Paintball players have a new place to enjoy their sport. All Star Paintball Arena, which opened for business off Summerhill Road, Spotswood, Middlesex County, in November, is one of the state’s few indoor facilities for the sport, whose popularity has been growing in recent years. Manager Steve Liss said the facility, in a warehouse complex on American Way, is equipped to meet all the needs of players.
PHOTOS BY DANIEL HULSHIZER staff Clockwise from top: Walter Price, 27, of Chester, fires away from behind an inflatable bunker during a match at All Star Paintball Arena, Spotswood. David Astorita, 16, of Jackson, takes aim at an opponent. Team members run for cover from the starting point. The center is co-owned by David Veldof, of Jamesburg, who has 20 years’ experience in the paintball business, including owning and operating paintball stores. He also has an extended history as a paintball player.
The business hosts games of three-onthree and five-on-five at the expansive 13,500-square-foot facility. The teams begin on opposing sides, directly across from each other. After the referee begins play, the players break to various inflatable bunkers, occasionally popping out to move around or shoot paintballs at opposing players.
Once a player is hit, he or she is disqualified from play, Liss said. When all of a team’s players are hit, that team loses the match.
Those who do not own any paintball equipment can still use the arena, which rents everything needed to play, Liss said. Among the equipment required are a mask, goggles, paintball gun and a pack with extra paintballs.
Liss said that unlike some outdoor facilities, there is nothing paramilitary about the game when played in an arena, and paintball is now considered the No. 3 extreme sport in the country.
With protective equipment such as gloves, kneepads and a neck protector, the game, he said, is safer than bowling. The games are also supervised, unlike many other paintball facilities that operate in wooded areas and offer no real oversight.
Liss said injuries might occur if goggles are not worn, but they are required at the All Star Paintball Arena.
Still, the paintballs do sometimes leave bruises.
“It’s a little bit of a sting,” when you get hit, he said, noting that the adrenaline tends to mask the pain. Liss said the arena is currently open seven days a week, and includes a pro shop where someone could find anything needed to play paintball.
In addition to Veldof, there are other workers at the arena who have professional playing experience, he said.
The year-round arena is fully heated in the winter, cooled in the summer. It includes an area with a flat screen television, PlayStation 2, free Internet access, and snack and beverage machines.
The arena caters to “walk on” players, as well as the more serious tournament players, he said. It is also able to host birthday and other private parties, and can be rented for exclusivity on certain days.
Liss said the location on AmericanWay was chosen because of its proximity to Rutgers University as well as Old Bridge, known to have a number of paintball enthusiasts.
For more information, visit the facility’s Web site at www.allstarpb.net.