A Few Paintball Stories from Brent Hoefling, also known as Snake Plissken or Rambo Preacher
Well, I got to take my new Gold Stroker out to the field and use it this weekend. I had many questions that I politely answered, and (dang) my pictures aren’t back yet (they were supposed to be back Saturday, I hope they didn’t lose them). I’ll post them and let you all know here, when they get up on my paintball pages.
Performance – The Stroker performed very well. It was obvious (to me) that the new bottom line stabe hasn’t taken seat, or was broken in yet. It’s a good thing I play mostly Rec. Paintball. I was fluctuating a bit in velocity (as I chronied about every other game to make sure I wasn’t hot) +9 at one point and –6 at another, for example. It’s accuracy and range (debatable subject by some) was extremely good, in comparison to my Phoons and blazers. The efficiency was not that hot, but was still better than most other non-pps guns. I got about 1000 balls from a 20 oz, probably could have got more, but the gun needs about 600psi to run (hay it’s a Stroker, not a blazer), so I couldn’t shoot the tank dry. The trigger work that was done on this gun makes for a very short and crisp pull – just like I like. Basically it performed just like any other nice PPS Stroker (though it seems my trigger might be a lot better, imho)
Aesthetics - The polished nickel highlights and the clear revolution and clear vl-bow added to the overall effect of the “beauty” of the gun. When I added the special ordered (for this gun) “Midas Touch” paintballs were added to the revolution, it was really sharp looking. The full-length lugging sight rail was also a conversation maker. The players started calling me the “man with the golden gun”, and that led to james bond, then RamBond – geesh – another nickname – I hope it doesn’t stick.
Cleanup – A breeze. Typical of any PPS gun, I took it to my laundry room sink and gave it a bath, after drying it off, and lubing it back up, I dry fired it a couple times, then added a few drops to the asa and shot a few more times. Man I love the maintenance free care of these Palmer guns. – Oh yea, I did run a squeegee down the barrel after I was done to get the oil and water residue out after the dryfiring. – Pretty much typical for clean up of any of my PPS guns.
A negative issue - The clear coat finish I had done didn’t last long. (No fault of PPS – I had this done locally when Glenn sent me the body before it was completed into a Stroker) I am not too worried about it, you can’t tell it is coming off, unless you look really close (since it is clear anyway). I will have to just handle it a bit more carefully to not wear/scratch the finish. I splooged one ball, and guess what – it was my fault for getting excited and short stroking. It was a particularly messy splooge as I got paint all up in the elbow and the neck of the revolution. The new clear revolution had a problem too. After a day’s play – the black paint inside the neck (presumably to not allow light to interfere with the IR), started peeling off. I don’t know if I should return it (just got it last week) or just take it apart and re-paint it.
Questions and Answers:
Q - How much was that?
A - more than you can afford if you have to ask, or well over $1000 - depending on who was asking, and my mood
Q - Is that real gold?
A - yes, it is Gold Plated, not solid gold
Q - Did you make it?
A - No, Palmers Pursuit Shop built it custom for me.
Q - Why didn't you have a gold plated Typhoon, instead of a Stroker?
A - It's been done (Even though Glenn owns it)
Q - Are you going to stop using your blazer?
A - NO!
On a side note – Don’t go running up a sandy dune and roll down the other side with a Squall in your hand. (okay, so it was more of a trip, tuck and roll than an assault roll) I had so much sand in the hammer/valve area and even in the springfed feed tube – the balls jammed and of course it wouldn’t fire, until I completely cleaned it out.
I couldn't resist this one... I copied it from the Palmers Owners Group Forum, it was posted by a person with the nickname Gucci: (NOTE - this copy has been edited for family viewing)
An elephant was walking through the jungle when heard a cry for help. He
followed the desperate plea and found a monkey trapped in poachers pit. The
elephant tried to pull the monkey out by reaching with it's tail but could not
reach. He tried pulling the monkey out with his trunk but could not reach.
