Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

[B.E.N.]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

But could that also be because paintballers generally don't get kitted up in full tac gear and run around with RIFs while playing 'army'?

"Why do you wear all that gear?"

"Because it's the best stuff for the job, gives me an edge and keeps me comfortable"

"Oh cool..."

Job done...

[Fizzy]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

a lot of woodsball players do actually fizzy, with their rap 4's

True, but I said generally. You look at most paintball events and it's speedball. The players look more like motorcrossers than someone who just deployed to Iraq

[LtPurcy]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

lol very true fizzy im one of those, in my bright yellow gear (ah good times)

[Fizzy]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

"Why do you wear all that gear?"

"Because it's the best stuff for the job, gives me an edge and keeps me comfortable"

"Oh cool..."

Job done...

But why do you HAVE to have a realistic looking gun and dress up like GI Joe? They don't do that in paintball and it's practically the same isn't it?
You yourself said what people's perceptions of Airsoft are, that's the reason why...

[westywesty84]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

I used to get grief from my parents for spending money on my BMX. I loved riding my BMX and buying new shiny bits etc, but because I didn't compete or have any interest in competing, people always questioned my motivation. As soon as you mention you are competing or racing, BINGO, people ENCOURAGE you to spend...

Ive found that if i tell my friends etc that im going to an event and use the right sort of wording to emphasise airsoft as a competition then there more excepting and i dont get the urine extracted. Not that im bothered but you get what i mean.

Now im with you in saying that if we can give airsoft the persona that paintball has, then maybe we can be more excepted as sport, and maybe left the hell alone. If we can get some form of leagues going around the UK, and get word around it as a sport, then the few of us that want to get into leagues etc would be helping the hardcore milsim'ers out there too!

[Ian IWG]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

If it ain't broke don't try to fix it.

What is this obsession on this forum with making airsoft an official sport. It's a hooby period. As was just said paintballers (nancy boys) don't dress up like soldiers so they look all cuddly in there pink and orange camoesc romper suits. Airsofters on the hole dress and look a bit more agresive, so call us what you like people will still give you the looks.
If airsoft goes all sporty and has hard and fast rules that will be me out as I like the informality and relaxed way of our hobby. Someone mentioned football, great example of how bad things get with to many rules and governing bodies etc.

[LtPurcy]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

Its not the way we dress people dont give a monkeys its the guns! guns guns guns!

[Ian IWG]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

Most people I know don't care about the guns either, it's only a very small number of ignorant do gooders, we could call what we do, foliage improvement, the do gooders will still try to get it banned as we use real looking guns. It's just something we have to live with

[B.E.N.]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

But why do you HAVE to have a realistic looking gun and dress up like GI Joe? They don't do that in paintball and it's practically the same isn't it?
You yourself said what people's perceptions of Airsoft are, that's the reason why...

Wait... have you seen some of the "guns" some people use? You know, with all the tactical kit and the toned magpul parts...

Paintballers look like something from halo or gears of war, Airsofters dress like something from Modern Warfare. (Which is a bit of a misnomer, because to the general public, soldiers in MW don't look like anything they see on the news in Afghanistan or Iraq.)

[Fizzy]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

On another note, wasn't pistol shooting also a sport?

Wait... have you seen some of the "guns" some people use?

Paintballers look like something from halo or gears of war, Airsofters dress like something from Modern Warfare.

Edit: As I already said when Lt Purcy commented, I said "in general". Yes, their are some paintballing games where people dress up in camo as use RAP4s (thanks Lt, I'd forgotten what they were called) but that's hardly the norm for panitball. You look at the league events that take place and it's inflateables, clown suits and markers, not Vietnam villages, MARPAT and M16s. When was (or hopefully ever will be) airsofting in brightly coloured clothing using IFs the norm?
You ask airsofters why they prefer airsoft to paintball and the most common answer will be the realism (of the kit) and while ever airsofting looks relaistic people are always going to have misconceptions and misgivings about it

[B.E.N.]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

Why would it being a "sport" have to mean any of those things though?

Edit... Isn't real tactical gear slowly becoming more and more "sporty" though too? I mean, look at UBACS and Interceptor OTV gear? Paint that black with a few decals and boom, you could ride a motorcross bike on that...

[Fizzy]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

Why would it being a "sport" have to mean any of those things though?

It wouldn't, but also it being a sport doesn't suddenly make it acceptable in the eye of the general public, or give it an exemption from being banned as some people seem to have alluded to.

[LtPurcy]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

On another note, wasn't pistol shooting also a sport?


Edit: As I already said when Lt Purcy commented, I said "in general". Yes, their are some paintballing games where people dress up in camo as use RAP4s (thanks Lt, I'd forgotten what they were called) but that's hardly the norm for panitball. You look at the league events that take place and it's inflateables, clown suits and markers, not Vietnam villages, MARPAT and M16s. When was (or hopefully ever will be) airsofting in brightly coloured clothing using IFs the norm?
You ask airsofters why they prefer airsoft to paintball and the most common answer will be the realism (of the kit) and while ever airsofting looks relaistic people are always going to have misconceptions and misgivings about it

Hey man! i liked my bright yellow bumble bee suit!! haha and the bouncy castles that you slide over when it snows!

This is my personal opinion

the public actually have no problem with us, its the guns on the market and the government using airsoft (not the market sellers) as a scape goat to make the public happy about improving gun crime.

[B.E.N.]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

It wouldn't, but also it being a sport doesn't suddenly make it acceptable in the eye of the general public, or give it an exemption from being banned as some people seem to have alluded to.

No, but it would help surely. I mean, cricket bats are pretty dangerous, but they have a legitimised use.

[bengaku]

Re: Airsoft - Official Sport/Standardisation

"Why do you wear all that gear?"

"Because it's the best stuff for the job, gives me an edge and keeps me comfortable"

"Oh cool..."

Job done...

well i don't wear all that much i wear a camo jacket the same jacket i got ten years ago same boots i don't spend hundreds on my gear because its a game thats it you go to airsoft when?once a week or once a month every two weeks its a laugh don't take it to serious just go have fun and go home end of