Ron Fowler said it feels like being hit with a wet towel. Bryan Vasaris said it’s like being snapped with a rubber band or stung by a bee. Being shot by a paintball gun doesn’t sound very fun. So why is paintball one of the fastest growing sports in America, according to the National Sporting Goods Association? “It’s a stress relief, because you can go out and shoot at people and not dangerously hit them,” Vasaris said. “But it’s also being with a group of guys that you like to hang around with.”
The most commonly played paintball game is “capture the flag.” There are rules variations, but the object is for a team to capture the opposing team’s flag while protecting its own. Players eliminate opponents by shooting them with their paintball guns.
The games can be played outside in an open field or forest, or inside at a specially designed facility with inflatable bunkers and other obstacles. “It’s not the hide-and-seek game everyone thinks,” Vasaris said. “It’s really action-packed and fast-paced.” Players use carbon dioxide- or nitrogen-powered guns that fire thin,...