Paintball Splat

A characteristic paintball splat is akin a modern artist who takes a handful of heavy paint and throws it against a canvass. Paintball splats are the reminders of proud battles that were fought and won – or lost – in any given playing field. Of only temporary nature, a paintball splat is the extreme sports version of the graffiti text that reads “Kilroy was here” – yet as soon as rain falls or the sprinklers are turned on, the remains of the battles are washed away and the terrain is once again as virginal as before, awaiting the next battle of wit, agility and stealth.

Yet did you know that the paintball splat has inspired a great number of paintball related websites, activities, and imagery? Here are some interesting proofs of this assertion:
1. Visit any site dedicated to the sport, either commercial or personal, and you will without a doubt see some background paintball splat images. Sometimes they are the background against which pictures of markers and players are showcased, while at other times paintball splat graphics will actually be an integral part of the site, such as the backdrop for the buttons.
2. One of the most famous online magazines devoted to the sport is named Splat. Paintball fans visit the site daily for the newest videos, the hottest tournament coverage and also how to clinics that will help players get a bit more of an edge in their much beloved sport.
3. Commercial playing fields not only use paintball splat pictures to promote their locations, but very frequently the paintball splat also features prominently in the name of the company. There is Splat Tag, which offers open games as well as private group games at their Minnesota facility. Other commercial enterprises around the nation use pictures of paintball splats in a similar fashion.

As you can see, the paintball splat is becoming an almost universally recognizable symbol of a sport that is beginning to inch its way in the mainstream consciousness. No longer reserved for the young adult, the young at heart are also discovering the fun a game such as this can have as well as the adrenaline rush that accompanies even a leisurely game or sniper ruled play. While the splat may have been a bit of a surprise with respect to a choice for immediately recognizable symbol, the fact that any other bit of accessory would possibly send the wrong message makes this indeed the best choice possible.