Gelball Stories

Gelball offered me a community where I felt a connection and genuine sense of belonging and brotherhood and it also helped me with mental health.

It’s given me exercise, which was previously a huge difficulty in my life – and become a family bonding experience, working together with objectives (especially for my son who has ADHD, anxiety and is undergoing ASD Assessments) even my daughter and wife enjoy it – it has improved our family communication and built stronger bonds.

I suffered a life altering accident many years ago and since then the condition affecting my mobility has only worsened. I was finding myself unable to do everyday chores as well as my pain levels increased dramatically even though I’m currently on the highest pain medication possible for my situation. I was at a loose end without anything to take it away from my mind, the pain becomes a beast, affecting your normal thinking, and soon affecting your relationships to others.
I saw the stupid tac toys ads on you tube, pretty crappy over the top ads where everything is the best… I didn’t believe what I was seeing and so started researching gel blasters on my smartfone and a whole new community was revealed to me slowly, only young… but so fresh and full of good people genuinely interested in promoting the sport in its many dimensions. For me it is a hobby where im able to collect beautiful replicas and build my own from just the parts available here already in Australia. Im able to use my time and my hands in a way that makes me forget the pain and loss of movements of only a few years ago. Im a mod, or a techie I guess you’d say and it has helped my enormously, although my bank account has suffered!! (Joke).
I like my other members here belive that anything can be used as a weapon, if it is used with deadly intent then justice is deserved to that person be it a knife or a pencil … even toys..
But because of the massive blanket bans others have done they’ve destroyed a sport and a hobby for so many of us, and we have no intentions of ever using these TOYS inappropriately. To those who wish to ban the sport, there are other options rather than blanket bans. If you had believed these toys were a problem then they’d have not been allowed amongst us before anyone even thought of banning them not 3 or 4 YEARS later.
We live in an over restrictive society which takes away too many things from individuals under the the belief theyre done for others safety.if gel blasters are banned in Western Australia you will be destroying a growing Australia wide healthy activity worth millions to Australians nation wide , a sport which is becoming known where Australians are leading the development of more efficient gel blasters as well as new ways to play such as the speedy bois style of cqb games a new , amazingly fast growing international league where Australia leads the way.
Remember that we are Western Australians and we can be different to other states and become one of the few that regulate the industry and the hobby as it grows and we can do that right now without out right bans…. it only takes looking at anothers viewpoint to see how much this sport means to us.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Remember that we the players and others of the sport wish only the best for all Australians and bans made due to fear will in the long run hurt rather than help everyone out there.
Thats my 2 cents worth…. peace out.
Mark Kinsella
[email protected]

I had grown up with the knowledge that airsoft was illegal in Australia. I would watch YouTube videos of people in america playing and enjoying themselves with the sport. Id imagine myself with them and game to the realization that the only way i could was if i moved their or spent alot of money playing paintball. Then i discovered gel balling and it opened up so many new possibilities. I joined a club for military sims and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Before gelball I struggled to find a sport I could play while working the 2 on 1 off, other teams don’t want FIFO workers because we are away too often and can’t train enough, but gelball was the exact opposite, I could play once or 5 times in my off swing depending on my plans, I could go alone or with friends and I was always welcomed, people were always chatty and friendly, it was the community surrounding the game that turned this hobby into a passion for me. Having an activity that engaged me physically and socially while having an awesome time helps so much with the unsocial life of a FIFO worker, helping me keep a strong physical and mental health in an otherwise difficult industry and lifestyle.

Awesome experience that I want to share with my friends ! Hosted a gel ball bday party and it was a blast! Awesome experience to my friends who is mostly first timers on the game .

Was recommended to go to Perth GBG from Shane Parr-Whalley. He was a good bloke that liked to cosplay SWAT style uniform for fun. He let me borrow a blaster on the day and I just went there and had some fun and improve my fitness. One of the best experiences of my life and it has gotten me hooked to the sport ever since. Paid over thousands of dollars getting into the sport and my kids love it too as they have an outlet that is not only fun but also competitive. It’s definitely something I’d recommend someone try at least once. The speedqb stuff is something I also recommend as it’s just a different genre of sport that brings different elements to something that wouldn’t ever come from a traditional sport.

I am 45 years old and a father of 4. I grew up in the Philippines where airsoft is legal. During my younger age I wanted to play the sport but can not afford it and time did not permit me being busy with studies and work. Ever since that Tuesday CQB game at midland I said to my self I want to get in and know more about the sport so I came back again and slowly upgrading my blaster. This sport relives me of life stress altogether. It is my physical and emotional outlet. I love gearing up and showcasing my loadout during Sunday milsim. When the pandemic start it brought so much stress in me and my family life. Gelballing during this time made me physically active and gave me a sound mind. This is how important this sport to me.

Gel ball for me is more than just a hobby it’s a place where I can get exercise have but loads of fun and meet genuine people, it’s given me something to look forward to every second weekend

I am a really shy person, I’m not good at sports, I don’t enjoy going for runs or the gym and I have a lot of trouble meeting people. Before I started playing gelsoft I wasn’t in a good place mentally, I was alone, unfit and running out of reasons to keep getting up in the morning.

One day someone I didn’t talk to much showed me some pictures and told me that gelsoft was in Perth and that weekend we went to the hobby convention which had a small stall and we instantly loved it. within a few weeks we had gone to Perth GBG CQB and now fast forward to now I have a facebook group of people we got along with in our games and we all chat and help each other out.

This is the only hobby I have ever loved collecting for and its cheap enough to get into without breaking the bank so I don’t feel guilty going out to do it.