Russian Paintball Day
The street game, during which participants exchange shots from air pistols with paintballs, appeared at the end of the 19th century
According to one version, Canadian loggers used weapons in this way to mark trees selected for decommissioning Since 1937, “paint throwers” for outdoor games began to be produced in France In the 80s, they began to be used for active leisure by stockbrokers and representatives of other professions associated with excessive nervous tension In the Russian Federation, the first competition among players shooting paint balls at each other took place on November 7, 1992 The date is significant for fans of extreme sports and is considered the Day of Russian Paintball
Initially, air guns were used not only by lumberjacks, but also by American cowboys to mark animals for sale The first marker (from the English mark - "sign") for the game of paintball (paint - "paint" and ball - "ball", "ball") was released in the 60s of the twentieth century This version of the weapon, which was not the most successful from a technical point of view, was improved in 1972 13 years later, a rifle with an optimal projectile feed speed was invented, which reduced the risk of injury to players
The marker is charged with compressed nitrogen or carbon dioxide The dye from the first oil balls was difficult to remove from athletes' clothing, so gelatin capsules were invented in 1984-85 The water-soluble pigment, which washes well, has been used to fill projectiles to this day
In the history of the United States, the first paintball game took place in 1981 In Russia, a friendly match in 1992, organized thanks to the efforts of the American Thierry Attridge, was held in the Polet boarding house near Moscow 30 people took part in the competition in dexterity and accuracy of shots, in which friendship won The sports discipline received official recognition in 1996 after the founding of the Russian Penitball Federation (RFP)
Today the game is developing in 3 directions Paintball is a sports discipline in which tournaments are held within the country and abroad Thus, the prize fund of the NXL World Cup among professionals is 12 thousand US dollars Participants in international games of X-Ball, M5, M500 and paintball of other formats participate in weekly training in tactics and physical training, purchase special equipment and tournament balls to participate in competitions
The game is used to develop professional skills among law enforcement officers and departments But paintball is most popular among fans of extreme entertainment Team sports competitions are held in the forest or in open areas filled with inflatable figures Sometimes demilitarized equipment is involved in participation - armored personnel carriers, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles The game scenario depends on the chosen theme - capturing the flag of the opposing team, rescuing hostages, World War II, modern armed conflicts, post-apocalypse, etc Tactical paintball players use not only markers, but also airsoft pyrotechnics, double-glass masks, belts for carrying paintballs and other equipment
The RFP team took 2nd place in France at the World Championships in September 2021 Competition among teams is very strong - paintball is played in 104 countries around the world Therefore, this sport is actively popularized and developed Every year on November 7 in Russia, in honor of the holiday, master classes, competitions and other events are held in the open air Participation in the Russian Paintball Day is an opportunity to experience strong emotions, test your dexterity and get indescribable pleasure from extreme entertainment