THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 19, 1994 TAG: 9412190072
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATRICK K. LACKEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
Santa Claus and the Grinch battled with paintballs in some woods here Sunday afternoon, and you'll be happy to hear Christmas was saved. Final score: Santa and his Elves, 107, Grinch and his Horde, 67.
On a drizzly gray day, most of the fighters wore dark camouflage colors. Santa, clad as usual in red, stood out in the woods like Rudolph's nose in the night sky.
Early in the afternoon a green paintball struck him in the hip as he provided cover for an Elf decorating a Christmas tree. Santa laughed off the sting and the paint spot and soon returned to battle.
Minutes into the all-day firefight, the Grinch, attempting to steal Christmas, was struck three times in the head by paintballs. He returned later to lead his forces to defeat.
The battle was held on behalf of Toys for Tots, a 47-year-old Marine Corps Reserve program that last year distributed about 38,000 toys to 19,000 children in South Hampton Roads alone. The entrance fee Sunday included a donated toy, and there were 25 fighters.
The battle was sponsored by Gamemaster USA Inc., an Oceanfront facility where typically seven or eight paintball games are waged a day, with both sides firing gumball-sized balls of paint that break and splatter upon striking. The balls travel up to 300 feet per second: slow enough to see but too fast to dodge. A veteran paintballer can fire seven a second and be accurate up to 40 yards. The balls sting and make a mess, but they don't injure as long as goggles are worn - and they are required.
Sunday's battle was waged in some unused woods at the KOA campground off General Booth Boulevard.
The Grinch was played by Billy Chan, 23, of Virginia Beach, who said his nickname is ``Edge,'' because ``I am always on the edge, the cutting edge, the razor's edge.''
Minutes before battle began, Grinch made like a professional wrestler, hurling threats like thunderbolts. ``I do plan to change history for the children's books,'' he said. ``I can't stand happy people, especially kids. A lot of kids don't deserve to have toys. That's why I am here, to steal Christmas.''
In a brief but nasty exchange, Santa declared, ``Christmas will prevail!'' and the Grinch shot back, sarcasm dripping on his feet, ``I'll be the judge of that, Sannie.''
But Christmas did prevail.
The battle was divided into 10 parts. In one, Santa's forces successfully decorated a Christmas tree while the Grinch's forces attempted to steal it. In another, Santa's forces painted ``Merry Christmas'' on Grinch headquarters, while the Grinch's forces failed in their attempt to paint ``Bah, humbug,'' on Santa's headquarters.
During the fights, any player struck by a paintball had to sit out 10 minutes.
The sport of paintball reportedly was born in 1981 when New Hampshire foresters spray-marking trees for cutting started goofing around. Since then, professional paintball teams have competed for prizes of up to $80,000. Paintball is being considered as a demonstration sport for the next Olympics.
There are four national paintball publications - two slick magazines and two newspapers. Ken Gilder of Newport News, who writes for them, said that on any weekend, 2 1/2 million people play paintball.
For the record, the man who shot Santa was Dan Butler, 22, of Richmond. Asked how he could bring himself to shoot Santa, Butler said, ``He was shooting at me.'' MEMO: Toys still can be donated to Toys for Tots at designated barrels at
Kay-Bee Toys stores in South Hampton Roads. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Gary C. Knapp
The Grinch, aka Billy ``Edge'' Chan, is a paintball veteran. But he
and his Horde were no match for the forces of good - Santa and his
warrior Elves.
by CNB