Having A Ball
A paint-staking brush with fun.
Ready, aim . . . paint? Although
fuddy-duddies may protest that paint was meant for walls and such,
paintball wizards know this just ain't so. Indeed, paintball is
enjoying such widespread popularity that Paintball Sports Magazine
estimates it's now a $3 billion worldwide industry.
"The popularity is universal," raves Paintball Sports
managing editor Jerry Braun. "When an adult plays the game, it
engenders the same feelings [you have] as a child playing hide and
seek. Your heart is in your mouth; you're scared to death your
friend is going to find you."
To set your paintball bearings straight, we'll explain: The
game involves shooting paint pellets at other participants with air
guns. Any player struck with paint leaves the field in defeat.
Reportedly safer than bowling, paintball is turning into the
team-building activity of choice for hip corporations.
"That's an exploding market," says Braun, who also
points to professional sports teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers
that engage in paint-to-paint combat. "There is nothing else
that gives you this kind of camaraderie and leadership
development."
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