How a paintball pro fell in love with a Marystown woman, and the province

He's a paintball pro, a world champion, the name and face of a video game franchise. He loves motorcycles, the outdoors and Newfoundland and Labrador. 

If you're picturing the most interesting man in the world, you're likely not far off. 

Greg Hastings, who is originally from New Jersey, makes his living playing, creating and building the sport of paintball. He's also ex-United States Navy, where he was assigned to a submarine as a sonar technician.

Today, Hastings calls Newfoundland and Labrador his second home after meeting his girlfriend, Jess Biggin of Marystown, in Iceland during a spur-of-the-moment trip.

"I have long-term plans for this lady, and I think she has long-term plans for me. So here I am," Hastings told CBC News while throwing some hatchets at Jack Axes in downtown St. John's.

Travelling to Iceland on a whim appears to be just an average week for Hastings. His business partner, James Thrush, bought tickets for the pair after meeting in New York on separate business trips — paintball for Hastings in Long Island and a gig for Thrush's band, Super Geek League, in Manhattan.

"I'm like, we're just going to go? and he's like, 'Yup, we're just going to go,'" Hastings said. 

A chance meeting

The pair landed in Reykjavik, Hastings said, and prepared for adventure. At that time of year the sun set for only about an hour daily, leaving him and Thrush with plenty of time to take in the sights. 

They packed up their gear — which consisted of only beer — to hike to a geothermal pool one evening around 9 p.m., Hastings said. That's where he met Biggin, along with her group of friends who were more than grateful to accept a cold beer after a long hike over Icelandic hills and mountains. 

"I thought they were Americans, because they spoke perfect English," Hastings said.

"It turned out they were Canadian, and then I found out they were from Newfoundland, and I'm like, 'I can't really recall where Newfoundland is,'" Hastings said. 

After meeting again at a Stevie Wonder tribute show in Reykjavik — something Hastings says "you can't make up" — he and Biggin exchanged contact information.

The rest was history. 

"Fast-forward months later, I ended up communicating with Jess every day … and that kind of parlayed into me going, 'Hey, what if I came up to Newfoundland to visit?'" he said.

"I can't move here, because I'm an American, but I come up here as often as I can."

Biggin said she didn't believe Hastings at first when he told her what he does for a living. 

"I didn't even know there was a thing as a professional paintball player," she said.

"I didn't really believe him at all, but me and my friend, we Googled him and he had a Wikipedia page and stuff and I was like, 'Oh my God.'"

Local reaction

For paintball fans, seeing someone like Hastings in Newfoundland can seem surreal. 

Bill Foote has been playing the game since the late '80s and helps organize a local club known as the Trolls.

I have long-term plans for this lady, and I think she has long-term plans for me. So here I am.- Greg Hastings

Foote saw Hastings' Facebook post from the East Coast Trail, and quickly put together that the paintball pro was in Newfoundland. 

"I fired a message off to him, and we had met him a couple of times doing some paintball travel games.… he answered back very quickly," Foote said. 

"I was in disbelief.… I extended a couple of times and stuff didn't work with his schedule, but then that fateful day. We had 24 people that day that kind of show up with the expectation that maybe he'll show, and sure enough he rolled in in a red Mazda. Bam, Greg Hastings in the flesh."

The great outdoors

The East Coast Trail is just one of the things Hastings loves about the province.

He and Biggin take complete advantage of the Newfoundland seasons, he said, including hiking, camping, skiing, snowshoeing and skating. 

"This past summer I brought my wetsuit up, and my weights, and my fins and everything, and during when the whales were supposed to be in I actually swam out a couple of hundred yards off the coast by myself looking for whales," he said. 

Hastings said he's all in for Newfoundland. Close encounters with Atlantic lobsters, staring down a moose while hiking the East Coast Trail, ziplining down Marble Mountain: the list of things to keep him here continues to grow, he said. 

"We went up and saw where the Vikings landed. One of her uncles always shoots moose and sends moose down for us to eat. The list goes on and on and on," he said.

"Even driving around, just the scenery is amazing. The camping and just being outdoors here is over the top."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador