= EDITOR JENNIFER FONG THE DAILY VOICE, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2012 8 Paintball = good, messy, fun A look inside the sport considered “a nice alternative to video games” PAINTBALL statistics HE 79 per cent of players are male ME Average age: 22 HE Played in 104 countries HE 67,000 guns sold per month in the US. ME Average player plays 21 times a year Source: paint-ball.org By JACQUIE RICHARDSON aintball is one of North Ameri- ca’s top grossing sports, accord- ing to paintballer Matthew Jant- zi, whose professional paintballing career has taken him around North America and all over the world. “It started out with BB gun wars and pellet gun wars,” said Jantzi of how he and his friends got into the sport. “Once [our] parents discovered all this was going on, our guns got tak- en away and I had to find something else to do.” In 2002 Jantzi’s team, Cartel, won the National Professional Paintball League’s World Cup. There are, he said, three different kinds of paintball. The first is called scenario, in which teams act out a real-life event from his- tory. For example, on March 25 Jantzi’s company, Tsawwassen Paintball, re- staged the epic Second World War Bat- tle of Stalingrad, with two armies, one German and the other Russian. The German team, who were on tanks, tried to break through Russian lines to get to a certain point in the field and locate certain objects, while the Russian team had to gain German ter- ritory and immobilize German tanks. The second type is called woodsball. This is where teams compete in the woods or a natural environment. The third type is called airball. This is played in an open field with inflat- able objects called bunkers that play- ers hide behind and then emerge from to shoot. This game is the most competitive of the three, says Jantzi. The others are more recreational. On April 6, North Shore Paintball will host a special Easter event. The top prize is a $1,000, fully modified and ful- ly automatic paint gun that shoots 20 balls a second. The aim of the game is to shoot the Easter bunny, who is played by a person and guarded by five other paintballers, in the head. It costs $25 to play. To register show up at 9 a.m. at the North Shore Paint- ball on Capilano Road. Andy Chong, who manages North Shore Paintball, has played in Asia, Eu- rope and all over the U.S. “It’s a nice alternative to video games,” he said. New Westminster Secondary has even incorporated the game into its summer P.E. curriculum, he said. “T shot Will Smith in the ass” laughs Chong, whose list of celebrity play- mates range from boy band Soul Deci- sion, to actor Mark Wahlberg, and the Vancouver Canucks. On April 28 and 29, Tsawwassen Paintball will host the West Coast Clas- sic Paintball Tournament. Teams must register by 10 a.m. April 27. TSAWWASSEN PAINTBALL photo A picture of a paintballer playing what is known as woodsball, which is paintball played in the woods or another natural environment. Two major paintball events will be held this month: a special Easter event put on by North Shore Paintball on April 6, and the West Coast Classic put on by Tsawwassen Paintball on April 28 and 29. Basketball a tool for youth mentorship 66 [It creates] the feeling of belonging ... Alot of the skills transfer directly into the work field, and into life CHAD COWLES Night hoops program co-ordinator From advice on hygiene to shooting three-pointers, Night Hoops offers it all for at-risk teenagers By MICHELLE GAMAGE out of trouble is wrapping up its 16th season. Night Hoops is a basketball organi- zation created in 1996 when a Liberal MP noticed the high rate of youth crime on Friday and Saturday nights. The program creates a safe and healthy environment for inner city Vancouver and Burnaby teens to es- cape to during weekends. “IIt creates] the feeling of belonging, of being on a team which teaches com- mitment, cooperation, leadership, and a lot of the skills that transfer directly into the work field, and into life,” said Chad Cowles, Night Hoops program co- ordinator. Teens get referred to the organiza- T: sport that keeps at-risk teens tion by counsellors, teachers, social workers, probation officers or the po- lice because they are considered to be at high risk for getting into trouble with the law. The coaches also encourage teens to join simply for the love of basketball, or for a social outlet. Three divisions — junior boys, ages 13 to 15; junior girls, ages 13 to 18; and se- nior boys, ages 16 to 18 - practise on Friday evenings and compete on Satur- day at 13 different locations, including the Burnaby Youth Custody Services Centre. A team of senior boys travels to the centre Saturday evening to play against the junior offenders, whose offences range from theft to murder. The junior offenders earn the right to play in the two-hour-game by dem- onstrating good behavior throughout the week. “Tt’s an ultra positive experience for the youth to see that it’s a fine line, and a few bad decisions that can get you in trouble with the law,” said Cowles. “It’s always a mutually beneficial ex- perience, despite the visiting team of- ten being quite nervous while being there.” The organization’s fitness focus helped it score around $40,000 worth of donated gym time, but Night Hoops is also about teaching youth life skills, said Cowles. The coaches host mandatory work- shops before games on personal hy- giene, the importance of sleep, sexual health, nutrition, careers and whatever else the coach or the team feels they need to talk about. “Tt’s surprising,” said Cowles. “Some of the youth sometimes don’t know how to use deodorant. Some of the sim- plest workshops can have the most im- pact.” This year over 100 girls and 250 boys participated in the season that runs from Jan. 1 till April 21. The season concludes with the up- coming 16th Anniversary Night Hoops Championship Event. “TThe team] turns into a family,” said Cowles. “It really provides youth with a lot of support.” REUTERS photo Canucks forward Ryan Kesler battles Edmonton Oilers’ Corey Potter in ‘11. Canucks fans appalled over price Increase Costlier tickets have some Langara students staying at home for on-ice action By ALEX SKERDZHEV live games on a tight budget are being left out in the rain, as Van- couver’s favourite team announced they are no longer offering the $90 standing room playoff tickets on a per game basis. The tickets went on sale last Satur- day, but instead of regular standing room tickets, the cheapest ones avail- able will now be $135 seats. Victor de Bonis, Canucks chief oper- ating officer, explained the new prices in a text sent to Vancouver Sun. “Last year, we had a $90 standing- room location and all of those seats are sold on a season ticket basis,” he said. “The equivalent to the $135 price last year was $180.” These ticket price inflations are tough to swallow as is, but even more so for students, who are not generally known for having large sums of money lying around. Ryan Fourier, 19, is a self-professed “big Canucks fan,” but the Langara arts and sciences student says the price increase has definitely dampened his enthusiasm. “It’s a little disappointing, I mean, I am a college student making minimum wage, and it’s tough to afford tickets sometimes. I don’t have a lot of dispos- able income,” he said. Fourier said he now has to cut back on his stadium visits. “Combined with prices for food and beer there, it’s defi- nitely going to change the frequency I go to games.” He’s not alone. Rick Crowe, a 40-year- old aboriginal studies student, said he was really let down by the new prices. “The $90 was too much already, so it doesn’t make me happier,” he said. “Tcan’t see myself going to a game in the near future. Maybe once I get out of school and get a job.” Kai Zablan said he never buys tick- ets to the games, but he knows many friends that do. The 18-year-old student said that despite the increase, he might still attend a game or two. “T would probably still buy tickets to go to the game, but I would probably stay home and watch it more often.” Cr: fans hoping to experience