SEAL BEACH
HUNTINGTON BEACH
Controversial paintball tournament cancelled
December 2nd, 2008, 3:14 pm · 35 Comments · posted by Laylan Connelly, staff writer
A controversial paintball tournament in Huntington Beach that had environmentalists upset because of balls of paint scattered on the sand afterward will not be returning next year.
“Certainly, we have a lot of events gong on. It’s always been a controversial event for us,” said city spokeswoman Laurie Payne.
The Super 7 World Series of Paintball tournament – usually held in March – for the past six years brings in about 70,000 spectators to the sand, along with 1,500 players who battle it out on courts.
The event is put on by the National Professional Paintball League, and includes amateurs and professionals.
The city was just informed about the news Monday, with tournament organizers citing budget constraints.
“It’s a good financial generator,” Payne said. But having the event gone: “It’s not going to kill us.”
The event last year brought in about $480,000 to the city.
The three-day event had its critics.
This year, Mike Martin was driving down Pacific Coast Highway when orange paint splattered under his wheel well, tires and bumper.
“The street was covered in them, you couldn’t dodge them,” he said at the time. “They were still cracking and popping and squirting all over.”
Crewmembers would spend days picking up paintballs, starting at 6 a.m. to midnight to clean up the aftermath, scooping them up with shovels and plucking the balls from the sand. The balls are biodegradable.
Read Related Stories:
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Paintball junkies splat into Huntington Beach
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:39 am
Note to Laylan:
Might help if you actually stated what beach you’re talking about.
just sayin’
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:45 am
So what. If the city is not worried about it. Why should you?
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:01 am
Note to Kingo:
Might help if you read the blog, as it’s in the first sentence.
Reading comprehension is a wonderful thing
just sayin’
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 am
“A controversial paintball tournament in Huntington Beach that had environmentalists upset because of balls of paint scattered on the sand afterward will not be returning next year.”
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:06 am
Waterbased paint that washes away with water. Biodegradeable balls. What was the problem?
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 am
It says HUNTINGTON BEACH in the article.
6 words in First line.
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:29 am
2 words OC fairgrounds
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:45 am
Unless it was edited in, the article mentions Huntington Beach.
Anyway, I can see why people would want this thing pulled, if they can’t keep the paint under control, it shouldn’t be made an issue for citizens to deal with.
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:53 am
Doesn’t matter what beach - allowing paintball was brainless.
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:59 am
TO KINGO… Read the 1st sentence slooowwwwlllyyy! It clearly states Huntington Beach. Don’t be a dooche
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
kingo, its downtown HB where most events take place. And its lame with alot of paintball wierdos and desert rats from all over in their black tshirts cruising around looking at paintball stuff and playing paintball games. They can go mess up another beach, perhaps in LA or somewhere preferably in the desert.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Paintball tournament on the beach??? Environmentalist or not, this was a no-brainer. Biodegradable or not, it’s just too big a mess. Good ole HB and their “whatever it takes to get a million toursists” attitude.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Thanks for reading everyone, and for taking the time to comment… Kingo was right, I had left out the city (originally in the headline, but took out because it was too long)… I added back in after he thankfully pointed it out. Thanks!
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I think that all those who were hating on Kingo, were whats the word…
ummmm…. MODED! (mo-ded) (modid) just got Pwned! Owned!
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:27 pm
i’m amazed that “surf city” leaders, oh, i mean “will do anything to make a buck and ruin my city” leaders, cancelled seeeing how they will actually make money. where is the golden bear when you it?
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
The city of HB of course was going to allow the event next year and every year after. The only problem is that the paintball league that holds the event went bankrupt. Tournament paintball is a great sport and the people and players who support it have tried for years to overcome the stigma that it is violent and worthless. Hunting Beach was the largest paintball event in the world with teams coming from as far as Europe and French Polynesia to compete. Dont think for a minute that a couple citizens who got some biodegradable paint on their tires had anything to do with the demise of a great event.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Again, the only reason this tournament isn’t happening is because the NPPL filed chapter 7. The paintballs were 100% biodegradable and non staining anyways, why does it matter?
December 4th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
agreed with ego smitty
paint ball is one of the largest extreme sports out there
the event played on hb is alot like playing capture the flag with 7 ppl on eech teem
tournament paintball players practice just as hard as any other profeesional players do
this game is not like war
also nppl did go bankrupt which is the main reeson y this event is getting cancelled
December 4th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
alright… the close of this tourniment will do nothing ecept make a large group mad.. the paint and the ball will wash away with water and time… also it is bringing in a large revinew…and needless to say we are in an economic crises.. so all this is doing is taking money away from the butiful city of hunington beach..
December 4th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I am a diehard paintball fan. HB has always been one of the biggest events in paintball. It’s obviously good for the city when so many spectators come out to see it.
I see no problem with having paintballs on the beach or on the streets or anywhere. Of course it looks bad, like a form of excessive litter, but you’ll have excessive littler with any major sports event. Like the article mentions, the paintballs are biodegradable and are environmentally friendly. They are little balls made of gelcap pill material filled with a water based, washable, nontoxic, biodegradable fill.
December 4th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
note: not the same Mark that previously posted.
I agree with egosmitty, although this is the first that ive heard of the nppl being bankrupt. Back to the point. Just because it was messy isn’t a huge deal. Yes, they are biodegradable. However, they don’t dissapear overnight. So it does takes a couple of days to get cleaned up. Why cancel such a great and popular event due to taking a few days to clean up biodegradeable paintballs? Find some other ways around the issue.
