Starting Airsoft – Keyring

So one of the main questions I get asked is “how did you start airsoft?” well it was actually my brother who got me started. He found airsoft on the internet and it absolutely fascinated him to the point where he’d already started gathering lots of ex kit from market stalls and small shops.

So with all this kit arriving in my house, I asked the question “why are you getting all this stuff?” he subsequently explained the whole sport with examples from youtube videos and other blog articles on social media. So my Mum overhearing this conversation googled local sites at the time and booked us in for rental at Red 1 the school. Looking back on it turning up at a close quarters site in just a t-shirt on my first day may have been a mistake but hey ho life goes on. 

Anyways we turn up to the site my brother in the car with full kit and me in a t-shirt and trackie bottoms. We pull up and the first person we see is a guy in full police kit, scar H with built-in grenade launcher… Obviously my mum’s immediate response was “I’m not leaving you here. We are going home” which I can’t blame her for as it was quite imposing, but then we step out of the car to have a look around and the same guy who scared the life out of us came over. He asked if we were new and took us on a guided tour of the site and helped us get set up going through the rules as well. Typical story of don’t judge a book by it’s cover as he was one of the kindest people i’ve met to this day. So we started to play and the adrenaline rushed pushing through rooms both me in my rental kit and these guys with all the real stuff. Bbs hitting the door frames around me as I was ducking in and out of cover. Talking with teammates working out how to get into the room without getting hit. It was actually quite the workout compared to my normal sitting on the xbox. 

When it hit lunchtime we were just looking around at all these amazing bits of kit and talking to people from all different walks of life. We made a few friends that day and exchanged numbers and altogether left the day absolutely buzzing. Hooked on this new sport although I will admit the following day I did ache all over. Soon we were getting kit from all over the place and cycling through guns like there was no tomorrow trying to find the right platform.

We are now 7 years in with an abundance of kit and experience but nothing will beat the thrill of that first game with my G&G Carbine rental gun pushing round the corners with my new found friends. Who I am still in contact with to this day.