Paintball's Own Look?

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

Do hardcore paintballers have their own style of clothing, talking, or just something they do in their everyday lives that they normally wouldn't do if they didnt play paintball? Skateboarders wear their own special shoes and clothing, and sometimes a special haircut.
Snowboarders got their clothes, jackets, and all those name brand winter goodies.

Have we gotten to the point that we make ourselves obvious that we play paintball? (welts don't count)
I know there is a lot of paintball casual clothing out there but do any of us wear it? I can't really imagine myself walking around in paintball pants, wearing my jersey, and using my paintball gloves during the winter. I do see some people that do here and there but it's only 1 in 100,000 people that i see.

And when it comes to style of talking, do we say things not too specific like "Toothbrush top left" or "remote at 50 couch"? (AGG and GAT DO NOT COUNT)

Basically, is there any way that you can tell who is a paintballer off the field?

[SAW]

I use my paintball gloves when I go to the range and use "Standup" and "Snake" in my daily vocab.

[-=Squid=-]

Definitely. Paintball is most definitely developing it's own subculture. Obviously any paintballer can or will fit into this subculture, but honestly, the most obvious paintballers are those who are in the HK/AGG crowd. There have been countless numbers of people i've met who weren't necessarily wearing paintball clothes, but I Could tell that they played paintball.

And yes, agg does count. It is one of the largest contributers to helping build paintball as a subculture.

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

***future posters*** lets not have an arguement on the word "AGG". do that in a different thread

[-=Squid=-]

***future posters*** lets not have an arguement on the word "AGG". do that in a different thread

It's not an argument at all, I am simply stating the facts. AGG is the only real word that is specific to paintball that can be used legitimately off the field, as well as the only thing to create an entire style of dress, etc. You don't have to like the whole agg thing, but saying that it didn't do those things is just completely wrong.

[CaliMagFan]

i notice that paintballers turn corners with their heads first.... like they kinda lean around a corner in their last step to make sure that nobody is there to "shoot them"... i guess so they dont hit any other unsuspecting pedestrians....

i do it out of habbit, and have seen other do it... its kinda funny... i've seen some paintballers that have odd styles of looking through crowds and places with viewing obstacles... they kinda step and twitch from side to side to get an total view of "the field"... they dont really linger their heads out in the "open" for too long when they're looking for/at something.

one other thing about physical paintball culture/mannerisms is the blocking paint with the hands thing... i sometimes find myself walking thru crowds with one hand up in that "off the break" position to "block incomming paint" from my "mask"... this sport messes with your head.

i notice that the people that give the best directions are accomplished tournament paintballers.... "grocery store, left side of the street, down a mile and a half, green building, entrance on the left...." kinda a mechanical creepyness to the way they address communication in "pressure" situations.

of and more thing.... i notice this in myself, and in others... the "ducking/dodging" reflex is somewhat muted in paintballers cause they know that paintballs are inheirantly innacurate and they wont be hit on the first shot... lol... not a good one off teh field i might add.

thats what i notice.. you gotta be observant about it i guess, but thats what we all are, its part of our game/culture.

-kyro

[rifleman wi]

paintballers try to walk everything that makes a noise or has a trigger....ive seen some of my friends try to look like there snap shooting around corners and stuff like that too... but even ppl at work give me crap cuz i try and walk everything with a trigger there....

[tony3]

I wear paintball shirts all the time :) I got a bunch of them.

Definitely agree about the direction thing, most paintballers have a good sense of direction because we are always driving to the middle of nowhere looking for a field.

[abunkerer]

I don't know if I dress or act differently,.. going to a knee and pretending to lane someone out is a standard greeting in the American culture, right?

[Tyger]

Do hardcore paintballers have their own style of clothing, talking, or just something they do in their everyday lives that they normally wouldn't do if they didnt play paintball?

We like to think that we're our own subculture, but we're not. We borrow apsects and fashion from so many influences it's not funny. We're not our own culture as much as we're a "melting pot" from everyone else. (Which you could argue makes us our own culture, but it's asimilation not diversity)

I'd type more, but I'm tired.

-Tyger

[Conversekidz]

All the kids from my area that I know that are in paintball dress like little thug hip hop kids. The GIANT fake diamond earing the sidways/backwards cap, the thug clothing. Its funny watching little rich white kids trying to act like they grew up in the hood all the while playing paintball.

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

o dear...

[DiSoRdeR]

I wear skate clothes even though I no longer skateboard, could never ollie so I gave it up. I would wear paintball clothes for sure but havent seen a place that sells them yet.

[FreakBaller12]

I was thinking about this the other day when I bought soem empire shoes. I think our sport kind of has a skater-ish style to it. It may depend where you live, but that's how I think of it.We'll get there eventually guys, to the point where you look and say that kid plays some real ball, paintball.

[tony3]

Agree freak, we definitely have a skateboard sense to our culture. I know lots of skateboarders that paintball as well.