Cool, Unexpected Surprises

I love that no matter how many arenas I play, I can still be surprised! When I arrived at Olympic Fun Center in Hermitage, PA I purchased two games of laser tag, fully expecting to play the system I saw in photos online. When I got there I was just in time to jump right into a game, so I hurried back to the briefing room and walked through a typical Runner archway, feeling certain I knew what I’d find behind the door. So, what a pleasant surprise when I walked in and found a bright, beautiful (and clearly newly themed) briefing area with…Rift?! My heart is always happy when I get to play this sentimental favorite, as this is the system I first played on every weekend back in the beginning and suddenly I felt really excited to have a chance to play it again!

This is a great example of why I continue to seek out arenas I have never played before. I love to find myself surprised like this. :)

I listened to game marshal Conner give the briefing as Zeek suited up to play and add balance the game. They went over the basic rules with the group before we entered the arena.

Once the door to the arena opened I was intrigued to find a unique combination of “old meets new” that was really cool.

You see, they have kept the Runner maze structure, while adding a bright theme to the outer walls, which gives this arena an interesting vibe all its own. It’s amazing how a maze designed for one system can play so differently when experienced with another, so this was a particularly fun game!

The arena is about 2400 square feet with a good use of inner wall space.

We played a free for all game, so bases were not in use, but I took note of where they were anyway…largely because I got a kick out of seeing this unexpected juxtaposition.

Everyone had a really great time. It was nostalgic for me to see this scoreboard again!

This game was quite energizing after a long drive after work to get to Pennsylvania. I had not changed into tag clothes as I normally would, so I had on the same sweater and ankle boots I left the house wearing this morning. I made a comment to Zeek and Conner, telling them “If I had known it would be this kind of game I would have taken the time to put on sneakers!” That was meant purely as a compliment to the quality of the experience I just had. If I had not been driving all day and been ready to get to my hotel I would have been tempted to buy a few more games here! But the two games I played gave me a good sample of what they gave to offer.

Dawn and Joe are the owners of this facility and I chatted with Dawn a bit following my games. She explained to me that this skating rink has been part of the community here since the 1960s, but laser tag was added about 20 years ago. As was evident, they did start operating with Lazer Runner, but about three years ago they acquired the Rift system at an auction. They revamped the arena aesthetics with the new outer wall theming. Joe shared that the outer walls were done with custom designed wall paper from Black Light Unity. To be honest, this company had not previously been on my radar, but I am definitely going to seek them out next week at IAAPA! Even though skating is their main anchor attraction, she told me laser tag is popular with birthday parties and they offer an unlimited play wristband for people who want to enjoy all the activities they offer. I was impressed with what I saw (including attention to security as you enter the building) and would love to visit Olympic Fun Center again. This was a great way to start a weekend trip to Pennsylvania in hopes of picking up a few new tag sites as I inch even closer to hitting my 600th arena. I wonder what cool surprises I will stumble upon next! :)