Finally he lowered his rather large BEEEEP into the
pit and the monkey used it to climb out. The monkey assured the elephant that if
he ever needed assistance that the monkey would be there for him.
Some time after the monkey got his chance. He was swinging through the jungle
when he heard the elephant cry for help. He found the elephant cornered by
POACHERS with no route of escape! The monkey tried to scare the poachers away by
screaming at them but to no avail. He tried throwing rocks and coconuts at them
but they were not phased by the attack. Finally the monkey went and got his
Palmer Typhoon and shot paintballs at the poachers to drive them out of the land
forever. The moral of our story is: When you have a Palmer Typhoon, you don't need a big BEEEEP!
990522 - It has been a while since I wrote some stories, so I decided to sketch out a couple that recently happened. A couple weekends ago, about 18 or so of us from my work place, including Gruber, went for a Saturday of Paintball. Most of the guys (and several gals) had only played once or twice before, if that. As normal, I went out fully loaded. Tactical vest, tricked Blazer and squall strapped to my leg. The first few games, I was all gung-ho and did some pretty forward moves and pushes. (yes, I was taken out early, but not without taking some of the other team with me) I wasn't as "easy" on them as I would be on normal "renters" or newbies, because I knew them from work and it was all fun anyway. It was soo much fun for them to gang up and take me out early that I didn't even care - It was a blast just to see them have fun shooting at me! The last half of the day, I used just the Squall, and left my Blazer behind, just for the fun of it. I had been asked on more than a few occasions, "how many balls will that hold?" or "where's your hopper?". I even explained a couple times that is wasn't a pump, but in fact a semi-automatic, springfed 10 round typhoon. One game I had pushed way forward, and was taking heavy fire at the top of the bowl (in the dunes). I had only one 10 round tube and a 12 gram left (plus the few balls and what was left of the current 12 gram). I was patiently waiting for them to push on me. Pop, I took one out as he moved forward to within one bunker of my location at the tires. I would taunt them verbally and threw rocks at their bunker about 100 feet away. This caused them to keep launching paint at me, but to no avail, I was covered very well, and had good view of the field from three locations and the river at my other side. Two more popped up. I knew they were going to move on me. I dumped my 12gramm, loaded a new on and reloaded my loader (dumped two balls). by the time they moved out and thought I was still loading, they were in plain open and... pop, pop - two shots, two more kills! I took a couple more shots at their bunker and thought I had them all, nobody shot back. I proceeded to move to the next set of tires and bam, bam, I was hit with a long ball from the other side of the bowl! it was my own team. Oh well, guess, I should have waited for backup. - hehehe
990522 - A few weekends ago, My daughter (16), and my son (13) and I were playing some rec. ball with about 50 or so other players. Man, MyLisa (my daughter) is getting really good. if she was a bit more forward, she would match just about any of the other "guys" on the field even the owners of the shockers and angels. Anyway, out to the field we went. after about half a day's play of regular really fun recreational paintball, I changed my play style and stayed back a bit to do some defensive work. The game was in about 7 minutes when I noticed the other team had made it past the fire fight in the middle and was advancing on my flag station. I had only shot a few times so checked my gun to prep for a defensive fire-fight. Dang - My revolution had dead batteries and I couldn't get any paint to feed without tapping my loader every once in a while. It would have fed a bit better but I had an almost full hopper and didn't want to dump paint so I could move the paddle to get out of the way of the feed tube. I unhooked my remote, set my gun down and prepped my Squall. This only takes about 5 seconds, since I leave it loaded, but usually not gassed up. With the quick silver 12 gram loader, I was half loaded by the time I had it out of my holster. By the time I had it up and ready to fire, I had the 12 gram in and popped the first dry round. There was three of them walking up the path (they didn't know I was there) and were "stealthily" going up to the flag. I waited, waited, waited... when the first guy touched the flag to raise it, pop, one shot and hit him. The other two were busy covering his back so didn't see where I shot him from. Down they went, hit the ground and started crawling to cover. I watched and let them get there (still in my sites from the tall grass where I was located). As they looked around, another one came up, they signaled for him to keep low, but they still had no idea where I was located. They decided to cover and try to have one (the smallest and quickest) run for it... He got to the flag and actually got one pull up, pop - I took him out. Now they knew where I was. I was not under cover, just hidden in the grass. I rolled over a couple times and took another guy out. and just as the last one hit me, the reff blew the whistle - our team had successfully pulled their flag! - timing is everything.
