A mission possible: Paintball warfare

November 03, 2005|By Chris McNamara, Special to the Tribune

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"Your mission, soldier, is to push the German army out of Stalingrad. Your weapons include 50-calibur sniper rifles and fully automatic machine guns. You will eradicate the enemy with extreme prejudice. And then you'll break for snacks."

Challenge Park Xtreme in Joliet is a paintball-player's paradise, with 143 acres of wooded terrain, two mini-towns and enough targets to drain even the largest gun of colored ammo. But on Saturday, it is going back in time to ramp up the experience.

The 12-hour paintball marathon is called "Enemies at the Gates," and it's a livable, playable recreation of the WWII battle for Stalingrad. Paintball enthusiasts of any skill level can join either the Russian or German army, then relive (and perhaps rewrite) history.

"This is going to have a military structure," says Wayne Dollack, one of the nation's premier paintball role-playing-game producers who is creating this battle. "There will be generals working out of a command center with radios , and missions every half hour. I go for realism. I'm into props that the players can get involved with."

Take, for example, the bomb that will be buried somewhere in the park, which players must locate and deactivate. Pulling the wrong trip wire triggers a real (but harmless) explosion. Dollack also will employ smoke machines that blur the battlefield, air cannons that can be heard for miles, simulated aircraft fire and teeth-rattling explosive effects.

The all-day event will be divided into about two dozen missions, each worth 100 points. Scores will be tallied at the end of the day to determine which army--Russian or German--has won the battle and claims prizes including paintball guns and gear. Missions include:

- Finding a downed aircraft pilot and retrieving the battle plans he carries.

- Protecting tank-fueling stations from enemy soldiers seeking to detonate your supply.

- Guarding your sniper as he gets into position to eliminate an enemy target.

- Bartering with spy agents to get the enemy's tactical information. "Oh, we'll have agents, double agents and spies working both sides," the producer says with relish.

"Wayne's events are like large productions," says Challenge Park Xtreme's Gretchen Shay, who has already booked Dollack for four events next year. "They're not something you normally experience at run-of-the-mill paintball parks."

(Simulated) War Monger

Dollack runs his own paintball park, Wayne's World, in Ocala, Fla. He served for seven years as a civilian martial-arts instructor, and now travels the country producing theatrical paintball events for the nation's 10 million players.

While he focuses on realism--studying military history to make his reenactments as close to the actual battles as possible--safety and sportsmanship are paramount. "When it's over, everybody--win or lose--had a good time," says Dollack, 65. "These events are huge adrenaline rushes. They relieve stress. You forget your job. You forget your family problems and you get right into the game."

Like real war, paintball is predominantly the domain of young men, though Dollack welcomes everyone. "Women are awesome in field," he says. "They become very aggressive."

Some players likely will dress in military uniforms. And once the sun drops, a few night-vision goggles will appear. But even novices can compete, using wits and strategy to overcome more advanced weapons of war.

And should they need tactical assistance, players can always rely on members of the U.S. Army who will be competing alongside civilian paintballers.

A few hundred players from around the nation are expected to participate, some warring for the full 12 hours, others competing in only a few missions. After choosing their army, each will receive a military ID, complete with name, rank and specialty (sniper, demolition, etc.).

It will be as close to the real WWII battle as safety allows. Despite his love of authenticity, however, Dollack suggests players bring one modern convenience that will come in handy should radio communications be intercepted by the enemy--their cell phones .

"Enemies at the Gate"

When: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat.

Where: Challenge Park Xtreme, 2903 Schweitzer Rd., Joliet

Cost: $40 per player, with equipment rental and paintball purchase additional. More information: www.challengepark.com or 815-726-2800

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