Paintball Then and Now

The game of paintball has become a growingwith a paintball. Whichever team has the most
phenomenon as a form of recreational sport in thesurviving members in the end wins the game, there
Unites States, and other parts of the world. It iscan also be variations to the game where a time limit
estimated that 5.4 million people played the game in thecan be set, or different objectives can be put in place
United States in 2007, with over 1.9 million playing atand the first team to meet all the objectives claims the
least 15 times.victory.
The game of paintball has a very interesting conceptThe first professional game of paintball was played in
and is increasing in popularity because it allows playersthe 1980's by twelve competitors in New Hampshire; it
to get out their aggression in a fun and mostwas a game of 'Capture the Flag', in this version of the
importantly safe way.game two teams start a distance from each other,
In the early 1970's Charles Gaines, Bob Gurnsey andthen they try and capture the other team's flag. As
Hayes Noel used the paintball gun which containedplayers get hit with paintballs they are required to call
capsules with thick oil based paints as a tool forthemselves "out."
marking trees and livestock, they later thought of aThe opening of the first outdoor paintball field by
new way to use the guns and thus the sport ofdeveloper Caleb Strong in Rochester marked a big
paintball was born.development in the history of paintball. Strong; along
The original name for the sport was "The Nationalwith Charles Gaines continue to play a monumental
Survival Game"; this is because its purpose is simply topart in the paintball industry.
survive. There are no official statements about whenThe history of paintball has made a complete
or why the name was change but over time it simplyturnaround from its original concept of marking
just became know as paintball. The gun remained thelifestock; it is the third most popular extreme sport and
same however there was a need for paint fill thathas been played in over 60 different countries. It has
would come out of clothing and off the skin easier,gotten so popular that it is even being used by the
today the balls are made with gelatin skin capsulesmilitary as a form of training for actual combat.
filled with a water- soluble marking dye.The countless amounts of people who continually play
The game is played by picking teams; each teamthis sport declares that it one of the most interesting
member has a gun and a certain amount of paintballs,games ever and that it teaches basic survival skills and
the aim of the game is to eliminate as much people aspromotes good clean fun and a healthy dose of team
possible from the opposing team without getting hitwork.