We've all met people who played paintball back in the 1980s or early 1990s and almost without fail, there was a large gap when they didn't play and then they've picked up the sport again in the past few years. I first played in 1994, got more involved in 1999 and then took a break for a few years until I took up the sport again a few years ago. The first time I got involved with paintball I was in high school so there was an issue of transportation, very limited resources and access to equipment. Now, though, I have a car, a job and the internet and Wal-Mart make paintball equipment infinitely more accessible. With my enthusiasm for it, I don't see my interest waning, but then again, who knows what tomorrow brings?

What I'm interested in finding out is why adults who played in the '80s and '90s gave up the sport. Was it time? Was it money? Was it boredom? Was it a dislike of the general shift from rebellious new sport to a more accepted phenomenon? I also want to know why they've come back to the sport. Is it a midlife crisis, a chance to spend time with a teenage child or simply a desire to get back to the thrill of the game?

Also, what about those of you who have been playing consistently for 15 years or more? Other than store owners (many of whom rarely actually play anymore), I have met very few people who have regularly played paintball for more than a decade. What keeps you at it?

Email me or leave a comment and tell me your experience.