Whoever said “Paintballing does not hurt that much” is a liar and should never be trusted!
Casey and I had no idea what we were in for when we signed up for the SSU Paintball Club beginner day. First of all, we figured it would be a small, calm atmosphere filled with paintball noobs like us, just trying to figure out how to hold the gun. Well, we were proven wrong as soon as we stepped into Escape Paintball.
Children aged 10-18 were roaming about with their shirts off showing their welts from being hit. What they don’t understand is that doing that does not make you look cool! That means you suck! That means you are not good enough to be the last man standing. You were hit and got out, so cover up those embarrassments!
We made our way past the fenced-in paintballing fields to the rental area. It only took twelve dollars to get an hour of play, a mask, chest protector and gun. Not too bad! We were geared up and ready to get out there into the action. Or so we thought.
The Paintball Club President, Steve Apel and Vice President Dan Esterly, walked us through what we needed to do, what we should not do and how we could survive the madness. These were their tips-
- Don’t chicken wing, aka keep your arms in so you don’t get hit in the side (Wish we would have listened to that … )
- Wear loose clothing so it will not hurt as much when you get hit (Again, wish we would have listened to that too).
- Don’t stay in one spot, they will get you eventually (You guessed it, wish we would have listened to that as well).
These were some great tips, but once you are in the middle of all the action, it is difficult to remember these things! Too scared to move from the one spot Dan told me to stay in, I eventually got hit in the side and now have a nasty bruise to prove my lack of paintball excellence. The upside though, we did not cry! Just said some choice words that we wish we did not say in front of children. As for Casey, she got away with a small bruise and a new found hatred for the sport that is paintball.
Overall, it was a fun experience and one that I might revisit someday. I just need to heal physically, emotionally and psychologically first. Casey on the other hand will never step foot on a paintball field again!
Thank you to the SSU Paintball Club for hosting the beginner’s day! If you would like to join the club, they have meetings every Sunday night from 10:00-11:30 PM in the Lotus Wellness room at the Rec Center.
Next up, Friars in the daytime…this should be interesting.
The Bucket List
1) Frolic in a field2) Go paint balling and don’t cry
3) Make it through the WHOLE Cotati Crawl in one night
4) Walk the Golden Gate Bridge
5) Travel to the Redwoods
6) Grape stomping while wine tasting or barrel tasting
7) Go to a play in SF and get our ticket signed by the actors
8) NorthLight Thursday Open Mic (watch, not perform)
9) Lagunitas Brewery Tour
10) Candle making. Yes, we love candles
11) All you can eat Crab Feed in Cotati
12) Win at a bingo night
13) Ride the train at the SF Zoo
14) Cotati Bars Thursday, Petaluma Bars Friday, Santa Rosa Bars Saturday…
15) Figure out that damn Gravity Hill
16) Explore Spice
17) Go to Friar’s in the daytime and try their food