Lydia Mayer – Staff Writer
Adrenaline racing, eyes wide, airsoft players run from rock to rock to avoid the sting of a BB travelling at 550 feet per second. The opposing team aims down their sights from across the forest, and two hands go up in surrender to admit defeat when the pellet hits home. In Veduawoo, just off a small stream, two teams face off in a battle for the last one standing.
Six years ago, members of the airsoft community in Cheyenne and Laramie banded together to form SACK Team. The team is semi-serious, yet competitive when it comes to the game. SACK Team formed from the community’s need to have a host of people who come together to play airsoft.
Airsoft is a combat sport with realistic-looking guns that shoot BBs. Players can enjoy a variety of games, such as “domination, capture the flag, hostage rescue, VIP, and domination zombie,” according to Shad Caulfield. The games have different rules, though all have the same blood-pumping quality. Suited in combat gear, Caulfield, a 4-year member of the team, says he enjoys the realism of the sport.
For co-founder of SACK Team, Robert Carney, “It’s grown-up playing army.” In most games, getting hit on any part of the body means a player is “dead.” Airsoft is an honor system sport, meaning players need to be honest if they’ve been hit or not. “Honestly, this is the only way you can shoot your friends and have fun,” Carney puts it. The pain of the BB hitting home is all a part of airsoft.
There are 10-12 members of SACK Team at a time, though they’re open to new members. The team occasionally travels to MilSim “military simulation” events where 200-300 people get together to compete in a massive skirmish. SACK players have also taken part in the airsoft war at the military base Camp Guernsey, adding another element of realism. Anyone wanting to join can contact the team via their Facebook page, SACK Airsoft.
One of three of the other co-founders, Shylow Reedy, is responsible for getting most of the team into airsoft. Some members transferred from paintball to airsoft when Reedy let them know about the sport. “If you can hang and you can listen, come on out. It’s a lot of fun,” Reedy says to the surrounding community.
Fingers on their triggers, BBs flying, SACK Team plays on this year.
