Over the course of the trip I made some Austrian friends. I first met them at the local bar downstairs and over the course of the month we starting hanging out. What was the most surprising part of the trip was the fact that these Austrians played Airsoft and would go Airsofting in the forests North of Vienna.
Airsofting simply put is a bunch of people running around shooting plastic bb’s at each other. This may sound silly and a little ridiculous cause it is, but it is actually alot of fun! The players dress up in military camo so that they can hide and surprise their opponents. They wear tactical gear so they can carry onto the field with them extra ammo (plastic BB’s), gas, water, food, and ammunition(bb) clips. Airsoft uses toy guns that propel plastic bb’s in order to tag people with. These guns are modeled after real weapons to make the game seem more serious and to encourage players to play with their brains. There are an infinite number of ways to play the game but mostly people play match’s where two teams face off and play head to head. In Airsoft the players use tactics and teamwork to tag out there opponents. Players use the honor system to call their hits because these plastic bb’s do not leave marks like paintballs do. Since players are shooting little plastic bb’s at each other, players wear impact rated eye protection and masks. There are many Airsofters which play in small and large competitions around the globe. Theses match’s can be anything from a bunch of friends getting together and running around in their back yard to full fledged tournaments that involve hundreds of people and vehicles.
Airsoft was developed in Japan by Japans toy companies. After becoming quite popular in Japan it moved into the states and then to the rest of the World. Airsofting is a world wide hobby that is exciting and a fun way to spend the day.
I have been Airsofting since I was little and I have seen the popularity explode within the last couple years. I was overjoyed to hear that these Austrians played Airsoft and it really felt like I was hanging out with friends at home. Today’s modern global world is amazing. Its incredible that I can go across the world and still meet people that do the same things I do at home. I felt like these personal event emphasized that people all over are similar. They may have grown up in different cultures but everyone can relate to each other in some way.
A group photo of us.
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