ARLINGTON Joseph Means Jr. and Joseph Means III, of Skinny Joes Paintball Park, want the public to know that their 30-plus-acre course not only offers plenty of fun for families, but is also a perpetual work in progress, ever-evolving to entertain in new ways.
Joseph Jr., or Skinny Joe, and his son Joseph III, or RD for Third, had previously owned a paintball park for two years on the Tulalip Tribes Reservation, before they learned that they werent properly zoned. They spent the next few years shopping around for a new site and doing research to ensure that all of their permits would be complete and appropriate before settling into their new course, southwest of Arlington on Burn Road.
While close to 20 acres of their property have been developed for play, the Means expect the rest to be ready by this spring, but they note that their courses will continue to change.
For those who have never played paintball before, father and son offer enthusiastic explanations of the various types of games that can be played in their park, including two-or-more-team versions of Capture the Flag, games called All the Presidents Men and Fox and the Hounds, in which the teams are tasked with either protecting or defending a single individual, and free-for-all elimination play, either individually or in teams.
The Means pride themselves on catering equally to chaotic mayhem players and more calculating snipers, with a jungle course of natural cover, from trees, shrubs, rocks and hills, as well as more than 200 manmade barricades and as many as 500 sniper blinds. Father and son are equally proud of adhering to the wetlands delineation studies for their property, and using paintballs that are biodegradable and water-soluble.
Skinny Joe describes RD as a natural entrepreneur, even as a small child, while RD credited Phil Kroft, a family friend, for first suggesting to him that he and his father should start a paintball park. RD and Skinny Joe agree that their business has brought them closer, with Skinny Joe declaring that its taught his son values, such as how to treat customers and employees alike, as well as how to be a good neighbor to adjoining property owners.
The Means likewise touted the activities that their park can provide to almost all ages, since they can choose from a number of lengths and levels of play. Skinny Joe cited examples of several parents and children whom hes witnessed bonding over play, and asserted that his park has just as much to offer stay-at-home moms and computer programmers as it does the more extreme players.
Its a good way to stay connected to your kids, from youngsters to adolescents, and it offers plenty of adventure and adrenaline, Skinny Joe said. At the same time, its physical but low-impact, so that boys and girls from ages eight and up can play. Its ideal if you want to have fun, adjusted to your own level.
Skinny Joes Paintball Park is open Saturdays and Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and is located on 17022 Burn Rd. in Arlington. To learn more or reserve a session, please call 425-402-6042, or 866-784-5100. You may also long onto their Web site, at www.skinnyjoespaintball.com.