A Toronto team is ushering in the world’s newest ultimate sports league, but don’t expect to see a home game anytime soon: One of the pieces of equipment used, a 300,000 volt electroshock gun, is considered a weapon in Canada.
“It’s not technically a police grade Taser,” said Eric Prum, 25, one of the founders of Ultimate Tazer Ball. “That being said, the first thing the [players] will tell you is that they hate getting tased. Those things really do hurt.”
The Toronto Terror is one of four teams in the newly minted Ultimate Tazer Ball league. The game puts two teams of four players on a field about the size of a hockey rink. Players have to get a large ball into a net while avoiding their opponents, all of whom are armed with the device.
“The reason it’s really cool in game play is because it causes your muscles to spasm, therefore you’re going to drop the ball, you’re going to trip, you’re going to fall over. And it’s fun,” said Mr. Prum.
The stun guns are not lethal. While high-rates of voltage are certainly painful, it is electrical current that kills.
The game guns are all configured to deliver five to eight milliamps of current — well below the lethal dose of one amp.
“There’s no risk of a heart attack or someone’s brain exploding,” said Mr. Mr. Prum.
So far, the only evidence of sport’s existence is a flashy website at UTBLIVE.com and a series of web videos depicting gameplay — one of which garnered half a million views. The sport’s outlandishness has already led to cries of Internet fakery.
Mr. Prum insists the sport is not an elaborate prank.
YouTube
The promo videos were shot at an inaugural series of stun gun games held in Southern California over the course of a week in January. The venues were stadiums, but the events were mainly used for shooting promotional material, said Mr. Prum.
A personal friend of the organizers, player Derrick Weltz, 24, immediately accepted the call to join the new league. “I play professional paintball in Canada, so, I mean, it’s almost a natural progression for me,” he said.
He likens the shock from a electro$shock gun to a bee sting. The sensation is more annoying than painful, he said.
“[The players] all have a mutual respect for each other and we’re not out there to hurt or inflict injuries to one another,” he said. “We’re here to entertain people.”
Ultimate Tazer Ball players consider themselves professional athletes.
“It’s not a living for us, but we definitely get paid well for what we do,” Mr. Weltz said.
The next match is scheduled for early March in Bangkok, Thailand, where Toronto will face off against the Philadelphia Killawatts, the San Diego Spartans and the Los Angeles Nightlight. Organizers are expecting several thousand spectators.
utblive.com
The website for "Ultimate Tazer Ball"
The league is also trying to work out an event in Mexico City for May. By that time, Mr. Prum said Ultimate Tazer Ball hopes to have its own custom-made devices.
Of course, the Canadian team is at a slight disadvantage since it is illegal for them to hold practices with live stun guns.
A spokesman with the California State Athletic Commission, said his organization does not regulate this type of sport. That means games, like the recent ones in Southern California, could potentially be held there without an official overseeing body.
“With something like this, you’re not protecting the safety of the ‘fighters,’” he said. “There’s a potential for people to be seriously hurt, and [the Athletic Commission] doesn’t want to see anybody seriously hurt.”
