Paintball facility owner aims to foster interest in sport
Reno Kahee looks for a clean shot while teammate Reese Alcock takes aim in the background.
A paint-covered mask at Montana Action Paintball stands as a reminder of what can happen when a player has slow reflexes.
Kian Saadi pops his head up to take a shot during a match at Montana Action Paintball.
Charles “Flint” Campbell seeks safety behind an empty barrel as he launches his shots at the enemy. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
Montana Action Paintball owner Nicholas Lynn miraculously avoids three paintballs while returning fire at his foes. (Jeremy Weber photos/Daily Inter Lake)
Paintballs splatter around Brandon “Keoki” Kahee as he looks for an open shot.
John Cutshall uses a piece of plywood for cover as he looks to line up a shot. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
Montana Action Paintball owner Nicholas Lynn launches a shot at his foes from behind a stack of barrels. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
With protective armor and masks they take to a muddy, fog-covered field of battle riddled with the fluorescent signs of previous combat.
Stacks of rotting tires and rusting oil drums are situated to the left, while the burned out remnants of a horse trailer and a helicopter are to the right. The only avenue for advancement is straight ahead, right into the enemy’s field of fire.
This is paintball at its best and for those spending their Saturday at Montana Action Paintball west of Kalispell, it is a sport to be taken seriously.
The basic rules are simple: have your mask on at all times, don’t shoot someone at close range and — most importantly — don’t get hit.
Tucked in a hay field across from Ashley Creek and Smith Lake Road, Montana Action Paintball recently made the move west of Kalispell, but has been hosting private parties and events for three years. Now the business is looking into hosting more tournaments for paintball enthusiasts.
For owner Nicholas Lynn, his business is a way to bring renewed interest to the sport he loves — a sport he says has been suffering in recent years. Gone are the days of ultra high-speed, large paintballs that would leave baseball-size bruises on anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves intersecting their flight path. Lynn’s business utilizes smaller .50 caliber paintballs instead of the traditional .68 caliber ones and also sports guns that fire the projectiles at a lower velocity. For younger players, the outfit even offers GellyBall, a softer, less messy alternative to paintball.
“Paintball has been dying out a little bit as of late, whether it be because of a lack of interest or people just don’t know about it. We try to have younger kids, like ages 8 to 10, out here so we can cultivate a love of the sport,” Lynn said. “We are really able to do that these days because of the smaller paintballs and lower powered guns. I want people to love the sport like I do and have a good time.”
Lynn says he strives to make sure first-time players have an enjoyable experience and leave his course ready to come back for more.
“There are people out there who have had bad experiences with paintball, where someone shoots them at point-blank range or some jerk comes out and plays with frozen paintballs. We are all about making sure everyone has a good experience with the sport. That’s why we use lower powered guns with smaller paintballs to make it more fun.”
Lynn’s love of paintball began at age 12, when he started playing the sport as part of a youth group in Stevensville. He continued to play even after making the move to Kalispell to attend Flathead Valley Community College, going so far as to take a job at a paintball center near Columbia Falls.
When the center went out of business, Lynn saw an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. He bought all of the equipment from the former owner, found a new place to play and opened his new course.
When it came to building the course, Lynn found materials wherever he could.
“We build the barriers out of whatever we can get our hands on. There’s a horse trailer out there and even two old scrap helicopter frames I got a few years back. It’s a real variety and it makes things a lot of fun.”
With 15 to 20 regular players every weekend, plus parties and private games, Lynn says he stays pretty busy during the late spring and summer as he offers a variety of scenarios for his players.
Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. is reserved for open play and for those with their own equipment, there is only a field/air fee of $15. For those without equipment, rentals start at $40. Private group and birthday party packages are also available Monday through Saturday.
Lynn also keeps his paintball prices easy on the wallet, charging only $45 per case of 2,000.
“We are not in this to get rich off of it. We really enjoy what we do and we want to share it with everyone else at a reasonable cost,” he said. “It’s a fun sport and it really shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg for everyone to play.”
For more information, visit their website at www.montanaactionpaintball.com, find them on Facebook or call 406-531-3607.
Reporter Jeremy Weber may be reached at 758-4446 or jweber@dailyinterlake.com.
