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Paintball hits the sweet spot

By Gavin Phipps
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Feb 10, 2006, Page 13

Weekend warriors or artists? PHOTO COURTESY OF YULI KIM

Over the past two decades the once rural pastime of paintball has become a worldwide phenomenon. There are regional competitions, national leagues, a world championship and even a paintball themed console/PC game. Teams from Taiwan may participate in very few international events, but this hasn't stopped the "sport" from growing in popularity over the past five years on a national level.

There are now well over a dozen paintball centers scattered across the island and thanks to groups like the National Paintball Survival Association (中華民國迷彩漆彈生存運動協會) and the Taiwan Paintball Sport Promoting Association (台灣漆彈運動推廣協會) paintball has become big business. On any given weekend teams of wannabe GI Joes and Janes do battle at paintball fields where war is swell rather than hell.

Whether these battles are organized by companies with the aim of building team spirit or simply fought out amongst friends, there is something eerily gratifying and hugely satisfying about rolling around the mud while the bullets, or rather paint pellets are flying.

If you live in or near Taipei and fancy shooting it out with a bunch of associates, colleges or friends then you might want to consider a trip to Neihu and northern Taiwan's largest paintball park, the 147 Paintball Theme Park (147漆彈主題樂園).

Unlike several smaller paintball parks located near Taipei, 147 offers paintballers the opportunity to fight it out in several dif-fering environments. For beginners, or small groups there are a couple of 50m2 areas that resemble obstacle courses and are littered with large industrial drums. For more realistic scenarios, however, the center has three larger and wilder areas. Here gamers get to hide behind trees, take cover in trenches and get down right and dirty in the mud.

Paintball guns might not fire real ammo, but safety is still paramount when engaging in playful paintball combat. Before any battle commences the center's staff give lengthy safety lectures.

While international standards dictate that all paintball masks must be manufactured to withstand a paintball traveling at least 91.5m per second, a direct hit in the face from short distances can fracture or even shatter the glass eye-shield on most protective visors. It might be hot and sweaty under the facemask, but they should be kept on at all times, as a direct shot in the eye can lead to blindness. The swallowing of a pellet is far less dangerous and, while the paint is edible if consumed in great amounts it can cause diarrhea.

Player's faces might be protected from stray pellets but the threadbare fatigues that the 147 center issues to raw paintball recruits doesn't offer much protection at all. And at some point during the game a paintball will probably connect with some part of one's anatomy.

Player's faces might be protected from stray pellets but the threadbare fatigues that the 147 center issues to raw paintball recruits don't offer much protection at all. And at some point during the game a paintball will probably connect with some part of one's anatomy.

Paintgunners don't have to worry too much about long range hits, but if in the heat of battle combat becomes an up close and personal affair, then beware. A direct hit from close range on any part of one's unprotected body will result in a sudden sharp and searing pain.

The pain certainly isn't enough to make players limp from the field, nor is it likely to result in hospitalization, but it does hurt and can cause unsightly cists to develop.

Such risks are, of course, but one of the many facets of going to war, but if players adhere to the rules of paintball combat, which in the case of the 147 Paintball Theme Park outlaws close quarters combat, then nobody's day will be ruined.

According to the National Paintball Survival Association's Web site paintball is fast becoming one of the nation's most popular alternative pastimes and new courses are springing up all the time. Possibly the most farfetched idea apropos the development of paintball in Taiwan, however, involved talk of the creation of the world's first offshore paintball arena -- an idea put forward by the Executive Yuan's tourism spokesman Chang Ching-sen (張景森) in January last year.

According to the politico the 1.2km2 outlying island of Wuchiu, which is located between Matsu and Kinmen and comes under the jurisdiction of the Kinmen County Government, "could be turned into a recreational center for those younger people interested in informal combat training and playing war games."

The 147 Paintball Theme Park (147漆彈主題樂園) is located at 147, Antai Rd, Donghu, Neihu District,Taipei (台北市內湖區東湖安泰街147號). For reservations and further information call (02) 2632-1833 or log onto the park's Web site at www.147.com.tw -- the Web site is in Chinese only. The cost of a day of paintball depends on the number of players fielded, but on average costs between NT$650 and NT$1,000 per person for an afternoon of fun and games.
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