In the world of outdoor sport, adventure and recreation, paintballing is relatively new. It was only in 1981 that is first appearing in the UK and since then its popularity and availability has grown. As with any business it started with just one location, but there is now a paintballing centre for nearly every corner of the United Kingdom.
Paintball involves eliminating opponents from the play area by hitting them with gelatine paintballs, which are breakable. As they are also filled with paint they leave behind a mark. The balls are shot from a gun powered by carbon dioxide/air powered and are known as a paintball marker.
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The rules for playing vary widely, most of which exist so that the sport remains safe and as such it involves a lot of equipment (for example on rule is that players must wear a protective goggle system or mask at all times when they are playing or close to other players).
The game usually involves two opposing teams, usually trying to eliminate all of the other team's players, but the goal can also be to seek another goal such as claiming a flag. Games can last from seconds to days depending on the style of play. The style of play means that most of the jargon is borrowed from gamer and military culture.
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Since the sport's humble beginnings the UK paintball industry has seen several large companies emerge. The major company is Delta Force, the largest, independently owned operator in the UK. To get a scale of the growth of paintball, Delta Force owned 4 centres in the early nineties, but now owns over 20.
Other companies include Hotshots and Hamburger Hill Paintball. The large number of companies had made things very competitive and as a result the quality of service has increased, including value for money, safety standards and the quality of equipment.
To compete, the companies have been forced to include other items to the playing field. At the start of the millennium, low-grade fields became transformed with vast obstacles such as hay bales, full scale aeroplanes, double-decker buses, real life villages and pyramids. It is now the norm to get more than just a barren patch of land with trees and the like.
Players can now play paintball expecting a complete experience, and it shows how far the business has come.
Paintball has become a favourite event for stag parties and birthdays for men and woman and is a great day out for everyone.