Island Five

... and the ammo is flying.

In front, on the left, behind, and on my right I hear the quick rattling of discharging paintballs and the shouts of comrades. I run forward and right to a bunker, dodging a flurry of paint. A dive... and I'm on the ground. I scramble the last few inches and come to a kneel. WHAP WHAP WHAP WHAP I hear paintballs splattering on the other side of my hiding spot. I peek out, CHINK-a-CHINK-a-CHINK-a, three shots, all misses. Another peak, and my heart rate spikes as I'm hit in the goggles, twice in my chest, and once on my left leg. I raise my hand, "I'm hit, I'm hit!" and walk off the field. I taste paint... ~__~

-Round 1 of game 1

3... 2... 1... GAME ON! Paint is everywhere. Andrenaline keeps my mind sharp and I hide behind my assigned bunker. I peek and see a target on the other side of the field. I pull back out of sight as paint splatters the spot where I was half a second ago. I peek around the other side and fire off half my hopper at the target while yelling his position to my teammates. He's out and I switch targets. I see Benson hiding behind the left X and spray the rest of my paintballs at him, but not hitting anything. A quick yell of "I need ammo!" and an anonymous teammate tosses a pod over. Reload, and I start shooting at Benson again. Richard then took my kill. >_>

-final round of last game before we left

Injuires (not rly): 3 welts on the chest, two welts on my arms, two on my legs. EDIT: 2 more on my back. >_o

NO! PAINTBALL IS NOT A VIOLENT SPORT! NOR IS IT DANGEROUS (when following the rules of course). Statistics show that paintball has the least serious injuries per exposure out of any sport, including golf. Of course it hurts when you get shot, but when doesn't it hurt when you get hit (like by a baseball for example. Paintball < baseball?). And for those of you who are afraid to lose your vision from a hit to the eye, that's where the freaking goggles come in. It's required by law to wear eye protection when in the field and enforced by everybody to have a sleeve or barrel plug to prevent accidental shots outside of the field. On top of all of that, forceful physical contact is forbidden, which means you can't punch someone, kick someone, or whatnot.

Some reasons why I chose to go paintballing instead of the boating trip: 1) anticipated for weeks and weeks. 2) spent my own money purchasing my marker and accesories. 3) I'm playing a completely valid sport (4 - 5 ruling of Olympic committee for the inlusion of paintball as an Olympic sport), so it's not like I'm sitting in my room all day.