Paintball During The Pandemic

[shadow191]

Similar to you I've been fortunate to work from home (same for wife). Likely won't be going back until end of year at earliest. Losing the commute has given me a lot more time to work out (no more 5:30am runs) and I've even picked up cycling again which was something that got dropped when I was doing a 60 hour week + commuting. Still doing a 60 hour week but at least it's at home and I'm not doing any work travel.

Regarding paintball, I was out of it for 20 years until March when my son had his birthday party at a paintball field (also happened to be last day field was open before pandemic shut them down for 2 months). Realized what I had been missing out on so immediately started buying gear again. Unfortunately all the fields were closed at this point but luckily, family owns about 7 acres of woods so started playing outlaw. Had enough gear for 2v2 so pretty fun. Then in May fields started opening again and my brother got a tick in the woods so we started playing in public again.

In total think we've been to field 5 times and outlaw 3-4 since March. Honestly I wasn't playing this much 20 years ago. Back then I was in college so couldn't afford to play all the time. Now with a grown up job it feels very affordable. Also love seeing all the new technology, so much has changed.

Long story short, I think that without the pandemic I probably wouldn't have gotten back into it or a few other hobbies simply because I lacked free time.

COVID changed a lot. Personally, I've made out like a bandit. I finally get to work from home, and aside from paintball I'm already kind of isolated.

Be that as it may, I haven't gone to play in MONTHS. For a while, the area fields were semi-closed. Then, I've been busy with work.

How has the 'Rona affected your play for the first half of 2020?

[Havoc]

Been playing every other weekend. outlaw woodsball getting back to my roots

[gabe]

Luckily the local field has been open through this whole thing with the caveat that they can't have more than 10 people on the field, masks (face coverings) are worn in the staging area, and rental players have to buy goggles for $5 and keep them for good instead of re-using goggles.

This year I finally broke down and bought a season pass and have been making good use of it. Played every weekend through May and June and so far July has been every other weekend. Feels good to get my skills back and actually be an asset on the field.

On the other hand I'm now realizing how useless most of the guns I own are for actual gameplay especially now that I've upgraded to more modern primary guns. Time to sell the old brass perhaps.

[BLachance75]

My wife has been cautious after both her and I got sick at the beginning of all of this. Last week she was tested and she has no antibodies so she is being extra cautious now. I'll be lucky if I can get out once this year.

[Whee McGee]

People overall are being really cavalier about social distancing and PPE around here, so I'm staying put. There has been illness and death within my circle of friends and family as a result of Covid.

I'm waiting for the overall situation to become better before I go play again.

[Siress]

Sorry to hear that, Whee McGee. My condolences.

[Chappy]

My one and only game this year was down at Flounder’s place. .

Ya know, you are not the first person this year to forget attending the cold ass game, I guess it wasn't very memorable.

[Cyberpyr8]

I haven't stopped playing since the beginning of the year. We played at our local field the last week before everything shutdown here and I was fortunate to pickup a set of bunkers not long after. I had a field setup in our back yard for a while. My boys and I played a few times on this and then the field finally opened back up. Played Saturday but the heat may kill me before the covid does. Crowds at our field are about back to normal levels. We all separate pretty well and haven't had too many issues with people not staying apart.

Honestly, glad I have been able to keep playing. My blood pressure is finally down to acceptable levels with all this exercise.

Home field:

[martix_agent]

I'm doing my part and staying home until it's all over. I miss it, but everyone has missed stuff through this.
If i can miss my own wedding, I can miss playing paintball.

[Jonnydread]

Time to sell the old brass perhaps.

*begins to salivate*

[fullofpaint]

Played once but this whole quarantine thing plus everything else has really just turned me off ever wanting to go back. Too many people happy to cheer on violence against fellow Americans. Honestly makes me wish I'd spent my time developing a different hobby.

Might have a big sale soon.

[Cyberpyr8]

Played once but this whole quarantine thing plus everything else has really just turned me off ever wanting to go back. Too many people happy to cheer on violence against fellow Americans. Honestly makes me wish I'd spent my time developing a different hobby.

Might have a big sale soon.

