Oregon Big Game 5

Oregon Big Game 5 was a recreational paintball event held at Splat Action in Molalla, Oregon, United States. The event opened Splat Action's 1993 playing season and was documented by Kris "Orca Boy" Belveal in the June 1993 issue of Action Pursuit Games.[1]

The published account concentrated on the playing environment, field organisation and the experience of introducing a new participant to paintball. It did not provide an exact event date, attendance figure, formal team list, score or winning side.[1]

Venue

Oregon Big Game 5 was held at Splat Action, a woodland paintball field operated by John Vida near Molalla.[1] Splat Action identifies Vida as its founder and dates the field's establishment to 1986.[2]

One of the principal playing areas used during the event was known as the Pit. It adjoined another area called Hamburger Hill. During the preceding year, the Pit had been expanded from a tower and bunker into a more elaborate defensive position incorporating sandbag fortifications, trenches and towers.[1]

Organisation and safety

The event began with a rules and safety briefing delivered by Greg Arredondo, who was identified as a player and referee at Splat Action. The briefing emphasised the use of protective goggles and barrel plugs, appropriate player conduct and sportsmanship.[1]

Players were then required to chronograph their markers before entering the playing area. A velocity limit of 290 feet per second was enforced. First-time referee Robert "Dictionary" Lee monitored the entrance to ensure that players did not leave the staging area until their markers had been chronographed.[1]

Splat Action supplied pump-action and semi-automatic rental markers, protective masks, propellant fills and paintballs. Free camping and parking were also available at the field.[1]

Contemporary account

The event report was written by Portland player Kris "Orca Boy" Belveal. Belveal attended with Wayne Winterbottom, who was playing paintball for the first time.[1]

Belveal described the event as the resumption of organised play following an unusually cold and wet Pacific Northwest winter. The report used Winterbottom's first game to illustrate the accessibility of the event to inexperienced players.[1]

Field owner John Vida told Belveal that he wanted greater consistency in safety rules and signals between commercial playing fields. He also discussed the increasing pace of play caused by developments in marker and loader technology, while arguing that the sport should remain accessible to participants primarily seeking recreation.[1]

See also

• Splat Action
• Big game paintball
• Paintball in Oregon
• Action Pursuit Games

References

1. Kris "Orca Boy" Belveal, "The Oregon Big Game 5", Action Pursuit Games, June 1993, pp. 44–45.
2. Splat Action – official website, field history and information.