|
Phone: 605-428-4179 Field: 605-842-2897 |
|
(Continued from page 2) “I did a lot of research on the sport on the Internet, in magazines, and talking to others who are involved with the sport, before deciding to invest,” the paintball enthusiast said. “Paintball was very popular about ten years ago on the east coast, but fizzled out after a while, probably due to poor quality equipment,” he added. But now the sport is coming back stronger than ever, especially on the east coast and in the southern area. With more reliable equipment, paintball should be around for a very long time.” Xtreme Power Ball was opened to the public on Thanksgiving Day, 1998, at the Fletcher farm. This business venture has all been personally financed, and is a weekend business for this couple. “We took a big risk setting up this business in a small, rural community,” Chad stated, “but it’s been well worth it, and it has been good for the community.” Chad and Melissa buy all their paintball supplies from a paintball supplier on the east coast. “We only use the best equipment and paintballs,” the couple commented. “We use what the pro’s use.” Melissa Gannon works at Covington Heights Beverly Healthcare Center in Sioux Falls as a registered dietitian, and Chad Fletcher, formerly of Colome, designs fabricated roof and floor trusses for Plum Building Systems in Hawarden, IA. These two drive back and forth every weekend, so that they can operate their business. “We have had a very positive reaction from our area residents,” Melissa commented. “A lot of different groups come out to play, including church groups, boy scouts, youth groups, bachelor parties, family reunions, or many people come out to play just for the fun of it, in their spare time.” It costs $10.00 per 3 hour session, for the rental of protective gear, and the marker, which is the instrument used to shoot the paintballs, plus there is a cost for the amount of balls you want to buy for the games. Before every game, the couple gives a 10 to 15 minute orientation, so that everyone knows the rules, and knows how to properly handle their equipment. “Safety is our ultimate goal,” commented Gannon. “We want to make sure that this sport is safe for all who play. We only use top of the line equipment,” Melissa added. Participants have to wear protective clothing, such as a camouflage shirt, because sometimes if you get a direct hit, it may sting a little. This also helps protect their clothes. They also wear protective head/eye gear, and they are to leave their goggles on at all times. “We don’t link this game with war, hunting, or any kind of violence,” Gannon said. “This is a team sport, where team members must communicate in order to win. As long as the game is played with the proper equipment, and played properly, most anyone can play,” Fletcher said. “We have had twelve year old girls, and over seventy year old grandmas playing. Kids can play with adults, men against women, and old against young. We do , however, recommend the players be at least twelve years of age, so they can properly work their equipment and follow the rules.” “Paintball enables you to learn from each other,” Melissa added The game is very safe. The balls are nontoxic, water soluble, biodegradable, and even edible. The “paint“ is more like a gel substance, which comes in a variety of colors. When one of these balls make contact, they “splat“ paint about the size of a quarter. The marker’s air supply is calibrated so it shoots the paintballs at 300 feet per second during a game, and at 285 at tournaments. There is a also the 20 ft. rule. A person can not shoot another person within 20 ft. of them or they will be disqualified. There is always one or two referees, depending on the number of people playing, to ensure that all rules are followed. Some games can last up to 45 minutes, depending on how well each team communicates with each other. There are many variations to the game of paintball, all which are fun and exhilarating. The game most commonly played is “Capture the Flag.” this game involves teams using problem solving skills to capture the opponent's flag and return it to their own base without getting tagged. “Tagging“ is a direct hit by a paintball, anywhere on the body, which causes paint to “splat.” if this occurs, the team player is out for that game, and must return to the sideline. During the game, you may have to overcome challenges of being out numbered or having your own flag captured. The key to winning the game of paintball is good teamwork and problem solving skills. If you don‘t work as a team, you will not succeed in paintball. In fact, many large corporate businesses, youth groups, and families enjoy paintball to build teamwork skills. There are about a dozen other games, including: Bunny Hunt, Down but not Out, Alien, and one of the favorites between the grown-ups is President. This is when one person acts as the President. He has two bodyguards who are to protect him, and get him from one fort to another, without him or his body guards getting hit. The president isn't‘ allowed to have a marker, so he is completely dependent on his body guards. |
|
Paintball… Competitors are getting ready to splat paint at their opponents at the recent Colome Cowboy Fair, where Chad and Melissa made barricades and set them up at the football field. The field on the Lonnie Fletcher farm has a great deal more cover, but participants still got a feel for what the game was like. |
|
To contact us: |