| Kyle Ringler ducks behind a baracade as brothers Dylan (left) and Kaleb (right) aim at him from higher ground in the ghost town course of Riverbottom Assault Paintball. The ghost town course is one of three courses offered for paintball players. (Photos: Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune) |
WAYNE – School supplies are starting to line store shelves, but local youth still have plenty of
summertime left. And if swimming, skateboarding and other pursuits have gotten a little boring, the
Ringler family of Bowling Green has an unusual option to consider.
Doug and Kim Ringler own Riverbottom Assault Paintball on Ohio 199 which features a Western frontier
ghost town for battles, including a bank, livery, jail, general store and saloon. Doug Ringler, who is a
contractor, built the town himself.
Paintball enthusiasts have 30 acres over which to roam, land which includes a pond, winding creek and the
Portage River, as well as shrubs, trees, a bridge over the river and the ghost town.
"It’s just a neat atmosphere," stated Kim Ringler, adding that it’s "cheaper than Cedar
Point."
The business is open by reservation only on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to
4 p.m. Groups must have a minimum of 10 people, and children who want to participate must be 10 years
old to play. Sometimes two groups can reserve the field at the same time, and the members are identified
by bright orange and neon yellow armbands.
In addition, group outings on weekdays can be accommodated.
Riverbottom Assault is ideal for church youth groups, Boy Scout troops, birthday and bachelor parties,
athletic teams, business or corporate competitions and more, according to the Ringlers. For example, the
workers from a large chain restaurant in Findlay have challenged the workers from a sister restaurant in
Toledo.
Participants can rent quality Tippmann 98 Custom paintball guns on-site or bring their own gun. A face
mask is required for safety equipment.
| Paintballing brothers Kaleb, Dylan and Kyle Ringler in the ghost town course at Riverbottom Assault Paintball course. |
Ringler credited their older two sons, Kyle and Dylan, with the family creating the paintball business in
2008. After the couple bought 42 acres on Ohio 199 with the intent of building a home, the two boys ran
around the property with their paintball guns, shooting at trees.
One day Dylan and Kyle said, "’Dad, you should open a paintball park,’ – so we did."
Riverbottom Assault is also the tournament site for airsoft enthusiasts who play from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ringler said the tourneys involve a "huge story line," and items are hidden throughout the
entire paintball park which competitors need to find. Instead of paintballs, the participants use
realistic-looking weapons, including pistols, rifles and machine guns, which shoot plastic BB pellets.
Each year the paintball field opens in April and stays open through fall "until the snow flies, and
it gets too cold." Ringler said October is the busiest month.
Riverbottom Assault is at 11613 McCutcheonville Road. The business phone is (419) 601-1783, and the Web
site is www.riverbottomassault.com.