See I completely disagree with this. I find that on our field and the ones around here, color doesn't matter or anything else. Once you put the mask on and go play no one really cares. It is one positive thing I have seen recently. No one cares and we all work together to try and win. Plus, it is such an aggressive sport by nature that it takes out the aggressions and leaves everyone talking and enjoying their time together. Maybe that's just my experience but I play a lot and have been for a long time. I find that paintball makes everyone feel more comfortable around each other. Sorry you feel that way but I see the complete opposite happening.

Oddly enough, the airsoft guys that come out all seem miserable. They are yelling at each other and miserable looking the whole time. It's really strange. This has been the same thing at the other 2 fields I play out around here too. They seem too serious for their own good.

[JonM]

Ya know, you are not the first person this year to forget attending the cold ass game, I guess it wasn't very memorable.

I stand corrected. The CAG seems so long ago now that it feels like it was another time. I swear, 2020 is stuck in a time warp or something.

[gabe]

Played once but this whole quarantine thing plus everything else has really just turned me off ever wanting to go back. Too many people happy to cheer on violence against fellow Americans. Honestly makes me wish I'd spent my time developing a different hobby.

Might have a big sale soon.

It's an interesting take but I'm not sure how paintball negatively ties into the social issues we have now. Maybe because it simulates violence? I'd like to hear how you are negatively associating paintball with the current cultural situation.

[fullofpaint]

It's an interesting take but I'm not sure how paintball negatively ties into the social issues we have now. Maybe because it simulates violence? I'd like to hear how you are negatively associating paintball with the current cultural situation.

*Trying to keep this as little political as possible for the mods.*

It's not the action of playing, it's a large majority of people I play with. I just don't want to associate with people who gleefully cheer on violence against our own citizens or call for the deaths of certain politicians because they disagree with their views. People who won't have any kind of reasonable discussion and leap immediately to calling me lots of vile things.

Obviously that's not true for everyone, but for me it's true with enough people on both coasts that I've met through the sport to significantly dampen my enthusiasm for going to the field and spending time with these people.

[Jonnydread]

I had a feeling this was what you were getting at and I can absolutely understand your point of view. I try to keep a similar-to-MCB-politically-free attitude when it comes to paintball, but there are some very vocal people that can sour me. I just try to do the best I can to lead by example and change minds when possible, but you can't always get through to folks. Sorry man

[Lazarus78]

i agree with fullofpaint. as a minority playing in the south, i've faced my fair share of racism at the field. it's not THE reason i left 20 years ago, but it was definitely one of the reasons.

it's no surprise that this game attracts a more conservative leaning crowd. yall might not see the racism bc you're not where it's being pointed. most times it's one or two dudes that talks racist shit at me. i can let that roll off. but sometimes it's a small group of guys 3-4. that's where it gets uncomfortable and sometimes violent. they'll extra ball me every game. gang up just to get me out. hurl some slurs. shoulder bumps. sidle up next to me in the staging area..."why don't you go back to where you came from"..."go home, foreigner"..."better be careful out there _____. you might get hurt"...etc. these are all things that have been said to me at paintball. nothing yelled and nothing that other people would notice. just for me to hear. and the absolute worst is, if i speak up and talk to a ref, and nothing gets done. then i know i'm fucked. and i'll just leave for the day or maybe never come back.

now, with the way the country is, and how polarized. it can get pretty scary out there. hell, i was driving back from florida recently. forgot to fill up in a major city, and had to pull over in a VERY country gas station. the kind, as a minority, i avoid at all costs. i was the only one wearing a mask. pump my gas, go inside, pay, and as i was leaving to get back to my wife and kid in the car, i had a guy spit on my feet, threaten me and my family. and what the fuck am i supposed to do? talk back. get shot. maybe my family too? no. i gotta take that in, put up with it, and move on. and that's the dilemma i always have to face in the south. if i take a stand, do i lose my life today? do i widow my wife? my kids grow up without a father? these are very real situations and feelings i have to contend with. not on a daily basis, but something i've very aware of.

so when i hear people at the field talking about conservative views, i HAVE to constantly be on guard. bc who knows what might happen. i don't want to be on the news. i don't want to be yet another statistic. i have to have my guard up until i know someone isn't a threat. it's exhausting. and sometimes i try to push it outta my head bc i'm a naturally talkative and friendly guy. but it's always there. and i talk to my white friends about it, and they just don't get it bc they don't need to. that's what all those people talk about white privilege. we all have worries and problems, but i get to have another layer of worry on top of all the other shit.