Coming for the paint splatter

Paintball players, enthusiasts and spectators are expected to descend on the beach for a national tournament this weekend.

The National Professional Paintball League is holding its annual Super 7 World Series Surf City Open from Friday through Sunday on the beach at First Street and Pacific Coast Highway. The tournament will bring together 120 teams of amateur to professional players from around the U.S. and Canada.

Paintball is played by two teams of up to seven players who have seven minutes to try to capture the opposing team’s flags while eliminating as much of the opposition as possible. Players run around a 180-by-100-foot field filled with inflatable objects to hide behind and are eliminated if they get hit with a paintball.

“There’s a lot of excitement going on,” said Frank Connell, owner of the National Professional Paintball league. “Paintball is a team-oriented sport with fast action, adrenaline-rushing action.”

The event is exactly the kind of family-oriented activity Huntington Beach wants to host, said Donna Mulgrew, vice president of the Huntington Beach Marketing and Visitors Bureau.

More than 35,000 people are expected to flood the city this weekend, bringing in an expected $1.4 million in revenue during the city’s off-season, Mulgrew said.

“We definitely want to keep them here,” she said.

The event is free to watch and visit the trade shows, which will feature a number of paintball companies as well as surf booths. There will be tickets on sale, with grandstand seats for $10 and VIP tickets for $40 a day. VIP tickets include free food and beverages. Tickets can be bought at the event or in advance by calling (714) 758-5575.

Teams will compete Friday and Saturday with finals Sunday. The award ceremony will be at 6 p.m. Sunday.

If You Go

What: The National Professional Paintball League Super 7 World Series Surf City Open

When: Friday through Sunday

Where: On the beach at First Street and Pacific Coast Highway.

Cost: Free to watch. Grandstand tickets are $10.

Information: www.nppl.com