By Mark Remme,For the Star HeraldA new summer sport is creating a stir at the Enduro track near the Rock County Fairgrounds. The Luverne area is host to a new weekly event, which calls itself the Luverne Paintball League. Teams officially meet at 6 p.m. Mondays at the track. "It’s a national activity that has picked up steam lately," said LPL founder Chad Hess. "Among those labeled Extreme Sports, paintball (also known as splat ball) has recently passed snowboarding as the third largest in America." Hess established the league earlier this year after a long stint of his own paintball experience. "I’ve played the game for seven years before this league came about," he said. "I mainly played a lot of woods ball northeast of Luverne and then got into a league in Worthington. I decided I wanted to start my own after that experience." Hess put the word out in town and over the Web via his site, www.aimless.biz, and began to piece together a functional league. Paintball lovers from all over the area, including Luverne, Pipestone, Canby, Dell Rapids, Worthington and Hills, decided to join the venture. Teams are comprised of at least three members, although substitute players may be lined up to secure enough players each night. Each team was required to send in $150 as an activity fee, which is used to keep the field functional and for end-of-the year prizes. After being initiated into the league via the activity fee, the group of three must pick a team name. This year’s league is comprised of teams known as the Straitjackets, Zulu, Catalyst, Crazy Commandos, Pipestone Crew, The Knownames, Foothold Institution and Enigma.Consisting of eight teams, the league meets for 16 games each Monday night June 14 until July 26.Each team plays four games per night, followed by recreational scrimmages to hone their skills. Points given out during the regular season meetings dictate rankings during a playoff round robin tournament, which will be on August 7. Each game is timed with a five-minute limit, and is refereed by Chad Hess. Teams begin on opposite ends of the field next to a vacant flagpole. A flag flies at midfield, and the object of the game is to capture the flag and hang it on the opposing team’s pole before all team members are eliminated, which occurs when a player is hit once with an opposing team’s paintball. Teams achieve 10 points for eliminating each member of the opposing team, 25 points for pulling the flag, 15 points for attaining possession at the end of five minutes and 30 points for hanging the flag on the opposing team’s pole. Scattered throughout the field are inflatable obstacles, which promote shelter for the players as they move around. Known as bunkers, the teams joust for favorable positioning as they try to eliminate their opponents. Hess acquired the standard paintball equipment through National Paintball Supply, headed in New Jersey. Players enjoy comfortable equipment to keep themselves injury-free during competition. The only mandatory piece of attire is goggles for everyone who is involved with paintball. Even the fans that come to watch the games, must wear goggles, but many wear chest protectors, kneepads and other protective equipment. Paintball guns used in competition are operated by a pressurized tank secured behind the trigger.The balls fire out of the barrel at a maximum velocity of 300 feet per second, which is more than 200 miles per hour. Players are advised to fire at each other at a range no closer than 15 to 20 feet, to avoid injury. Directly above the pressurized tank is a compartment that holds the paintballs before they are shot. According to league regulation, each participant receives 480 paintballs per game. When a player is hit by a shot, a paint mark the size of a quarter is evident. Teams do not necessarily have to use different colored paintballs. Logistically, the game resembles many team sports that may be better known to the general public. "The game itself requires a lot of teamwork, communication, and planning," said Hess. "A group with better cohesiveness and preparation will be much more successful." League play is set for Mondays, but recreational paintball is open to the public on the weekends. A $30 fee is required to cover rental equipment and 500 paintballs. Recreational paintball meets on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. throughout the duration of the league’s regular season. Open games are free to attend, but players are required to purchase paint from the field.Despite achieving a successful turnout in its first season, Hess is looking to expand the league in the future. "Anyone who is interested in being a part of the league can check out our Web site or email me at chad@aimless.biz," said Hess. "Increasing the numbers in the league is definitely something we’d like to do." Until then, the original eight will battle for league supremacy throughout the summer.Hess said he plans to inflate a small bunker near pizza ranch tonight for Hog Dog Night in Luverne where he’ll be on hand to answer questions about the sport.He’ll set out a jar of paintballs, and give a free equipment rental to the person who guesses the correct number of balls in the jar.Hess can also be reached by cell phone at 227-7889.