Nerf attack

NEVER mind that the guns are yellow and orange, made of plastic, and the bullets are foam darts.

Grown men are going ga-ga over them, and have no qualms about blowing hundreds of dollars on them, and toting them and running alongside and shooting kids half their age.

Nerf wars, organised mostly on Sundays, are all the rage now in Singapore.

Manufactured by United States toy manufacturer Hasbro, Nerf (which stands for Non-Expanding Recreational Foam) boasts a range of about 15 weapon-based toys, nine of which on sale here at major departmental stores. The pistol-like Maverick costs just $16.90, but the Vulcan, which looks like a machine gun sells for $99.90.

The Nerf craze is such that local distributor Hasbro Singapore is organising the very first National Nerf Tournament here on Aug 29 and 30 at Downtown East. (http://www.nerf2009.com.sg/)

Nerfers have even set up a dedicated Nerf forum last December (nerfsg.freeforums.org) for collectors to discuss their arsenals, gun modifications and plan for Nerf wars and trading, welcoming anyone with any kind of weapons that shoots foam darts to join in.

Said Nerfer Kenneth Kok, 18, a student: “It serves the purpose of rallying all local nerfers. Previously, we were scattered all around the island, and did not even know if there were people also interested in Nerf. Word got out, and many other Nerfers joined.”

Within the first four months of 2009, from just 50 users, the forum has brought together more than 300 people, and the community is still growing.

Admitting that he was surprised at the speed and volume of the member sign-ups, one of the forum moderators Paul Chen, 32, a public relations executive, said: “A lot more useful information was shared and we started to see a lot more experts emerging in the various areas of the hobby.”

Civil servant Jacen Khoo, 26, was the one who hosted the first ever Nerf war in Singapore. “Operation First Light” kicked off at Sengkang on Feb 22 this year.

“Excitement was one of the foremost reasons why I had done so. I mean, running around, shooting your modded Nerf guns and knowing more friends…darn cool,” he said. “It got people together and left them wanting for more.”

And more was what they got. Between the months of January and April, seven Nerf wars have been held.

And if you’re wondering just why these grown men are engaging in kids’ play, Mr Chen has to offer: “This is something we all discover when we grow older. Boys actually don’t grow older. We just grow taller.