Shell Shocked takes paintball to a new level near Houma armory

Two five-person teams break their formation. Suited head to toe in protective gear, some lay down cover fire, shooting a short burst of ammunition, while the others advance and take cover. Ammo ricochets and explodes off inanimate objects. Projectiles whiz overhead while gunners crawl to a safe stop.

Over time, the numbers dwindle as people take direct hits and are eliminated. Usually, in the end, one team member is left trying to fend off multiple attackers.

Welcome to the exciting world of paintball!

“I played football and soccer in high school (at E.D. White). The adrenaline rush playing paintball is way better,” said Justin Gaudet, a 20-year old L.E. Fletcher Community College student from Thibodaux. “No comparison. This is a true athlete’s sport. It is the New Age gridiron.”

Gaudet is one of the estimated five million Americans who play paintball regularly, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA).

While paintball has been around for over 30 years, today it is one of the nation’s fastest growing sports and fitness activities. Participation has grown by 34 percent since 2000, according to the SGMA.

“It’s fast paced, takes a lot of teamwork and it’s something anybody can do,” said Jonathan Richard, a 21-year-old Nicholls State University student from Thibodaux. “It doesn’t matter how fit you are or how athletic you are. Anybody can come out here and play a game of paintball.”

Doug Lagendyk, owner of Shell Shocked Paintball in Houma, is a 20-year veteran of the sport and has seen how the game has evolved over the years.

“I was 15 when I first started playing in Michigan,” he said. “I’m 35 now, and it has changed tremendously. When I first started the markers (guns) only held 10 paintballs at a time. Now these computerized guns can be programmed to shoot 30 balls a second.”

The rules for playing paintball vary greatly. In the most common forms, two opposing teams either seek to capture their opponent’s flag and return it to their starting position, or simply eliminate all of the other team’s players.

Points are can be earned per elimination, per live player a team has left at the end, as well as to the first team to pull and hang the captured flag.

Despite having paintballs flying out at 300 feet per second, the sport is relatively safe compared to other recreational activities.

A one-year study by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary has shown that more sports eye injuries are caused by basketball, baseball, hockey and racquetball than paintabll. Another analysis concluded that eye injuries incurred from paintball were usually in non-commercial settings where protective eye equipment – such as masks – were not required.

At Shell Shocked Paintball’s field behind the National Guard Armory in East Houma, they take precautions to ensure players’ safety.

“We have referees at all times making sure players don’t remove their facemasks,” Lagendyk said. “The other safety feature is the sleeve that goes over the barrel and attaches to the back of the gun. If the gun is accidentally fired, the paintball won’t leave the barrel. It will explode inside the sleeve.”

The youngest paintballers are 10 years old because that’s what most insurers require, according to Lagendyk. At the other end of the age spectrum, customers range from teens to 50-something.

Newcomers to the sport can rent or purchase equipment at Shell Shocked Paintball’s Southland Mall store.

A full-service gunsmith is on staff to work on or modify any paintball gun. Prices for paintball guns ranges from $100 to $2,000.

There are two sides to paintball: scenario, which is played for recreation, and tournament level, which more like a sport.

“Scenario is more of your weekend warriors that dress up in camouflage. A lot of ex-military guys and guys in their 30s, 40s and 50s do that,” Lagendyk explained. “At the tournament level, you find the older teens and guys in their 20s. The uniforms are brightly colored. Matches are setup in a small arena where spectators can watch.”

There are several paintball leagues in the United States and overseas where teams and players earn prize money. Smaller cable networks have televised tournaments. Lagendyk was featured during a rare ESPN paintball telecast.

“That was kind of nerve-racking,” he admitted. “We played in Huntington Beach, Calif., right on the beach. I was nervous with the cameras rolling. They had large blenchers and over 30,000 people watching.”

These days, Lagendyk sponsors two paintball teams. Shellshocked.com, on which Gaudet is a member, plays local tournaments from Texas to Mississippi. Backdraft, on which Richard is a member, plays six events a year in the Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP), the largest event series in the world.

“It’s kind of like NASCAR. You play several events throughout the year in different states and you get points at each event,” Lagendyk explained. “At the end of the year, they have a World Cup at the Walt Disney World Sports Complex in Orlando.”

Backdraft plays the PSP events throughout California, Florida and in Chicago. Richard, one of team’s most experienced players, loves the atmosphere at the PSP events.

“It’s crazy at the big tournaments. There are a lot more teams,” he explained. “We’ll go to a local tournament and compete against maybe 13 teams. In Chicago, we’ll go up against 40 to 50 teams. It’s a big venue with four or five fields. You get a chance to watch all the pro teams play and see what it’s like. The travel part is always fun when you have your friends with you.”

Gaudet has only been playing paintball six months, but he is already captivated. He can’t wait until June when he plays in his first PSP event in Chicago.

“I never thought I could find a sport more exciting than football, but paintball is addictive,” he said. “I just wanted to find something to be involved in and a few of my buddies went and played one weekend. Ever since then, I was hooked.”

Jesse Smith signals he’s out of the game after being hit in the goggles by a paintball during a weekend match.