Paintball gains bigger following

More than 20,000 expected at games

By Liz Neely
STAFF WRITER

December 2, 2007

SAN DIEGO – Paintball isn't a fringe sport anymore.


JOHN GASTALDO / Union-Tribune
Alex Fraige (left) and Justin Schwarz of Team Dynasty took a break yesterday during the Super 7 World Series of Paintball at Qualcomm Stadium.

That was apparent yesterday as throngs of people, and not all of them teenagers, converged on Qualcomm Stadium for the National Professional Paintball League's Super 7 World Series of Paintball.
Despite the rain, more than 20,000 people are expected to turn out for the three-day event, which concludes today. This weekend, 150 seven-person teams are competing, with 18 professional and 24 semiprofessional teams vying for the championship and $25,000 in prize money.

That almost seems like a small sum, considering that those who play professionally can earn enough to make a decent living.

The defending champs, Team Dynasty, hail from San Diego and are well-known in the paintball world. Autograph signings draw crowds, and the team has just released its second DVD. Players travel the world making appearances and competing in tournaments, and last year Team Dynasty secured a $1 million promotional deal with JT Sports.

“The game has grown immensely in popularity,” said Chuck Hendsch, who founded the tournament and now works as a vice president at JT Sports. “There's a lot more fans traveling to events.”

The draw is manifold, enthusiasts say. Anyone can play, no matter one's age or athletic ability, and still have fun. Because it's a team sport, it builds camaraderie. And it's pretty safe, compared with motocross, skateboarding and the like.


JOHN GASTALDO / Union-Tribune
Ryan Greenspan (center) of Team Dynasty ran out during the start of the duel and eventually captured the flag during a game against Bad Company, a team from Pasadena.

Luis Narvaez, his 18-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son came from Tijuana to attend the tournament and trade show. Narvaez plays paintball with his children sometimes and said it helps relieve stress.
“You feel the adrenaline when you start to play,” Narvaez said, adding that he has encouraged his co-workers to play together as a team-building exercise. “It makes you more confident. (It creates) more trust between each other.”

Paintball fans say the sport has shed old stereotypes – a bunch of survivalists or paramilitary-types shooting guns in the forest – and evolved into an extreme sport that can be lucrative for players, promoters and retailers who sell paintballs, guns (or “markers” in the parlance of players), sportswear and other gear.

Kirk Carter and his wife, Linda Benisek-Carter, came from Torrance to watch their son, Nick Benisek, who plays for Team LTZ, a professional team based in Las Vegas.

“Usually he doesn't play in California,” Carter said. He and his wife said it's surreal to have a son who's a celebrity in the paintball world.

“You go online and it's like, 'Wow, he has his own fan club,' ” Carter said.


Liz Neely: (619) 593-4961; liz.neely@uniontrib.com
Paintball gains bigger following | The San Diego Union-Tribune

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