much you spend.
“Low grade equipment doesn’t win tournaments,” said Vickery. “A really intense player cannot go out there with a marker from Wal-Mart, it doesn’t match their skill. This is when you see them spending $1200 to $1500 on a marker. You go in and try to win.”
While the sport has evolved from the late 1970s into a national sport that has dedicated coverage on TV, the fundamental idea has maintained, it is all about having fun and taking part in an activity you enjoy.
