Banzai Bandits

Banzai Bandits, also known as Banzai, was a British professional paintball team based in Manchester, England. Emerging during the late 1980s under the leadership of Antony Leadbetter, commonly known as "Ledz", the team became an established competitor in British, European and American tournaments during the 1990s and early 2000s. [1][2]

Banzai Bandits won the 1997 Hyperball Championships in Birmingham and finished third at the 1993 Mayhem Masters. The team is also historically significant for its connection to the development of Planet Eclipse, the British paintball equipment manufacturer whose early founders and engineers included several Banzai players. [1][2][3]

History

Origins

The origins of Banzai Bandits date to the late 1980s, when Antony Leadbetter and several friends began playing recreational paintball at a site in Worsley, Greater Manchester.

Leadbetter recalled beginning paintball in 1986, initially using Splatmaster markers before progressing to pump-action equipment. The group included Chris Morden, Colin Egan, Dave Frost and Steve Horan. [1]

According to Leadbetter, the players initially wore Japanese-style headbands and were given an informal nickname by local referees before adopting the Banzai Bandits name.

The group's early playing venues included Ball Busters at Lyme Park, where they participated in woodland paintball games. [1]

Banzai subsequently developed into an organised tournament team, recruiting additional players from the Manchester area.

Mayhem Masters (1993)

Banzai Bandits achieved a significant result at the 1993 Mayhem Masters, held at Holmbush in southern England.

The tournament attracted leading British and international teams, including UK Predators, Nam Wrecking Crew, Turks and Eagles.

Banzai entered the five-team round-robin final after defeating established opposition during the preliminary rounds.

The team finished third overall behind UK Predators and Nam Wrecking Crew. Turks finished fourth and Eagles fifth. [2]

A retrospective published by Planet Eclipse in 2017 identified the result as an important milestone for the Manchester-based organisation, which had previously competed largely against other northern English teams. [2]

The documented 1993 squad included Antony Leadbetter, Jack Wood, Chris Morden, Julian Carr, Brian Greenbank, Phil Cummins, Ian Duthie, Stewart Pailthorpe and Steve Horan, alongside players identified as Tess and Charlie. [2]

International professional competition

Banzai Bandits subsequently competed internationally, including in the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) and major European tournaments.

At the 1996 NPPL World Cup in Orlando, Florida, Banzai competed in the professional 10-man division.

The team advanced to the professional semi-finals and finished 11th overall. [4]

Banzai returned to American competition at the 1997 NPPL Las Vegas Open, where it recorded 263 points during the preliminary rounds. [5]

The team also competed at the 1997 World Cup, appearing in the professional preliminary records. [6]

These appearances placed Banzai among the British teams competing regularly against established American professional organisations during the 1990s.

Hyperball championship (1997)

One of Banzai Bandits' most significant victories came at the 1997 Hyperball Championships in Birmingham, England.

The event was organised by WDP and featured 40 ten-player teams from several countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Ukraine.

Competition used both woodland fields and the developing Hyperball format, with the finals played on fields constructed from large plastic drainage pipes. [1]

Banzai competed against teams including Bad Company, Team Image, UK Predators, Shockwave UK and Shades of Grey.

During the preliminary competition, Banzai defeated Bad Company, one of the established American professional teams.

Banzai subsequently defeated Shockwave in the semi-finals. Mike "Spanner" Snape was identified by Leadbetter as having made a decisive attacking move during the match.

The final was contested against Shades of Grey, another established British team.

Banzai won the final to claim the championship. [1]

In a 2017 interview, Leadbetter described the victory as an important achievement for the organisation during the transition from woodland tournaments to concept-field competition.

The event was also associated with the increasing use of artificial bunkers and spectator-friendly tournament layouts, which subsequently became standard in competitive paintball. [1]

Millennium Series (1999–2002)

Banzai Bandits continued competing in European professional tournaments following the establishment of the Millennium Series in 1999.

The team appeared in professional competition alongside major European and American organisations, including the All Americans, Avalanche, Russian Legion, Joy Division and Toulouse TonTons.

At the 2000 Mayhem Masters, Banzai qualified for the professional semi-finals after placing sixth in the preliminary standings.

The team was eliminated during the semi-final round, finishing 11th. [7]

Banzai also competed in the 2001 Joy Masters in Stockholm, Sweden.

Contemporary WARPIG reporting identified a Banzai player known as "Pailey" discussing the revised Millennium Series competition format and its effects on professional teams. [8]

At the same tournament, Antony Leadbetter competed using a customised Eclipse Impulse marker developed through the team's equipment business. [8]

Banzai continued participating in the Millennium Series during 2002.

At the Amsterdam event, the team progressed beyond the preliminary rounds in professional competition. Contemporary tournament reporting highlighted Jack Wood's performance during the event. [9]

The team's recorded participation in the Millennium Series illustrates its involvement during the transition from traditional woodland tournaments to the modern European speedball format.

Relationship with Planet Eclipse

Banzai Bandits played an important role in the origins of Planet Eclipse.

In 1991, team members Antony Leadbetter and Julian Carr acquired the Manchester Paintball retail business, which subsequently developed into Planet Eclipse. [3]

Jack Wood, another Banzai player, also worked at the business while studying engineering.

The team's participation in tournament paintball provided opportunities to test, modify and develop equipment for competitive use.

Early equipment development concentrated on improving existing markers, including the WGP Autococker, Automag, Sterling, Spyder, Smart Parts Shocker and WDP Angel. [3]

Banzai's relationship with the business helped establish an equipment development process involving direct feedback from tournament players.

Several former Banzai members subsequently became prominent figures in the paintball equipment industry.

Steve "Flash" Monks, who played for Banzai and had experience in electronics, became involved in developing the electronic control system for the Eclipse EBlade. [10]

Jack Wood subsequently became a leading marker designer at Planet Eclipse.

The company later developed the Eclipse Ego, first released in 2005, and became a major manufacturer of tournament paintball markers. [3][10]

Although Planet Eclipse developed into an independent commercial organisation, its early history was closely connected with the Banzai Bandits team.

Equipment and sponsorship

Banzai Bandits used several generations of paintball equipment during its competitive history.

The original players began using Splatmaster markers before moving to pump-action models including the Rebel Line and Grey Ghost. [1]

During the 1990s, the team became associated with customised Autocockers produced through the Manchester Paintball and Planet Eclipse business.

Banzai also received sponsorship from Worr Game Products and Smart Parts. The two manufacturers permitted the team to use their respective markers simultaneously under sponsorship arrangements. [10]

WDP became another significant sponsor. Banzai players participated in early Hyperball testing and provided feedback on equipment associated with the Angel marker. [1]

At the 1997 Hyperball Championships, most Banzai players used Eclipse-modified Autocockers with mechanical slide triggers, alongside other markers including an Automag.

The team also used compressed-air systems, ViewLoader Revolution loaders and Smart Parts barrels. [1]

Notable players

Documented members of Banzai Bandits include:

Antony Leadbetter – Founder, captain and later Planet Eclipse co-owner.
Julian Carr – Member of the 1993 team and co-founder of the business that became Planet Eclipse.
Jack Wood – Member of the 1993 team and later Planet Eclipse marker designer.
Steve Monks – Player known as "Flash" and later Planet Eclipse electronics engineer.
Chris Morden – Early member of the team.
Colin Egan – Early member of the original playing group.
Dave Frost – Early member of the original playing group.
Steve Horan – Early member and member of the 1993 Mayhem Masters squad.
Brian Greenbank – Member of the 1993 Mayhem Masters squad.
Phil Cummins – Member of the 1993 Mayhem Masters squad.
Ian Duthie – Member of the 1993 Mayhem Masters squad.
Stewart Pailthorpe – Member of the 1993 Mayhem Masters squad.
Mike "Spanner" Snape – Player involved in the 1997 Hyperball championship.
Darron Doherty – Member of the organisation.
Eddie Lowe – Member of the organisation.

[1][2][10]

Selected tournament results

Year	Competition	Division	Result
1993	Mayhem Masters, Holmbush	10-man	3rd place [2]
1996	NPPL World Cup, Orlando	Professional 10-man	11th place [4]
1997	Hyperball Championships, Birmingham	10-man	Champions [1]
1997	NPPL Las Vegas Open	10-man	Preliminary-round participant [5]
2000	Mayhem Masters	Professional	11th place [7]
2002	Millennium Series Amsterdam	Professional	Advanced beyond preliminaries [9]

Later activities

Following the team's main professional tournament period, several former Banzai members continued competing under other team names.

Antony Leadbetter subsequently played for London Nexus and the Great Britain national team. [11]

Other former members continued participating in British tournament and recreational paintball.

In 2017, Leadbetter identified Operation Sandbaggers as a team involving several former Banzai members, including Jack Wood, Darron Doherty and Eddie Lowe. [1]

The available records do not establish a formal dissolution date for Banzai Bandits.

Legacy

Banzai Bandits was an important British tournament team during the 1990s, particularly in the development of competitive paintball in northern England.

Its third-place finish at the 1993 Mayhem Masters and victory at the 1997 Hyperball Championships established its competitive record against leading British and international teams. [1][2]

The team also contributed to the early development of Planet Eclipse through its players' involvement in paintball equipment modification, testing and engineering.

Several individuals associated with Banzai subsequently played significant roles in the commercial development of modern tournament paintball equipment. [3][10]

References

External links