970510 The newly opened Recreational and local tourney field called Action Jacks Paintball Park, has been undergoing many changes in the last year or so. Initially, the fields were nice, but very far apart and the containment area and staging area were so far away, it almost necessitated a drive. That is al changed now. The staging area is central in the complex of fields, and the newly opened field zones are much nicer and "kewler". There are several newly developed playing areas. Oh yea, the field is now entirely owned and operated by several of my "Neurotic Commando's" teammates.
970510 Where do I start, well... The new "ruin's" field is right next to, and behind the "dunes" sand field. The ruin's is a semi-short field that is a really nice Attack and Defend field. It is laid out so that at one end there is a barricaded fortress style layout and directly in front is many lined up semi-built concrete block walls. Looking like a small city that has been nuked - thus the ruins. Anyway, the field can be a speedball field, as the ruins are very symmetrical, however kind of short. But for Attack and defend, it is great! Especially for a dozen or less people with a couple or so defenders.
970510 One game at the ruins, I was defending. there was another guy, a renter, on the other side with me defending. there were seven or maybe eight attackers. The first thing I told him was that when the whistle blew, and we started, was to turn and fire. The field was short enough that the attackers were open for a second or two before they found their first cover. (well, we were open too, but typically, everyone is busy running to their first objective cover, and my tactic was to stand for a bit and shoot to surprise them - a gamble, but part of my play strategy). Right away we took out two of the attackers. Okay, okay, I actually didn't get either, the renter happen to get them both! hehehe... Anyway, the fight begins. As the fort is wide and two storied, I took right and low, he took left and high. Our plan was to cross fire the field. It worked. He took out 5 of the rest, the last one was being a ground-hog at the back of the ruins and was not advancing. As this was a "special game" of A&D, at two minutes before the end (15 minute game) the call was given and the defenders could leave the fort and get the flag (twenty or so feet in front), and return it, if they could. I did the suicide run, was taken out by the last attacker, right as I grabbed the flag, but as he was in the open, my partner defender, took him out for the win. :)
970510 At a game in the "dunes" that same day, we played a standard game of center flag. At the north base, I started off a bit slow, trying to communicate with the renters the strategies for playing center flag. once I got them going and they started off for their positions on the field. I started for my position. The strategy was for me and the other owner on my team to lay down "suppressing fire" while a designated renter (skinny, fast guy), runner - would at my command - run for the flag and acquire it, take it back a bit to our covered locations, then wait till we advanced sufficiently to run it to the south base. For the first time, ever, that I can remember, everything went according to plan. we laid down suppressing fire (a couple guys on our team were taken out at this fire-fight), the runner, with no gun in hand, got the flag and ran to the cover location we were protecting for him. At this point the other owner ran out of co2! he became the backup runner if the primary runner was hit, he immediately went to the same location as the primary to follow him at distance. the primary runner took off for the south base... fwaaaat - he was hit by the base guard at 30 feet. The flag was dropped and became neutral. The secondary runner, had already laid his gun down and was off for the flag, and without even slowing down, scooped up the flag, and headed for the south base. all this while I was holding off three of their shooters trying to cover him (we were the only two left on our team, there was a fourth person left at their team, but I ain't got any idea where he was hiding). He made it even through a heavy fire fight. he did get hit in the back after he placed the flag at the post, but that didn't count, of course.
