how do YOU explain tourney paintball?

[movingcanvass]

Because I love me some paintball, I can't help but talk about it to all and sundry.
I come across the same kinda questions every time I speak to someone that knows nothing about paintball.
Such as "oh so you play in the woods" or "dress up like a commando and that yeah?"
And so on, I go on to explain that I don't play that kind of paintball and that I play tournament style pb where you play on an open field with inflatable bunkers.
I like to preach the word of paintball to everyone because I love the sport and the community and comeradery.

How do you explain your paintball?
(any useful suggestions will be taken by me and used in the future )

 

[BubbleGumBob]

You don't it's not worth the head ache

 

[VENOM]

I just say imagine a bowling green with inflatable barriers and 5 men on each side and 3,2,1, go lol

 

[movingcanvass]

Right? Lol its hard to explain without it sounding daft

 

[Narkadox]

I just show them this. Easier haha.

 

[frobinson]

Right? Lol its hard to explain without it sounding daft

Pretty much bang on. I spent some time with an osteopath after hurting my back attempting to reinvigorate my basketball career after a 3 year hiatus. When I went to the osteo, he did a pretty long Q&A about what I do, but I just couldn't think of a suitable way to explain it paintball, so I just didn't bother!

When I've tried previously, I usually lead with "it's like a 5on5 capture the flag sorta thing where you play on a grass field with inflatable bunkers and essentially restart every time someone "captures" the flag..." That's all I got. After that, I just show them a video or like a minute of the PSP webcast!

 

[Gadget]

"Netted arena with bouncy castle barricades".

 

[Tom]

Not hard to explain, there are a few styles of paintball:

Punter / rental games, mostly but not just confined to the woods.

Next there are regular players with their own gear, either playing in the same sites as punter/rental players at a 'walkon' or at big game events such as 'scenarios' accross the country with a theme

In addition to those is a competive sport style of paintball in an open sports field with inflatable barricades/defences.



Don't start explaining tourament play by first disassociating it from paintball in the woods. If you do so then you remove their perception of paintball and try to explain something that is totally different with no reference point.
Next consider whether they are interested in listening, say you play paintball, they respond that it's like playing in the woods with guns, you go deeply into explaining into how different it is but they aren't realy interested in what you did at the weekend, just making polite small talk

Alternately buy a copy of the new paintball magazine that's coming soon and show it to them

 

[Dskize]

I try my best not to tell anyone I play paintball.



If people ask what you do on the weekends, try to think up something less embarrasing, like you are on a sex offenders register and they only let you go out during the week.

 

[outkastmike]

I have worked at the same place for 21 years and played paintball for 23 years and i have never had the slightest intention of telling the 30+ people i work with that i play paintball,even when i was a hardcore tourny player and ate and slept paintball i had no interest in telling people what i did most sundays.

The very few times i have told people (and i mean very few) it's usually met with "Is that were you dress up as soldiers and play war" type of response so i kind of never mention it to save the wierd looks or comments.