Got our crosshairs set on Barbados Paintball
Don’t bother ducking for cover because Adrenaline Sun is looking through the scope and zooming in on Paintball in Barbados with Xtreme Paintball Barbados C6 Paintball Chief Safety and technical Officer Nicholas Gittens.
In 15 short years, the sport of paintball has become recognized as one of the world’s most exciting outdoor participation sports. Played in over 100 countries by millions of men and women of all ages and lifestyles, all paintball players are united by a love for adventure and a strong competitive spirit.
Nicholas Gittens
A Brief History
In Barbados, paintball was started in 2005 by Kendal Sporting Shooting Club, after three months of its existence Nicholas Gittens took the helm and formed Xtreme Paintbll Barbados.. As with every “extreme” recreational activity, one major challenge which XPB is still trying to overcome was getting  passion recognized an actual “sport”.
Beginning with about 74 members,XPB wanted to expand and found permanent residence on the expansive grounds of the Barbados Rifle Association (BRA), located at the Barbados Defence Force Base at Paragon Christ Church.
It has since then grown to over 350 members which include soldiers of the Barbados Army and Special Forces and anyone who has the joy for the sport.
Games and Courses
There are basically two ways to play paintball: Speedball and Woods ball. While they may be similar in some aspects they both have different games, strategies, competitions, paintball guns and gear. Speedball is played on a field with blow-up inflatable bunkers, and Woods ball is played outside (in the woods) or in mock urban settings. BRA has 1 Speedball course and 3 Woods ball Courses.
Both courses have been developed to international standards and one thing’s for sure though, whether you’re playing speedball or woods ball, the adrenaline level is through the roof! And just to keep things interesting XBP uses popular action movies themes for their paintball games and events. There will also be a theme based on the Call of Duty – Modern Warfare video game which is soon to be introduced.
True Values of the Game
Critics may assume that paintball players are mostly immature groupings of man-boys who like to play with toy guns. However, the healthy competitive nature and team spirit elements within paintball are very real. Many large corporations have taken notice and have utilized XPB’s facilities by involving their marketing and management teams, e.g. Cable and Wireless, Diamonds International, SBI and Sagicor just to name a few.
By bringing people together from all departments and levels, and promoting them to work together to achieve common goals recreationally, it becomes easier for them to achieve their goals in their work environment.
The Last Words
XPB has a commitment to playing honest, competitive and safe paintball. Part of this process is promoting the sport of paintball, and their sponsors, in a positive light at all times. Through this sport the will help teach younger players integrity, dedication, competitive spirit, teamwork, leadership and hard work; all of which are valuable traits both on and off of the field.
Paintball has come a long way, with no signs of stopping. And now that you know a little bit more about our sport, next time you see marker, maybe you will call it a marker and not a gun. Paintballs aren’t bullets, they are gel capsules. It’s not a wound, it’s a mark. It’s not a crime, it’s a sport. And he isn’t just some bad kid, he’s an athlete. Come on pull the trigger… you just may enjoy it.
Adrenaline Sun
Adrenaline Sun is a new-media action sports magazine that gets inside the world of Caribbean extreme sports to bring you every thrilling event through original content, videos, e-publications and social media. We don’t focus only on the biggest sporting events. We engage regional and international fans and athletes in key action sports niches including skateboarding, paintball, BMX, and off-roading. We also attract a highly enthusiastic local fan base that includes avid sailors, surfers and motorsports junkies.
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