970524 A game at the dunes, I was working from the south base. A standard game of capture the flag. I, again, had a slow start (those young guys may be quicker - but they ain't gonna out-gun me!) Got to a location in the middle of the "bowl" in the dunes and was taking cover behind a spool-side, that was partly buried to make it stand up.With my Trust Palmer Blazer #006, I was able to take out several of the opposing force (OPFOR). This left the middle almost completely open as the rest of their team was flanking right and left. then took for the north base. Course I wasn't blazingly fast, but after three stops to covered locations, I was able to catch my breath and notice that I was 20 feet from pulling the flag and had not been noticed yet. They didn't even have a base guard (or so, I had thought). After careful reckon, I knew that I was clear to get the flag. Taking a run for the post, I was almost immediately headed off with a spray from their base. I got hit... NOT... I dropped to the ground and rolled a couple times (there was no other cover around, except from whence I came. As I tried to make it back without getting a hit, I heard.... ddddddddddddphphphphpptrp. he ran out of co2. I jumped up got the flag and started back to my last cover. after again catching my breath, I made for the south base. I made it all the way back and we won the game... NOT. well, I tried anyway. made it most of the way back, and as I was rounding the top of the last sand dune, I was hit - thwack - right on my right shoulder. Dang - I was hit by my own team! argh! Oh well, it happens sometimes. Because I was out, I had to drop/throw the flag. I gave it a toss toward the guy who shot me. He got it and actually made the placement.
970524 A center flag game in the dunes, I was covering the runner that had taken the flag. he was hit and I was closest, so I grabbed the thing and started toward the other side. slowly, and stealthily, I made toward the other base. Although I didn't make it in time (15 minute game), The renters had made comments about how I had retrieved the flag and was WALKING it to the other base. They had never seen that before - the person with the flag was always running. The only reason I even mention this is because, of my strategy at the time. running the flag isn't always the best way to get it to the base.
970524 A game at Spool city, standard capture the flag. My team mate Sarge and captain, Gruber, had finally made it to play that day. They, of course, ended up on the other team. So guess who was trying to get me? I don't know who won this game, and It doesn't even matter, except that they were both taken out early in the game and I was left till the last whistle!Not because I was hiding, no, no, no - I was in heavy fire fight with them. Even taunting my captain with my special butt wiggle, nana, nana booboo taunt! He actually hit me, more times than I could count, but he was using marballizer and everyone bounced, and I have the bruises to prove it! Sarge was busy taking out another member of my team that happen to be on my rec. team that day as well. The next game was almost as fun. Sarge was taken out almost immediately by a newbie renter that had run speedily up to a good cover position. Gruber and I fought it out again. This time he did take me out, but only, again, after hitting me a bazillion times on the back of my other leg.(yes, I was trying to run away!) hehe.
970524 I guess, I should have started with this one for this day, but forgot. Oh, well - it is my page after all. Sarge, got to the field late, but before Gruber did. he got to play on my team for a couple games. This story is more about him than me. He got a newish palmer Stroker last year and was just starting to use it. he lost the ball détente and I had let him borrow one of mine off my nasty typhoon, as I was using my Blazer. I was with him when chroneying... 285, 286, 285 - way kewl... well into the first game at spool city, he shot and took out a renter almost right away that game. The only problem was that he was shooting hot (so he thought, actually the hopper was defective) - he shot the hopper of the renter, breaking the side out! Yea, I would think I was shooting hot too. Being a good player, he gave his gun to a ref for testing/chronying (it tested okay, like I said, it ended up being a bad hopper on the renter gun). He stayed in the game as a "warm body". He realized I had my backup Palmerized PGP on me (I am never on the rec. field without at least two guns). After making his way across the spool city field (a very short, but wide field). He asked if he could borrow my PC-PGP. Knowing that he is a very good marksman - with a pump, I let him at it. He then began to flank way east. He saw a guy on the other side of the tape boundaries, and so assumed he was out. as he made for the next cover, that guy shot him! he was out after only making one shot with the PC-PGP (of course he did take a guy out with that shot). What happened was that Sarge was mistaken about the tape line, apparently that was an old tape from an old scenario and didn't know exactly where the boundary was supposed to be... he guessed, and was wrong. Oh, well, it happens. I'll bet that mistake will never happen to him again.
