New Times: It says on your Web site (www.gladiatorpaintballpark.com) that you host special events. Bachelor parties are among them. Do you host many bachelor parties?
Viddle: Oh yeah, we get at least one bachelor party a week. The brides really like it. In fact the bride (to be) gets in on the action.
New Times: Do many women participate?
Viddle: Yes, about 20 percent of our customers are women.
New Times: What about age group? Do you have a typical age group that plays paintball?
Viddle: Not really. The youngest we allow are 10-year-olds, but we get people who are 55 who also come out.
New Times: You’re located on Camp San Luis Obispo (National Guard Base). Do you get many soldiers who come out and play?
Viddle: Yeah, homeland security comes out, different battalions from all over the state and firemen.
New Times: Do they do well against civilian competition?
Viddle: Yeah they do well because they’re trained, but they lose like 50 percent of time because a lot of our customers come out every weekend. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose.
New Times: It’s well known that paintball is a dangerous sport. Have you had many injuries at your park?
Viddle: Actually that’s why we opened this park, to help promote paintball. We have a zero injury record here. People would get injured because kids would go out in the woods with no supervision and not use their equipment properly. At our park we have a referee that make sure people are following the safety rules.
New Times: Your portable mega arena, is it popular?
Viddle: Yeah, we had it out at the mid-state fair. We took it to Las Vegas for battle of the bands and to the national paintball championship in Huntington Beach.