I remember sitting around a wings place in 5-Points munching on a hot wing and sipping on a cold beer with a few close friends (Ed and Ben Turner) - I guess the year would be around 1991. One of my buddies (Ben Turner) starts chatting about about this article he read (or show he saw on TV) on "paintball". He goes on and on about how fun it sounds. At the time I had plenty of money, no dependents, no real hobbies, an abundance of alpha tendencies, and plenty of stress. Well, next thing I know I'm jamming down issues of APG and thinking hard about getting into the game, head first. Without ever playing a game, I order up a PMI-3, a pair of Sheridan P68-ATs, and I think those two friends ordered up a pair of Tippmann SL-68IIs. A week or so later, the order arrived just after work. I forget where we got the paint and air, but it seems like that same night we couldn't wait - and headed out to some nearby woods, and parked two trucks facing each other on a dirt road with the head lights running and blasted away. I think the masks were by Leader. The hoppers were all Viewloaders (later called VL90s). Maybe paint by Nelson.

Night is always such a kick in the pants how it turbo charges the sences. Add to that paintballs flying unseen in the night towards me, and being shot at my good friends who tend to enjoy any chance to talk a bit of smack. I can almost taste the adrenaline to this day.

And the first dozen times we played were outlaw ball some where : from the woods of Harbison, Falcon Pond, SCE&G land down below the dam. Mostly co-works joined in. I remember Ed & Ben Turner, Scott Lee, Kevin Sipes, and Sneeky Pete Hernandez. Later Scott Varn and Michael Jordan joined in.

I mostly played with my PMI-3 with 10oz front tank and 14" bull barrel, but the accessories in APG drove me to madness. I had to have one of those cool Tasco Thompson stocks, and later that dual tank set up for 20oz on the back and 10 on the front (I kid you not). It was that setup in one of those two configurations that I took to my first scenario game - April 25, 1992 - North vs South 3rd annual game at Red Fox Games in NC. Somewhere in this endeavor we were inspired by a truly impressive traveling scenario team from Mississippi - Team Swat. I don't recall if it was before, during or after - but it was around this time that the idea for having our own scenario team hatched.. I know lots of beer and foosebuzz @ Reuperts Wing Inn were involved. And SC Roadkill was born. My bro's Tumor and TJ may have more details, but my fuzzy recollection must be pretty close... if not, legend may replace reality.. So there it is.

Since that first day, I play with the hopes of recapturing that pure gold shot of adrenaline that I remember so well, 18 some odd years ago. Many days have come close, but never quite there.

Taking a tangent to this for a moment, one of my current teammates just shipped out to the Citadel as a NOB. While I knew of the culture there, his stories of traditions there that allow the upperclassmen to mentally and physically push the NOBs around is truly astonishing. I guess it weeds out those who do not personally want to be there. My teammate's most atrocious tales come from the sophomores who just got promoted from NOB status. I guess they enjoy doing unto others as was done unto them.

My point for writing this stems from something that truly bothers me. In the game of paintball today, there seems to be two kinds of veteran players:

Those veteran players that see novices players with a bit of envy - having had the most recent taste of their first day.

And then those veteran players who maybe had a bad first experience and want to pass that bad experience on to the next generation.

People, listen up: The first time players deserve our efforts to help make their first taste of the game to be one that keeps them coming back for more - for the good of the game.