Margie Creen

Many think that aside from the bowling alley, movie theater and bars, Brookings has no entertainment to offer the students of SDSU.

The attitude of many seems to be, “if you are under 21 you’ll have a hard time finding legal fun here.”

That is what Wayne Jensen wants to change.

Jensen is the manager of Dark Side Paintball Arena. Dark Side is 21,000 square feet of indoor paintball fun located right next to HyVee in the Brookings Mall.

Paintball is a sport that involves guns that shoot tiny balls of unleaded paint at speeds up to 200 feet per second.

Jensen explains that Dark Side offers “something different for the people to do and paintball is an up-and-coming sport.”

Up to 30 people can experience Dark Side at a time. Players split into two teams and compete against each other, playing Capture the Flag or Elimination, a contest to be last team standing.

Paintball not your thing? The arena offers a pool table, foosball table, arcade games, and windows that look into the playing field so you can watch the competitors zero in on each other.

Dark Side Paintball Arena is open Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m, Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. It is closed Monday through Wednesday.

The Dark Side has an entry fee of $10, which includes gloves, neck guard, mask, and gun. The paintballs cost $2 for 50.

Visitors are welcome to bring their own guns, but Jensen says that they must be checked for speed. Indoor paintball guns must remain at a speed of 200 feet per second or less.

Since the guns shoot at such high speeds, bruises or welts might result. Jensen insists that all visitors wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect themselves.

Large groups are encouraged to make reservations before coming. For more information, call 696-0701.