The Sport of Paintball

Paintball pioneer Bob Gurnsey saw the potential of what went on that day in the woods of New Hampshire, so he went on to secure direct sources of the necessary products from the companies that supplied paintballs and markers to forestry and agricultural markets. He then marketed the first paintball game field franchises under the banner of the "National Survival Game". In 1983, the first official N.S.G. Paintball tournament was held, and the die was cast.

Water Skiing 260.84, Lacrosse 223.79, Wrestling 36.46, Rugby 31.21, Football 30.17, Baseball 28.42, Hockey 21.92, Basketball 19.76, Soccer 12.59, Boxing 11.34, Bicycle Riding 11.71, Gymnastics 10.49, Volleyball 4.03, Ice Skating 3.83, Snowmobile 3.52, Snow Skiing 2.99, Racquetball 2.77, Tennis 2.77, Handball 1.92, Fishing 1.43, Swimming 1.34, Golf 1.22, Archery 0.85, Boating 0.75, Bowling 0.47, Paintball 0.24.

Paintball is the fastest growing sport in the nation. It is easy to see why. It is competitive, team-building, family oriented, athletic, fun, and first and for most safe. Paintball appeals to men and women, young and old. It began with a few friends in the woods, and now is a multi-billion dollar family worldwide industry. The sport of paintball is one that will be around for a very long time.

Next, we move onto the gas source. There are two power sources for paintball markers. Carbon Dioxide, almost always referred to in the sport, as it’s common chemical name, C02. The other form is High Pressure Air (HPA). Both are stored in specialized tanks made to hold that particular gas. The most common kind is C02. When C02 is in it’s tank, it is in liquid state. As the liquid C02 evaporates, tremendous pressure builds up. The pressure in a C02 tank is usually around 800 psi (pounds per square inch). As the marker is fired, the pressurized gas is released, allowing room for more C02 to evaporate, and for the pressure to build back up. This evaporation and pressure build is almost instantaneous, except when the C02 starts to run out. The problem with C02, for serious players, is that if one fires the marker very quickly, the C02 evaporation cannot always catch up quite as fast. This results in the marker’s firing pressure dropping, and the ball not going as far or as fast. This only occurs at high rates of fire, such as 10 balls per second (bps) or more. The fast fire rate must be maintained for a time before the pressure drop will begin.

One may wonder, what is paintball? Paintball is a sport similar to laser tag but with live ammunition. Players are given a paintball gun, a protective mask, a gas source, and usually some spare paintballs. A paintball gun, also called a marker, uses a pressurized gas source to propel a marble-sized ball out of the marker at anywhere from 250 to 300 feet per second (fps). This ball is fired at another player who is (or at least should be) similarly equipped. If the ball strikes the player, the ball breaks, and the gelatinous, colored filling leaves a bright mark on the player. This is called being “marked”. The player who was hit is usually out of the game at this point. Some people play multiple hit rules, such as three-hits-and-you’re-out, or scenarios like that. This is a basic overview of the sport of paintball.

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