Rambo-Preacher is his nick name. It came from the field renters. They discovered that he loves to talk about his savior - Jesus - to fellow Paintballers, thus the Preacher half of the name. Rambo came from a recreational game when he first started. Brent walked on the field with a 68AutoMag, a MiniMag (both on slings), and the Eagle68 holstered. A half a case of paint strapped to his harness (in 8, 120 round loaders), and in Urban Camouflage (white with gray and black), it had snowed a little that week, but was melting. At first they didn't know what to make of him, but the first game in the "city", he came out blazing both semi-automatics; taking out half of the other team in the first minutes of the game. They (renters) still didn't know what to call him until they saw him drop to the ground (loaders and all), roll over several times, while firing both markers, low crawl to within 20 foot of the doorway of the OPFOR (Opposing Force) defensive position and he lobbed a Tippman paint grenade and took out the other team's captain and other guard (thus allowing his team to capture the flag and return it to their base unharmed). Though Rambo-Preacher was hit right after this sequence, the name stuck.
On another fateful incident, Rambo Preacher was playing a game of "10-ball" in the "city" and was counting the shots of the other 4 players (sudden death, everyone against everyone). He stood up after he thought he counted 10 from a player across the way (75 feet or so). Taking a little time to acquire the target OPFOR, he heard another fwaaaack, in an instant and almost without thinking he grabbed straight out with his hand and plucked the fired ball right out of the air! He held up the ball between his index finger and thumb to the ref., who couldn't believe it when he exclaimed in a loud voice "NO BREAK - SEE". The ref. Said he couldn't play the ball and had to drop it to continue playing. Oh, by the way he did take out the player who TRIED to shoot him.
During a 24 hour scenario game, I played a role as Snake Plissken the renegade outlaw from the movie Escape From New York. The scenario game was based on that movie and called Escape from New Yowk (said with a Brooklyn accent). I played with such enthusiasm that this "play" name has stayed with the regular players that were at the scenario. So I now apparently have two nick names. The following short stories are from that game.
As a "role player" in the game, I had certain freedoms. This meant that I was an open player. What that means is that I played on any side that would have me or would "pay" for my services as a mercenary. During a particular mission, I was hired by the "terrorists" to help defend a position. After making quick targets out of the socialists police aggressors, it was apparent that I was in a better position than I had originally planned. The aggressors had all been taken out by myself and a couple other support terrorists. It was a few minutes after the hour and almost a full ½ hour till they are "recreated" at the "hospital". I decided to go to the police encampment and see if I could do one of two things, pull the flag for the terrorists or take out the police general.
I was able to secrete myself to the back of the general’s building in the middle of their encampment. The terrorists had apparently received orders to make a direct attack on the police encampment. All the posted guards that were in sight took off for defensive positions to defend the post. It was a matter of timing and a bit of patience before I could get the flag pull. I waited and as I expected, every one of the guards eventually took off to the action, just opposite of the flag and main building. I took advantage of this and had to do something quickly as the other players I took out have just been re-created, and they were on there way back to the very building I was hiding behind, to check in before they start to play again.
I took off for the flag. It was about 50 feet from me and another 30 feet to the closest police guard (facing the other way, in a firefight). I had to be fast and quiet. I grabbed the flag, and took off like a bat out of Hades. I ran down the embankment and took a defensive position to see what was going on. There was not a single police player in sight, I wasn’t being pursued! I quietly took tot he woods and was able to get the flag to the terrorist post, passing the police players I took out - on their way to their post. We couldn’t exchange fire, because they were neutral (not checked in to their base yet). They knew I had the flag, and they started running to their base to try to get back to me and interrupt the flag, before I got it back to the terrorist base.
