If someone told me 25 years ago that boys, teenage boys and adults of both sexes would be out in the woods shooting each other with paint-filled bullets, and that ESPN would create and market the world paintball championship with teams from all over the world competing behind giant blow up pillows, I’d have laughed my head off.
In fact, Brigid’s niece June, who recently visited us from Australia (you can see her here Tom Faranda’s Folly: Brigid’s Australian family wing pays us a visit), took part in a corporate paintball competition down under, designed to develop teamwork, camraderie, etc. And she came away with several welts from being shot by her fellow employees.
Little did I know… To paraphrase the real estate investor “If only I’d put some money into that industry, I’d be a rich man today.”
My 13 year old Joe is developing an obsessive-compulsive disorder over the “sport”. In fact he just bought himself a “ghillie suit” kit. This is a form of “camo” (that’s camouflage for the uninitiated) developed a long time ago by Scottish game wardens. When he gets done making it – he and Brigid are working on it now – he’ll be a very passable imitation of one of J.R. Tolkien’s Ents.
This past Monday Joe and Tim went to a Paintball Birthday Party with 12 other boys – mostly 8th graders – over in Middletown. Brigid was there for the day (she didn’t participate) and said they all had a great day.
Here are some of the 70+ photos:
This is Shane McNulty – who took a few shots to the face. That’s why helmets and masks are required. The paintballs are travelling at about 280 ft. per second (FPS) and can do some real damage if you are hit in the eye… The picture was taken through the safety netting which is up to protect spectators.
There were 11 different fields, or courses, with stuff strewn around…
Action recorded by Brigid from behind the netting.
A grueling day at the paintball wars.
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