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WH1TY FREE PBRESS. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23,1989, PAGE 25 Bang!You'rpat-ed dead BMike Johnston I don t remember too much about the kili, it happened so fast. I had been crouched behind a tree trunk for 15 minutes - lis- tening to the skirmish up ahead. I couid tell we were losing this battie as many of my team mem- bers came waiking by, carrying their blue-coiored arm bands in the air. "I got it in the arm,»" one warrior said to me as hie walked by my position. "Don t give away his location!" yelled another as he waiked from the piaying field. Then there 'was *silence. The gun play had stopped and I knew the enemy was advancing with hopes of capturing our flag. Then it hapened. I heard a rustie from behind but I knew the man guarding that area .to thed flag couid take care of him- self. But I didn't hear any gunfire. Then there was a yefl. "Gdt it!" calied out a mnember of the orange teain. I spun around and saw him grab the flag from a rope tied between two trees. I had one chance. As he raced off in the direction he had come I raised my gun and pulied the trigger. «Got him! I calied out as the bright yellow paint bail spiat- tered on his back.,- The man was dead and the flagwas placed back on the rope. But the battie wasn't over. The enemy was stili advancing. Just ahead was a. sinal skirish. I could see a member of the orange team 'shielding himself behind a tree.'He did not see me. I was going to wait until hie stepped from behind the tree and take xny best, shot. But I neyer got the chance. I didn't even see the paint bal as it struck me in the shoulder, blut I felt it. I took my armi band off and waiked off the field to a waiting area. "Did youget hit in the head?" asked one referee. "No, the shoulder," I replied. "It looks like you got hit in the head. There's paint ail over your neck," said the referee. .I wrent to the nearest mirror and took a look. The pellet had exploded on impact and spiat- tered paint ail over my neck. "Dont worry," said the referee. "It washes off easîly.» Then a horn sounded and everyone began returning to the field. Another game was about to start. That was my introduction to war gaines, or as it is comm oniy- referred to - paint bail. 'Tou would be surprised at the reaction of first time players after they have taken part in a gaine,» said Rick Wall, generai manager of RLD Games Ltd. in Brook lin. The company has five playing fields, each having 15 to 20 acres of the roughest terrain in north Whitby. Most people soon realize that in real war, one meeting with one of those paint balîs is the end you can't just walk of the filic. I think they are tarned off to 'war,» said Wall of the fxeience. rDgames has been in ope- ration fr een years. They have four fuil-time and 35 part-time eMployees. When war gaines were first introduced eight years ago, there were 57 playing fields within an hour of Toronto. Today, there are six in south- ern Ontario. According to Wall, the game was invented by two men from New Hampshire, one an author, DON DEWOLFE gets in some practice' Games Ltd. in Brooklin. shots between war games at BLD Mike Johnston-Free Prou. photo the other a stockbrocker. "Tne two were taiking about who would survive in the event of a war. So they devised this gaine to see who would be the better man and that's how it started," related Wall. Today, the game is played by men and women of ail ages. 'The oldest player we had was 67. But the average age is about 30 >Ysaid Wall. iý'alor Gregory was playing for his first time. "This is my stag,» said Gregory as he waited with other members of his team. for a new gaine to start. 'This is fun. I love it," is 'how he described the gaine. "I love this atmosphere," said Don DeWolfe of Toronto, a repeat customer for RLD Gaines. "That is most of our business. Repeat customers. We survive more on word of mouth which means we have to give people goodvalue for their money," said .To that end, ruies and safety are strictly enforced. No one is aiiowed to enter a piaying field uniess he is wear- ing goggles. And off the playin.g filguns are to be in theïr hoister at ail times. But even with the strictest of rules, accidents stili occur. Four years ago, a man was blinded in one eye when he took his goggles off beside a friend who was cieaning his gun. The gun went off and struck the man in his eye. "Unfortunateiy accidents can happen. We have had sprairis and broken ai-ms,» said Wall. Cost is $38 for the day and iricludes a uniforin, gun, two DOUG RUSSELL of Toronto appiies war gaines in isrooklin. cfl~çppp, p~,q pppj~ioMike Johnston.Pree Pre.. phqto ei@Aç xp e 401