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Get Away

Artful dodgers

Two hundred teams aim to color the competition while avoiding paint-filled pellets this weekend as the National Professional Paintball League makes a stop in Tampa.

By RICK GERSHMAN
Published May 12, 2005

TAMPA - They're coming to Raymond James Stadium from around the world, but mostly from around Southern California, to paint the town and each other.

The 1,400 paintball professionals - 200 teams of seven members each - take over the stadium area Friday through Sunday, competing on six fields just outside Raymond James. The Tampa event is the second leg of the Super 7 World Series run by the National Professional Paintball League.

While Southern California is the biggest hot spot for team sport paintball, this weekend's competition includes teams from across the United States, including the Tampa Bay area, and from around the world, including Sweden, Norway, Russia and Japan. There are all-male, all-female and coed teams with participants' ages ranging from 12 to 52.

"We had slots for 200 teams and they all sold out within a week," said Bart Walkerdine of Pure Promotions, which operates and promotes the tournament for the NPPL. "We love the area, it's a fantastic venue for us, and we like to go to places where we can have a good time."

The teams are vying for $100,000 in prize money, including $25,000 for the winning squad.

Teams will play capture the flag armed with specialized rifles that fire paintballs. The Super 7 format matches two seven-person teams on a field about the size of a tennis court.

A number of inflated shapes offer some cover to players. Each game lasts up to 7 minutes; the team that eliminates the other and captures the opposing team's flag wins.

"We're not military; it's very (much a) sport," said Walkerdine said. "It's great for kids. It's great for team-building. It's just fun to come and have a ball."

Without a doubt the sport attracts some interesting participants. Many teams have profiles on the NPPL Web site, www.nppl.tv and even have Web sites of their own.

For example, you can learn that the captain of the Kryptic team, Jim Raphaely, names Jimi Hendrix as his favorite musician.

Then there's Joy Division Sweden. Its biography claims: "Known as much for their charisma and charm as their paintballing skills, the Joy boys have always been easy to "spot' with their leopard print and quite large entourage of attractive people."

Our favorite bio, however, is for Paulie "Run By" Carbone of Boston Paintball Factory Team 2. It reads:

"Three years playing, is 15 and single, black hair, brown eyes, strong muscular build, looking for a girl around the same age but older is ok (if older, he has to be home by 8 p.m. or his mom will get worried)."

Admission and parking for spectators are free.

The 2005 Super 7 World Series of Paintball is Friday through Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. Divisional play, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; finals, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission and parking. Reserved seats available Sunday only, $10. 714 536-9050; www.nppl.tv

[Last modified May 11, 2005, 09:32:06]