Rival Gellyball has become a popular birthday party venue through its first year in the City of Red Deer.
Described as a "lower-impact paintball," gellyball uses gel orbs, which are similar to water orbeez. These gel orbs are biodegradable, non-staining and safe for all ages.
"In gellyball, you essentially have the same gameplan that you'd have in paintball or airsoft. There's capture the flag, last man standing and all sorts of fun games," said Ken McCurdie, Rival Gellyball owner/dealer.
"Our guns shoot at about 110 feet per second, versus paintball's 300 feet per second. It's definitely lighter for the player."
There aren't many places like Rival Gellyball in Canad, notede McCurdle.
"Rival Gellyball is the only indoor gellyball location this side of Sarnia, Ontario," he said.
"It's perfect for birthday parties as well. We do 10 to 12 birthdays a week here. It's becoming a birthday hub, which is fantastic for us.
"We're fully mobile as well. Everything you do in our arenas, we ca bring to a site as well. We can set up in your backyard or your acreage. It's a great thing to have at a family reunion or similar occasions. I tell people, 'If you have a gathering, we can be there.'"
The business, located at 4412 50 Ave., officially opened its doors on July 15, 2024.
"I was semi-retired for a few years and looking for something to do. This business kind of just fell into my lap and it's been amazing ever since," said McCurdle.
"We get a good mix of young people and adults. We get all ages here. ... The best part about it is seeing all the families — the kids, the parents and the grandparents — getting together and enjoying themselves. That's our happy spot."
McCurdle said its exciting to see more people learning abotu gellyball and how it's played.
"Gellyball has been out for quite a few years. Our gellyball brand started about four years ago down in Texas — a father-son duo came up with the business and figured the whole world should experience it," he said.
For more information on Rival Gellyball, visit www.rivalgellyball.ca.
