Paintball tournament is coming here May 20

A unique sporting event competition will be coming to Vermillion for the first time, thanks, in part, to the assistance of the Vermillion City Council Monday.

Northern Plains Ultimate Crown (NPUC) is planning to host a paintball tournament at Cotton Park on Saturday, May 20.

The competition will take place on the soccer field.

The challenge that organizers faced, however, was finding a way to hold the competition without being shot down by city rules.

A Vermillion ordinance states, "No person shall discharge or shoot off any gun, pistol, air gun or other firearm within the limits of the city, or in any public park belonging to said city, provided that this section shall not apply to shooting galleries regularly licensed by the city or to the University of South Dakota rifle range."

City staff recommended that aldermen consider the shooting gallery alternative.

"As this is a tournament and not an ongoing event, staff is proposing that a one-day, temporary shooting gallery license be issued to the applicants," City Manager John Prescott stated in a memo to aldermen.

Jake Honn, a spokesperson for NPUC, said the area where the competition will take place will be surrounded by a mesh fence, and security and emergency personnel will be on hand.

Participants from a five state event are anticipated to compete in the event.

The paintballs are water soluble, and will be dissolved after the event either by rain or the park's sprinkler system.