Why paintball is NOT an "X-treme" sport

[mbyankee10]

My opinion

WHO CARES ITS A SPORT TO HAVE FUN DOES IT REALLY HAVE TO BE CLASSIFIED!!!!

[Dragonfd3s]

[MinimagRockin']

Originally posted by the_next_guy_
I think that many people classify paintball as an extreme sport because paintball itself relies so heavily on technology. Most mainstream sports, such as basketball, soccer, football, can be played with pretty much a ball and some form of a goal. Shure, there is alot of technology that goes into making football pads and tennis rackets, but the game does not rely on it. Personally I would not like to see paintball be recognized as an extreme sport, but I will play no matter what

Paintball doesn't rely much on technology either, it's just that once one guy has an elctro that shoots a million bps now everyone else wants one.

[Barfly]

Re: Why paintball is NOT an "X-treme" sport

Originally posted by Tyger

They're all indivisual based. No teams, it's individual athletes competing.
They're all capable of injuring you simply by the nature of the sport.
They're all scored on artistic merits, with the exception of the "races" like sport climbing and street luge.
They're all fast. The runs take, maximum, 90 seconds.

Ok now wrestling and ultimate fighting is not considered an extreme sport. They are both individual, capable of getting injured by the nature of the sport, you're 3rd reason isn't justifiable, and 90 seconds umm wrestling has a max of like 6 minutes and a lot of matches can end in under 60 seconds with a pin, also in ultimate fighting the best guys just waste the crap out of the people that suck, so those ones don't last very long.

Pretty much all extreme sports are new sports not something that has been around for a long time. They are usually not insanely popular sports like football or basketball and by calling them extreme, also helps with companies ability to market the sport. Be happy calling paintball extreme, because in the end it will just help make it more popular.

[Tyger]

Re: Re: Why paintball is NOT an "X-treme" sport

Originally posted by Barfly

Be happy calling paintball extreme, because in the end it will just help make it more popular.

Paintball still isn't ready to become popular and mainsteamed, but that's another rant.

-Tyger

[chris99506]

i agree that paintball isnt't really an extreme sport, the only real extreme sport as far as i'm concerned is sky diving, but i have seen one pantball related injury, i was playing at my local woodsball field with a couple friends and we were playing on a field that was down hill and pretty steep.
we were on top and one of my friends went to go rush the bunker infront of him (he was running pretty fast)and he tripped over something and went tumbling down the hill for a few feet and he was imediately shot by someone further down. he dislocated his shoulder and broke his revvy at the feed neck. It had to be the funniest thing i have ever seen and probably will ever see during a paintball game.

[KermieD]

Interesting. My other hobby is high powered rocketry. You find the same issue there. We all got into it for the rush, and then some of us are uncomfortable that others find us to be on the fringe. Nothing wrong with feeling uncomfortable about that either. Everyone wants to see their hobby or sport gain mainstream acceptance. It opens up more coverage in the media, spawning more suppliers, and then opening up more and better technology at better prices for us, the consumers.

Right now the national rocketry organizations are involved in a lawsuit with the ATF because they want us to get explosive licenses to use our motors. We have a much larger motive for not being part of the extreme in that hobby.

Even bigger, though, than whether our sport (and/or hobby) is called "extreme" or not is how we treat the n00bs who come in on their first day. It's never going to grow if you send the new kid into an ambush or blow him off when he asks you a question. I just got back into this myself after being away for 20 years (I'm an old man of 35) and was fortunate enough to have good friends at work who are willing to answer questions honestly when I ask them, without derision.

One of the cheesy sayings we have in the rocketry community is "pay it forward". Yeah, it's a platitude, but it works. Next time you're out at a walk-on game or a shoot around and you can see the whites of the eyes of the guy next to you, even through his mask, take some time between games to help him out, ask him how he's doing, and find out if he needs any help or advice. Ya never know, maybe he or his dad might be the guy who'd be willing to sponsor your team down the road.

Whenever you're part of an "extreme" or "fringe" group, the best way to make it part of the mainstream is to help make sure it's a good time for the new guy who had the guts to check it out.

[azza]

Now I havnt read all of the posts, but heres my theory why this non xtreme sport is considered one, it is what as a several people have said, its all about marketing. What is the average age new player? Im betting sumwhere between 12 and 20. (im most likely wrong but meh) and what do most people usually find a liking for during that age? "extreme sports"
why? 'cos alot of guys think extreme sports are "cool" and what better way to attract new players than to market it as such.
Personaly only true extreme sport i think there is, is cliff base jumping. Where if you stuff up, you've either just smacked yourself into the cliff face, or timed your jump wrong and now pancaked onto the ground below

[riooso]

X-TREME or whatever. Paintball will never become mainstream till all the cheating and backscene crap stops. Cameras will pick up cheating in a heartbeat. I love the sport but until there is a commitment to clean up the sport it will remain a business controlled activity.

R

[luke]