9 Years Strong!

This Thursday, the Midwest Laser Tag Association will celebrate it's 9th annual "Independence Eve Blast" event (IEB).  Kicking things off with a potluck cookout, the Laser Tag games held will occur under the cover of local fireworks going off overhead.  I say it every year.  "This is my favorite event of the year."  That's mostly because there's really no way to replicate this kind of atmosphere on any other day!

Turnout for our very first IEB in 2006

We started the IEB during our first season of Laser Tag in 2006.  Twelve players showed up in Laser Challenge gear to grill up some food and play a couple of games while neighboring homes lit off fireworks that illuminated the playing field.  The smell of gunpowder filled the air and explosions rocked our concentration as we fought through our games.  It was such a hit we decided to make it a regular event each year and it's really the only opportunity we have to play in an atmosphere like this.

You would think we could replicate this experience any time we would want, but it is only legal to light off fireworks around the 4th of July to celebrate Independence Day.  Plus, the sheer magnitude of fireworks going off during the game would be impossible to match if we were to supply the fireworks ourselves.  This is one of the unique advantages of being able to play Laser Tag in a public park... and it's something that Airsoft and Paintball games can't do.  Because these parks are surrounded by homes, and their owners are the ones displaying these firework shows, the lights and colors are just overhead instead of being viewed from afar.  The clouds of sulfur and smoke from them flood the playing field and, if it's not windy, can even obscure vision across the park making it difficult for snipers to be effective.  It feels like a warzone!

I might try to get some video this year of the action, as it is difficult to take pictures to capture the atmosphere this game has.  Either way, I'm stoked for another IEB, especially with it being at our new park!