You’ve experienced one paintball day, you’ve experienced them all, right? Think again, as the Zombie take on the ever popular outdoor pursuit pushes the boundaries of what is good, decent, but downright scary fun with gun full of paintball ammunition. The Zombie themed paintball movement is gathering pace, with several places worldwide taking this fun extreme sport in a whole new direction.
Zombie Combat Zone
Out in America, the Zombie Combat Zone at the Panther Paintball Grounds at 19022 16th Avenue trialled for ten weeks last year, and was an unrivalled success. It has been described as a truly immersive experience, akin to being involved in a zombie apocalypse – or at least as close to being in one as is humanly possible! This Canadian Zombie themed paintball session is played out in 57 acres of spooky forestry, and by all accounts is a pretty terrifying experience!
The Man Behind the Experience
As you might expect, it takes someone with experience of the genre to be able to skilfully cross the boundaries between Zombie movie set and paintball fun, and the man behind this particular venture is none other than Ron McCall, a special effects guru who has worked in the movie industry for over fifteen years. The idea stemmed from an idle conversation about how people would deal with a zombie apocalypse. With the special effects ability to dress hordes of actors, the stage was set for a whole new paintballing experience.
The Experience
Paintballers tackling the zombie Combat Zone are lead through the forest by a group of soldiers who go to some lengths to protect and guide the paying paintballers, but predictably, they come upon swathes and swathes of blood eating Zombie’s in the heart of the jungle. As you would imagine, the mission is simply to survive! There is a storyline behind the mission, and the feeling is akin to being part of a real life zombie happening – even if it is just pretend!
How Does it Compare to Regulation Paintballing
There’s no doubt that in some ways, the structure of Zombie Paintballing will take away from the adrenaline fuelled battles that normally commence between friends, but the change in direction is all about teaming up with your friends, and fighting the apocalypse! The principle is excellent, but the crucial part is to fully immerse yourself in the idea. For anyone who allows themselves to get swept up in the idea of an attack of the Zombies, it could be the best paintballing experience you have ever had!
Where Can I Do This?
Zombie Paintballing is likely coming to a paintball location near you! There’s no doubt that this is a growing genre in paintballing, and with years of paintballing behind us, a fresh direction for the extreme sport is just what it needs. It will be interesting to see just how many more places open up in the next year or two. What is not in doubt is just how much fun it can be to plaster a zombie in paint! Just remember, those pesky zombies just keep on coming back at you, so buy plenty of ammo!