I then took to the opposite tape line to cause confusion. It apparently worked, because I never saw any opposition to taking the flag back. I was able to get the flag to the Terrorist team second in command, where he took it in to the base for the points. What I didn’t realize at that time was that the reason the police base was to sparsely guarded was that they had a couple teams making an aggressive move to get the terrorist flag (which they succeeded in doing).
Another time during the Escape From New Yowk scenario, I was to take a nuclear detonator to the police camp (I was going to take the nuke, itself to the terrorists) - I did mention that the scenario was only loosely based on the movie, didn’t I? I was able to get it to within about 75 feet of their base. The device had a strobe light that I was to activate to get the attention of the police, so they could get it (the nuke had a similar setup). I activated the strobe and took off low crawling to my defensive position to watch and make sure the police get this "piece of the puzzle". About 100 feet away, I was met by the "crazies", a rogue group of terrorists that knew what I had previously done to the police by taking their flag. They didn’t trust me and kept a gun to me. While I watched them try to acquire the detonator. The rules were that the piece belonged to the police and nobody else was to touch it, until the strobe battery wore out in about 30 minutes (this was going to be the same thing for the other device presented to the terrorists later).
I escaped the crazies guard. I think the police finally got the detonator. I don’t know for sure, I was too busy running from the crazies that didn’t trust me.
The "Ninja Jeopardy" games that were sprinkled through out the scenario were good for entertainment and a good break from the blazing heat of the day. The host was the producer of the scenario dressed as a ninja warrior, complete with plastic sword. The games went like this: if you volunteered, you could play. The game area became neutral and a no-fire zone. The host would ask a trivia question, based on everything from rock and roll music to video games to other not quite so popular topics. If you answered the question correctly you were rewarded with anything from play money (made and used for the game), to puzzle pieces. There were a couple children’s puzzles used in the scenario that had various maps and hints on the pieces and if you had enough pieces, to your puzzle, and could decipher the code, your team was presented with a special mission with major points involved. If you did not answer correctly, you were "gutted" by the ninja and you lost your life for a full ½ hour weather or not it was close to the next "top or bottom" of the hour.
The next few stories are from another scenario game, 2nd Cardassian War. This scenario was held at a Wacky Warrior field in Milstadt IL. This scenario was based on the Deep Space Nine Star Trek episodes. I was a regular player, A Federation Space Marine. I apologize for their brevity, but I am just now getting around to writing these stories and this was a few months ago. I decided to write what I could remember as accurately as possible and not exaggerate to make them longer and more interesting.
During a day mission: there were five of us (Federation Space Marines) standing by our general awaiting orders for the next mission assignment. A Cardassian snuck right up behind us (he took out two of our three guards). Grabbed me by the neck stuck his gun in my side and ordered us all to surrender. I immediately grabbed his barrel and pointed it up in the air, spun around and pointed my gun in his belly and ordered him to surrender! There was a surrender rule, that was basically, surrender or get shot at close range, your choice. He wasn’t going to surrender either, and I wasn’t going to actually shoot him in the belly at 0 feet range, so I signaled a teammate and he shot him in the top of the foot from about 10 feet.
Another day mission: I was guarding a photon torpedo (big PVC pipe), and the rest (4) of my squad was all taken out in a fire fight defending this pipe. There were two Cardassian’s left in the squad that was attacking, they decided to both rush in on me at the same time, figuring that if one got hit, the other would still get me. They were wrong! They started rushing in on me and at first (at about 150 ft) were rather close to each other. They were both spraying, yelling and running. I stood up, fired one time and took them BOTH out! My Nasty Typhoon is sure one sweet gun!
During a night mission: I was left with one man (again) in my squad. there was no activity (because we took out the Cardassian attack force in that quadrant), so we made a suicide push to the Cardassian command post. The post was across 5 fields! we crossed several defended positions unnoticed and proceeded to the command post. We got within 30 ft of the post before they saw (heard) us. I took out there whole guard before I got hit in the back (by the other guy on my squad). he proceeded to take out the commander and his personal guard.
During a Day mission: I was to hold a defensive position and guard a post. We were attacked no less that on three different times in that ½ hour of defense. I was getting a bit bored with sitting there and defending attacks. So I got up and started defending the position from the open (no cover at all). I was very lucky, didn’t get hit at all through a full fire fight. When I noticed the fire fight was slowing, I did a nananana-booboo thing to the Cardassian secret police squad (their best), stuck my "rear end" at them and started taunting them - they got mad (really got mad, later that day, one came up to me and got all in my face, I thought he was gonna hit me or something).
The two that were left (the rest were taken out by us defending this position), started yelling at me and spraying more paint!. They were apparently so upset, they couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Well I may not be as big as a barn, but, I was not behind any cover, other than a few little trees between them and us. I noticed the time, and saw that it was a few minutes before the bottom of the hour (time to rejuvenate if you are out). I figured I could make a run toward the two Cardassian troops left and take them out. If I got hit, I could come right back in after a minute or so, and finish the job. I was able to take out one of them on the way into their position.
I was screaming, yelling and shooting about 12 or 14 balls a second on my way in (remember the Nasty Typhoon, a double barreled Palmer Typhoon). The other guy was so intimidated, he took off retreating! I kept on following him, my mistake. I ran right into their backup unit. This squad all got up and fired on me all at once. Of course I was taken out, and by now had to wait almost a full ½ hour before coming back in. I asked the squad I was with, what happened after I left. They said that because I ran right in the middle of them, they were all spotted and the rest of my squad was right on my trail and took them all out too. Teamwork! Guess that made me the designated psycho for the rest of the scenario.
"A Player, Not A
Pro"
For the benefit of my Teammates of the Recreational team;
the Neurotic Commando's (they get tired of players asking about the great player
RamboPreacher), the CPPA team I play on - team G.A.G.G, and other teams I have
played on (such as "Palmerized"), and
for the readers of these pages, I find that I need to explain a few things about
myself as far as my Paintball play and skill level is concerned. Firstly,
I do not consider myself an exceptional player. I am an average "joe"
with average skills. I may play a bit more than some and maybe that helps,
but I am no expert player - I still learn something every day I play. My
stories, though true, are "exceptions" at best. I love to play
paintball and I have fun doing it. I have played in tournaments and
leagues; for fun and experience. For me, watching a renter or newbie and
their excitement as they "hit" me is just as fun as if I was the one
doing the "taking out". back at the staging area, when they talk
about hitting that CIA or FBI guy (a new thing people started calling be, I
suppose because of the all black clothes and urban assault vest I wear) - they
get all tickled. It's great to know that I am helping grow this fabulous
sport that I am so excited about.
As far as my published articles go; anyone can do it. write something up about your experience at a local event or tournament, email it to a Paintball magazine editor, you might be surprised! (oh yea, BTW: they love pictures!, but don't like pictures in email. So offer to mail them pictures if you have them.)
So, if you happen to see me on the field - don't be surprised if I pull a "Rambo", go all out and get hit within the first 10 seconds of the game! I don't always play like that, but - hay - it fun to do sometimes, especially if you succeed, even partially succeed. I may be out, but getting there is half the fun! In Rec. P'ball - the newbies and renters are what keeps the sport alive. The fields don't make any (or much) money on us owners and "disgruntled zealots". These GenX's and Millennial's are the sport, not the future of the sport. I hope that this clears up some things. I really didn't want to impress anyone with these stories or my articles, just show how much fun it can be. Remember, play safe; and most importantly - HAVE FUN!
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at brently@pentestone.com