Behind paintball lines

OC Bushwackers Captain Ryan Podesta gathered his men together for a final briefing before they entered combat. The orders: Three back shooters lay cover fire while four forward shooters run for cover behind bunkers.

Take as many out on the breakout as possible; keep sand out of your barrel; remember to communicate.

The combatants helped each other double check their equipment. They were a little nervous but they still kept a bit loose as they anxiously talked a little smack.

Podesta knew this would be one of the biggest opportunities they’d ever had. It was his team’s first professional paintball match. Yet he knew his teammates — practically family — were ready to perform on the professional stage.

“We know what the guys are going to do, we know their tendencies,” Podesta said.

The pumped up Bushwackers stormed the field, fingers tickling triggers while they impatiently waited for the horn.

They took three of the New England Hurricanes adversaries on the break and surgically moved upfield, knocking off all of the Hurricanes while only losing two of their own. They finished in sixth place. Not bad for their first pro tournament.

Similar scenes played out for more than 200 amateur to professional paintball teams competing in the National Professional Paintball League’s tournament on the beach over the weekend.

Tens of thousands flocked to the beach to catch paintball’s top players compete in one of the fastest-growing action sports in the world.

The sky was clear and the only rain was the deluge of fluorescent paint pods that fell on competitors in the six inflatable battlegrounds.

The teams fought for $25,000 in prize money. The tournament is one of the National Paintball League’s largest events of the year.

Teams from as far as Sweden and Japan played. Ian Murdoch, a rear player for the semi-pro Hungarian Hitmen out of Alberta, Canada, said Huntington Beach is one of the favorite venues of the paintball world.

“How can it be any better than being on the beach when there’s still 2 feet of ice on the water in Canada,” Murdoch said.

Murdoch and other members of the Hungarian Hitmen said the paintball world has a distinct community feel, where anyone who loves the game or is even curious about it is welcome.

“It’s a game that there’s no sex barriers or age barriers,” said Clancy Goodley, a forward player for the team.

The closer the team, the more players begin to understand one another’s style of play and adapting tactics to support one another.

With thousands upon thousands of rounds fired during the three-day tournament, it’s not surprising the boardwalk near Junior Lifeguard headquarters was littered with paintball shells. Splatters of bright goo were evident along the walls and even more unbroken paintballs are in the sand.

This has raised environmental concerns in past years, but Chief of Marine Safety Kyle Lindo said there is little need for alarm. The league’s staff rake and hand-pick paintballs from the sand, and Marine Safety goes over the area afterward too.

The bright filling is actually food coloring and the inert liquid found in cough syrup. The shells are made of thin gelatin.

“The few that are left degrade in the sand,” Lindo said.

Long-time pro paintball player, coach and team owner Ron Kilbourne highlighted the positive economic effects for Huntington Beach. Hotels were filled with players, and the downtown merchants saw new customers, Kilbourne said.

Pro

1. San Antonio X-Factor

2. St. Louis Avalanche

3. San Diego Dynasty

4. Golden State Ironmen

Semi-Pro

1. Arsenal Evolution

2. Method of Destruction

3. Impact

4. Avalanche Army

DIVISION I

1. Aftermath II

2. Hollywood HK

3. Splat Kids

4. All or Nothing

DIVISION II

1. L.A. Endurance

2. Miami Rage

3. DC Arsenal Predators

4. Aftermath Factory

DIVISION III

1. CS Union

2. NV

3. Rockstar Factory Red

4. Black Cell