Shoot friends and 'get away with it' at this Okanagan spot

In this sport, you can shoot your friends and get away with it.

That’s the slogan of the Okanagan’s largest and longest standing airsoft club, Airsoft Kelowna.

But what exactly is airsoft?

One of the administrators of the club, Dan Shemley, with the Joe Rich Sportsmen Association (JRSA), likens the sport to similar activities such as laser tag or paintball, but cranked up to an 11.

“If you've played Call of Duty, that's fun and great,” Shemley told Kelowna10 in the wilderness around the JRSA. “But coming out here, it's Call of Duty for real.”

Participants gear up in full military garb, making sure that eyes and mouth are covered with safety gear to prevent injury.

Safety is paramount in airsoft, as some of the rifles have the capability to break skin, so vulnerable parts of the body should be carefully protected.

Though the rifles are powerful, taking a hit to bare skin only hurts for a short period- like you've been attacked by a very angry mosquito according to our Kelowna10 reporter.

“We'll run you through the basics of both firearm safety and airsoft safety before you start,” Shemley explained. “And then after that, you're out in the bush and we feed you to the wolves.”

The club runs through several team-based games, pitting the players against each other in hill capture/defense scenarios or just simple player versus player.

As the game begins, teams move to take the position that will grant them a victory, taking out enemy players as they rush around the field that is scattered with foliage and small fortifications.

For club member Brandon ‘Lemmings’ Howe, the sport is a great way to stay active.

“It's a lot of fun. It's great exercise,” Howe said. “It's just running around and chaos half the time, really.”

Though the sport is typically geared towards an older audience, as you need to be 18 years of age to purchase airsoft equipment, they do allow kids as young as 13 to participate as long as they’re accompanied by an adult.

The club welcomes drop-ins and will happily rent equipment to those who are new to the sport.