by ASHLEY MILLER

for Sequim Gazette

Steve Tormala, owner of Curbside Bistro and Rainshadow Game Calls & Custom Knives, is at it again.

As if he weren’t busy enough before, Tormala joked, he recently started a third business.

Paintball Equipment Rentals leases all the safety gear, markers (which are guns), hoppers (the container that holds the paintballs) and CO2 tanks necessary to play paintball. Packages come as short as a single day rental or as long as a week.

Recreational paintballs are available for purchase sometimes but customers are encouraged to buy their own paintballs since the item isn’t held in stock.

All equipment rentals require a one-time signature of injury waiver and a damage deposit.

Once the equipment is rented, it’s up to the customer to find a safe place to play the game.

Tormala does, however, send renters off with a packet of information that includes basic elimination etiquette, styles of play and game ideas.

“It’s expensive to buy everything you need to play paintball,” Tormala said, “especially if you just want to play once or twice.”

Tormala used to play paintball when there was an official field on Diamond Point in the mid-1990s. Then the field relocated to Joyce before eventually closing altogether.

Only recently did Tormala rediscover the former hobby, after his two sons, ages 5 and 7, expressed an interest in the game.

“I like to do things that put a smile on their faces,” Tormala said. “Plus, I think people in this area will really enjoy being able to rent the equipment on an as-needed basis.”

The first question most people ask, Tormala said, is “Does it hurt?”

The answer is simple: Yes.

“It hurts enough that you don’t want to get hit,” Tormala said. “It will sting and you’ll try pretty hard not to get hit again.”

Generally, injuries sustained during paintball play are superficial.

“The eyes are the only real danger concern, so it’s important to always wear a safety mask, but you will bruise and get welts when you get hit,” Tormala said. “You’ll be sore the next day, for sure.”

Paintball can be played by all ages, Tormala said. When his 5-year-old son plays, he wears a balloon.

Everybody knows not to shoot the child with the balloon, but the child can shoot whomever he wants.

Tormala’s 7-year-old doesn’t wear a balloon but instead finds a rock or tree to hide behind and only shoots people as they approach.

Though the sport is most commonly enjoyed by men, women can play, too. Tormala and a group of his friends played a guys-against-gals game recently. The women won.

“It’s a hoot,” he said. “Find somebody who has a piece of property, set a time and day and then give me a call. You’ll have a blast.”

For more information, call Tormala at 360-477-9374.