I am a paintball supporter. Paintball is my sport, just like Football or Basketball may be your sport.
December 4th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
OH I GOT PAINT ON MY TIRES. THERE ARE PAINTBALLS ON THE SAND. Ok I can see where it would be a mess of paint on the sand as it would take longer for them to degrade is it dont rain much out there, but get over it. And how on earth would paintball ruin a city. Your on freaking crack. And as far as the mess on the sand who cares. Ive been up and down the west coast and the only damn thing good about it is the surf. Screw that, if the NPPL didnt go under id say lets move it to FL. Say Panama City Beach.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Californians are dumb. Always whinning about something. Heaven forbid biodegradable water based paint get on your beach.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
I’ve played this event 3 times, It was the coolest event in paintball. I understand the complaints and despite the promoters doing their best to leave the place like they found it, some players are not as careful/respectful of their host city. I saw how many workers they had picking up paintballs and cleaning during the entire event and well after. I saw the lengths they to make as little impact as possible to me this is unjust an unwarranted. I feel that it is loss for both communities paintball and HB.
December 5th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Paintballs are harmless enough to eat en masse.
December 5th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Its interesting hearing complaints of biodegradable paintballs that are cleaned up post event. Just the other day I sat on the beach staring at the montrosity of a power plant that was hastily revived during the enron-manufactured energy crisis (note; the second stack didn’t pass enviornmental standards until they were “appended”), and those very lucrative oil platforms just a mile and a half off the coastline.
But hey, we all know the council is bought and paid for, right? Why not do a story on that?
ps: lets talk about how economical it is to build SOUTHCOAST PLAZA JR right next to the beach.
Stay class HB.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Well said POM. That’s the only problem with the sport, bad apples. Just like in anything, some people just don’t respect the things they should and for that , the people who do, end up paying the price. For those of you that live in HB and were upset at the “mess”, please know that this sport is a great and wonderful outlet for a lot of good people and we all apologize for the idiots that make it look bad.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Paintballs are not harmful to your dirty sand or anything else the tournament has been going on for many years now so if you live in the area and your gunna drive by it then bitch when a ball hits your car move to alaska…the majority of you know nothing about paintball and especially what the balls are made out of…BIODEGRADABLE
December 6th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
This is good news, this event polluted our beach, the event organizers did a horrible job of cleaning up year after year, for months after paintballs and trash were everywhere, this is not a beach related event, perhaps they should hold it in the 909 someplace!
December 7th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Also, this thing clogged up the bike path making it impossible to jog or bike for the whole weekend. Lets hope it never returns to HB……
December 7th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Try having an invasion of paintballers into your City, splatter paint balls on your street signs, bus benches, residences & business, for 4 days & see how you like it. Biodegradable or not, this event does not belong at the beach. Try a location that’s better suited, like the City Dump in Fontana.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
ive lived in HB all my life. I dont play paintball and never had. i surf almost ever day. im on the beach probably more then anyone else who lives in HB and love HB. I have no problem with paintball being on the beach i look forward to it every year. For the paintballs being everywhere who cares they arent harmfull but yes they are messy. me and my friends have squirted eachother with them, and guess what it washes right off. also the mess and the matter of cleaning it up. first off the guy that are cleaning up the paintballs do it because its their job. also at lease it not harmfull to any water life. I hope paintball comes back i enjoyed it. surfing is my sport and some people like to bad mouth it . but not only the sport but the people who do it . so i have to say being a surfer bum from HB who everyone looks down on. I support painball
December 9th, 2008 at 11:13 am
First of all from where the tournament was located, you could not hit the highway from there, so the guy who was complaining about getting paint on his car was making stuff up. Also if your going to criticise paintball, DO NOT EXAGGERATE!
“The street was covered in them, you couldn’t dodge them,” he said at the time. “They were still cracking and popping and squirting all over.”
I was there all 3 days and this was definatly not the case. This guy just wanted to be a hater and if he doesnt like paintball…then dont goto the tournament and all is solved.
HAVE THE TOURNAMENT AT HB
December 12th, 2008 at 11:40 am
so it seems that you guys in HB are the only ones with a problem with this event, but you dont even have the nicest beach, i have been to the even and sat on the beach during it, and i have seen so many beer bottles, paper, cups ect. does that mean that you should ban people from being on the beach. and yes HB was one of the biggest events but it wasnt the nicest. Look at where other events where held, Jacksonville FL, Buffalo, NY, San Diego, Phoenix AZ, Chicago IL, Greensburg, PA, Orlando, FL which is held in Disney. So out of all thoes event you guys think you where the nicest place?
i dont see any one else crying cause they got some paint on the tires
January 1st, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I have lived in Huntington Beach my entire life and am an avid paintball player and lover of the sport. Every year, I go down to the beach and watch the tournament. The paintballs are biodegradable, and it’s a lot of fun for the community to have a big event that’s not all about surf or volleyball or fourth of July.
It’s one of those beautiful things about Huntington that allows the creativity of a blooming sport to be seen and take place on the sand, where thousands of spectators can come and see it and learn more about the fantastic sport.
So, all the naysayers, quit whining. You probably live nowhere near HB anyway, and if you had the slightest clue about the tournament or have been there, you wouldn’t have that opinion. It’s a really sad thing that they’re not coming back this year.