This past weekend, Skirmish Paintball in Albrightsville hosted the 13th annual "Invasion of Normandy," with close to 4,000 paintballers from across the country and around the globe taking to the 700-acre field for what some are calling the Super Bowl of paintball.

"The experience is a real adrenaline rush," said Cleo Fogal, event photographer. "It's something that is so intense that it really demands all of your attention, and so you're running and ducking and moving quickly and it's a buzz. Just from all of the potential danger in the air."It took six staff members six weeks to build the World War II-themed course, which featured wilderness terrain, fields of obstacles and abandoned city scenarios.Planning for the game has been in the works since last year, roughly a month after the previous ION concluded.There are three teams involved in ION: The Allies, the Germans and the French.Each "army" has its own general, two executive officers and company commanders. Company commanders are responsible for leading between 15 and 120 people.The French team is slightly different from the other two.It is invite-only and comprises only 90 people.The French create their own game within the game."We actually help Skirmish facilitate the scenario portion of the game. This is the internal story, some economy, politics; it's a whole big world in here," said French general Ralph Mastrangelo, Staten Island, New York.The army creates situations in which points or intel are awarded. Some situations include wheeling and dealing with ambassadors, while others involve retrieving props.Of course, the French have a devious side."Our mantra is 'steal everything,'" said Mastrangelo. "It's our homeland, so if it's not nailed down, we're going to take it."If we see a prop and we can take it by rules, we take it, we fight with people, we don't, we have treaties that last two hours, an hour, 20 minutes, escort people to the field. It's a lot of fun."At high noon on Saturday, a ravaging storming of the beach kicked off the event."The beach is nuts," said Kyle Graper of Pittsburgh, who was representing the Allies. "First hour and a half is pretty much 2,500 people on 2,500 people and it's the craziest you will ever play in this sport."Metal landing crafts named after the beaches where soldiers landed during the actual Invasion stretch across the main field and are crammed with Allies."They run out there at roughly 2,000 people with paintball guns aimed at them, shooting as much paint as they possibly can," said Sky Fogal, marketing manager for Skirmish."It's a crazy, crazy event. It's the only event or time in paintball where you can actually see multiple balls hitting in air and exploding. It almost creates a mist of paint in the air. It's surreal."When the countdown reaches zero, they are released to face the Germans, who are holding position just beyond the tree line."The smell of adrenaline and just people getting piped in those boats before the doors drop is … there's nothing like it in the world," Sky said."Unless possibly being actually shot at."Once the Allies break enemy lines, they proceed into the vast wooded acreage where their enemies await. The fighting continues until 10 that night and resumes the next day.Not only does ION provide an adrenaline-fueled weekend, but it gives a boost to the local economy and provides revenue for paintball retailers.Hotels are booked solid months in advance. Surrounding businesses stock up on food, cigarettes, alcohol and anything else a visitor would need.Thirty-six vendors lined the muddy walkways, creating the biggest retail gathering in paintball.For Dye Paintball, this is the best sales event of the year."People are excited to step into this world of paintball," said Jake Fristoe, market manager and event manager of Dye. "A lot of these guys … all they know is the field and then the local guys that come up and play with them."And when they see all the major companies, the other guys they follow on the Internet, when they get to see them in person, it's kind of a surreal feeling. It's like Disneyland for a paintballer."That Disneyland is swarming with kids at heart."It's capture the flag you played when you were 8, but with guns," said Graper.By the end of the weekend, the final tally put the Allies ahead of the Germans 161 to 86.There was not a material prize, but rather an intangible one for the winners."Just pride," said Graper. "And you can yell at each other on Facebook for the next 12 months." More photos: http://www.tnonline.com/gallery/skirmish-usas-invasion-normandy-game